Delta Airlines has announced a big change to its frequent flier program. The new SkyMiles program will reward those who spend the most money on tickets, rather than those who fly the most amount of miles.
According to The Huffington Post, this new program is aimed towards business travelers who frequently make travel plans last minute and spend more money than leisure travelers who book trips in advance.
“Customers will be able to earn between five and 11 miles per dollar, based on their Skymiles status" a Delta statement said, reports CBS News.
The new program will take into effect on Jan. 1, 2015. Delta will be the first major airline to make a change like this, so it is probable that other airlines will wait to see the benefits before making any changes.
This may come as no surprise, as Delta previously announced in January 2013 that starting in 2014, passengers would have to spend at least $2,500 to meet the lowest level of frequent-flier status, instead of basing it off the amount of miles travelled.
“It appears that Delta is coming out and saying...the more money you spend, the more we are going to take care of you,” travel expert Tom Parsons said. “The airline is thinking, why not take care of the guys who give us $10,000 dollars a year and fly even less miles, than those who spend $5,000 dollars and fly more miles?"
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