People who travel often as a result of finding cheap traveldeals, such as cheapairplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, cheap auto rentals, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages, willbe disappointed to learn that Delta Air Lines is following United Airlines leadand increasing the number of miles needed to redeem frequent flier awardtickets on many of its routes.
The only good news is that Deltas increases are much lesssevere that the ones made by United. Deltas new higher mileage redemption requirement will take effect forfree tickets reserved now for travel after February 1st.
SkyMiles members can continue to book Award Tickets fortravel before February 1st, 2014, at the current Award redemptionlevels.
Deltas prices its award tickets in three categories: Saver (requires the least miles), Standard,and Peak (requires the most miles). Deltais not changing its mileage requirement on all three levels on all routes.
Included in Deltas changes are:
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Coachclass tickets will remain the same for flights within mainland United States,with select first class seats costing an additional 5,000 to 10,000 more miles.
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NonSaver Business Elite seats on flights to North Asia, including China, Japan,and Korea, will require 10,000 to 20,000 more miles.
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Theleast expensive saver awards to Hawaii are requiring additional miles in allclasses of service, increasing between 5,000 to 10,000 miles.
Deltas frequent fliers have found that redeeming SkyMilesfor free tickets can be an extremely frustrating and time consuming experienceeven for the most advanced mileage expert. In a May 2012 survey Delta came in last of 23 airlines in award seatavailability. Often Delta frequentfliers must spend double or even more miles to secure a free seat in a programthat starts offering free round trip coach tickets within the continental USA at25,000 miles.
Although fliers with competing airlines sometimes raisecomplaints regarding finding free tickets at a minimum mileage level, frequentfliers and travel experts have observed that it is most difficult at Delta.
United Airlines announced on November 1st that itwould be raising the mileage redemption levels for some award tickets by over60 percent and increasing the mileage required for some of its most popular destinationssuch as those to Hawaii. The new changesgo into effect for award tickets booked on or after February 1st,2014.
The good news with Uniteds new mileage redemptionrequirements is that many mileage requirements on United flights are notchanging and many of the devaluations occurring are on business and first classredemptions. Domestic mileagerequirements on United will remain at 25,000 miles for economy, 50,000 milesfor business, and 70,000 miles on first class.
The bad news is that many popular redemption destinationswill change. Hawaii will cost 45,000miles in coach instead of 40,000 miles. Flights to southern South America will cost 10,000 more miles roundtripin business class and 5,000 more miles roundtrip in first.
The cost of award tickets from North America to Europe isgoing up. Currently it costs 50,000 miles each way in business class and 67,500miles each way in first. After thedevaluation, it will cost 57,500 in business and 80,000 miles in first. This equates to a 15 percent increase in thecost of business class redemptions and an almost 19 percent increase in firstclass.
Flights from North America to the Middle East, Asia, andAustralia/New Zealand will cost more in terms of miles in all three classes ofservice.
Partner airline redemptions are impacted the most, with Europecosting 40 percent more for business class awards and 63 percent on first classawards. A first class ticket to Northernor Southern Africa will require 73 percent more miles, with first classredemptions to the Middle East jumping by 87 percent.
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