Travel: New rules for frequent fliers

“The friendly skies no longer seem as inviting,” said Krishnadev Calamur in NPR.org. Delta Air Lines announced last week that its SkyMiles loyalty program will start rewarding fliers based on how much they spend on tickets rather than how far they fly. The shift, which takes effect next year, is “part of a larger trend across the industry.” Virgin America, JetBlue Airways, and Southwest Airlines already reward customers based on how much they spend rather than on miles flown. But Delta’s decision makes it the largest carrier to adopt such rules.

The system is certainly ripe for change, said Christopher Elliott in USA Today. Many passengers believe that airline loyalty programs are too easily manipulated by “insiders who ‘hacked’ the system,” for instance by booking long, cheap flights just to rack up miles. Revenue-based rewards may feel “like a scam to a lot of the good people sitting in the back of the plane,” but they’re fairer than the status quo. And even if the game is rigged, there’s no reason not to “play if you can afford it.” Revenue-based rewards will still be a good deal for travelers who “book a lot of expensive tickets.” But fliers should focus on a single program or carrier. “Be ready to give one of the airlines most, if not all, of your business.”

“For those who want out, now’s not a bad time to bail,” said Ron Lieber in The New York Times. Most airline perks these days, such as boarding “early enough to get your wheelie in the overhead, are now for sale on an à la carte basis.” Why mess around with points? One industry journalist had it right when he described frequent-flier programs as “unregulated lotteries,” in which “we collect miles for years without knowing the odds of exchanging them for a free ticket for a reasonable number of miles.” Frequent travelers can score a better deal with hotel loyalty programs and credit cards that offer points or cash back rewards.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

I wouldn’t jump ship just yet, said Damon Lavrinc in Wired.com. Who knows if Delta’s changes will catch on? “If there’s a significant backlash, Delta might rework the system.” The carrier says its new rules are designed to reward its best customers, but “even those premium travelers are already in an uproar.” Before they risk alienating fliers, you can bet that Delta’s larger rivals, United and American, will be “keeping an eye on how this new rewards scheme plays out.”