Delta Airlines, known for its cheap fares, including cheap airplane tickets, cheap vacation packages, and discount travel packages, has also been recognized positively in the past for allowing the transfer of Delta SkyMiles to family or friends when a member dies.
There has been a backlash online from the airlines frequent fliers who view Deltas new policy as a sleazy way for Delta to retire more of its miles.
Some Delta frequent fliers are responding by saying they will make a bigger effort to redeem their SkyMiles as soon as possible as well as book future flights with other airlines.
It is not surprising that some Delta members are reacting angrily to this change given that earning frequent flier miles is viewed by many as the same as earning money and taking those miles away upon a members death is akin to arbitrarily taking away an earned asset.
Delta has responded saying that the benefits of its SkyMiles are intended to reward those who directly participate in the program. Those rewards, according to Delta, are for fliers who demonstrate their loyalty to Delta.
Delta contends that its frequent flier program offers unique benefits because it is the only airline whose miles do not expire, meaning that its customers never risk losing their miles during their lifetimes.
In order to retain this unique benefit, Delta decided that it needed to eliminate a lesser used benefit that the airline determined after extensive study was not as much value to its members.
Other airlines that forbid the transfer of miles upon a members death include JetBlue, Southwest, and United.
Carriers that continue to allow members to leave their miles to family and friends include Alaska and American Airlines and US Airways. Americans policy is to credit accrued mileage to persons specifically identified in court approved divorce decrees and wills.
Deltas policy change is being viewed as a cost saving measure since it reduces the miles outstanding and no longer has to expend resources transferring those miles.
Critics are unhappy that the airline implemented the change without giving members much advance notice. No emails were sent out to members notifying them of this change. A brief note about the rule update was posted on a website called Flyertalk.
Experts recommend that frequent fliers redeem their miles sooner than later. Airlines reserve the right to make changes to their rewards program at any time which in turn can mean a significant reduction in the value of those miles over time.
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