Delta Air Lines on Tuesday will announce some new perks for elite SkyMiles frequent fliers, as the airline works to retain lucrative business travelers and folds in merger partner Northwest’s mileage program.
The changes include a new ability to roll over excess elite Medallion qualification miles from one year to the next. Frequent fliers use qualifying miles to earn elite status. With the change, a member who earns 40,000 qualifying miles and reaches the 25,000-mile silver elite level, for example, can roll over 15,000 miles to the following year.
In the new program for next year, Delta is also launching a fourth tier of elite status called the diamond level, which is for those with 125,000 qualifying miles or 140 segments flown annually and includes free admission to Delta’s Sky Clubs. The diamond level ranks above the current highest level of platinum and will be the only level to offer the free Sky Club membership.
Meanwhile, Delta is reducing its systemwide upgrade benefit for platinum members to four upgrades instead of six, but allowing them to be used on the day of departure.
Platinum members may also feel their status will be diluted by the new diamond level above them, according to Frequentflier.com publisher Tim Winship.
For most elite frequent fliers, “the principal benefit is upgrades,” Winship said. Platinum members may in some cases end up displaced by those at the new diamond level who get priority standing for certain upgrades. “You can have all the bells and whistles you want, but at the end of the day, if you’re not upgrading your elite customers, then you’re just not really getting much mileage out of your elite program,” Winship said.
Delta vice president of loyalty programs Jeff Robertson said the airline is “keeping the benefits that mean the most to our Medallion members and adding others that surpass what any other airline offers.”
Delta will also waive ticketing fees for gold, platinum and diamond elite members and will allow platinum and diamond members to choose from other extra benefits.
Overall, Delta’s changes give it “a bit of an edge overall” and are indicative of airline’s efforts to retain the loyalty of its most profitable customers, Winship said.
Meanwhile, Chicago-based United Airlines on Monday announced a consumer-friendly change in its mileage program, eliminating fees for frequent flier award tickets booked within 21 days of departure.
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