A major US airline drops one of its larger fees
Delta Airlines flight landing at Lindbergh Field, San Diego
The first time I read it, I had to get up and go clean off my eyeglasses: Delta Air Lines has done away with one of its fees. And not just any old fee, either, but an add-on charge that brought in up to $150 a pop.
Yep, it’s official: Hell has frozen over — and things are looking up at Delta.
The fee in question applied to passengers using Delta’s SkyMiles frequent-flier program. If you tried to redeem your miles for a flight less than 20 days in advance, Delta stuck you with that $50 tab. Less than seven days — $100. Less than three days — a whopping $150.
That’s the practice they’re discontinuing.
If you’re a Delta frequent flier with enough miles for a free flight or getting close to that level, this is good news. It doesn’t give you extra miles or more flights, but it does mean you can be more flexible — or more spontaneous — in your travel planning.
Hold your applause for just a moment, though.
Think about it: Delta is no longer charging you for something they’d led you and all the rest of us to believe was free in the first place.
And it’s not just Delta.
What, you thought getting a flight on your frequent-flier miles was actually free? Silly rabbit!
I’ve used frequent-flier miles for flights three times in my life, on airlines other than Delta. Not once did I get away without having to go into my pocket for this fee or that charge.
Granted, the sum of those charges didn’t approach what I would’ve paid had I bought the tickets outright, but I’m one of those weird old curmudgeons to whom the word “free” actually means what it says. And believe me, when the airlines tell you that you can get “free” flights with your miles, that’s not what they mean. That concept exists only in the minds of a duped flying public.
Still, it’s good news for Delta’s regular passengers.
It’s also good news for Delta. These guys lost $1.2 billion last year. It’s unlikely they’d be dropping a fee that big if they weren’t doing better in 2010.
If this trend keeps up, who knows? Maybe Spirit Airlines will drop their plans to charge their passengers extra for seats that actually recline.
Just a thought.
Meanwhile, Delta also is waiving the fee for your first checked bag — if you’re using one of their SkyMiles credit cards.
Yep, hand them down some overcoats and NyQuil “down there.”