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Add to del.icio.usThe air travel world is increasingly abuzz over new programs touting the benefits of innovative mileage-redemption options, but for consumers there’s generally more cloud than silver lining. The latest “breakthrough” is the Delta/Amex brainchild Pay with Miles.
Delta’s literature describes Pay with Miles as “a whole new way to use your miles... In addition to saving up for SkyChoice and SkySaver Award tickets you can now redeem your miles towards all or part of the price of your Delta tickets.” They go on to declare that the program is an exclusive benefit for SkyMiles members with a Gold or Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express.
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Let’s jump to the part that describes the highlight of the program: “Unlike SkySaver or SkyChoice Awards, Pay with Miles is flexible. Pay for all or part of the fare with miles - it’s up to you.” Delta was nice enough to include some samples of Pay with Miles in action: For base fares less than $100: Redeem 25,000 miles to cover the total fare. For base fares equal to or greater than $100 and less than $250: Redeem 10,000 miles for $100 off the total fare or increase the redemption to cover the total fare, starting at 25,000 miles and increase in increments of 5,000 miles ($50 off) to cover the total fare.
Enough already.
For those of you too bored or confused to continue, I’ll reveal the essence of Pay with Miles: For your loyalty, time, and effort, you net a penny or less per mile. That’s far too little. As my regular readers will attest, I’ve reported strategies for Business and First Class tickets and upgrades where each mile is valued as high as 30 cents.
Granted, miles can be difficult to use, and we’re happy when a program offers a new spin on value. Unfortunately, too often the focus is merely to find new ways to separate mileage holders from their miles while giving back as little as possible.
If you receive a Pay with Miles offer in your email, I suggest you file it under “spam.”
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Thanks fot the 'heads up' Amex is getting worse and worse on milesa redemptions Ernie
Does anyone know if this is AMEX which is playing games or DELTA? As we know DELTA is not in good shape and needs to offload the liability of the millions of miles for which it has to reserve. AMEX Starwood is still a very good card. Comments?
"Pay with Miles" lacks real flexibility - one cannot conbine the "Pay with Miles" plan with any eCredits on Delta, and any ticket purchased using miles in part will not be upgradeable or be eligible for any milage accrual. If one wants to use miles, get the entire ticket with miles - preferrably in the "Sky Saver" catagory.
"Pay with Miles" is not a very good route to take. If you plan well in advance you can always find great deals. i.e. I just used 150,000 Delta Skymiles (60k of which were from Amex), and booked (2) first class tickets to Maui from New York in mid-June. Reg.price would be about $2,700 a ticket, so the math equals to about .37 for each mile. not bad!
Delta /Amex Paltinum is still the only CC program which gives you elite to Platinum status for non flying pucrcases. I spend $20,000-30,000 monthly on my card with non flying purchases earned Platinum level and bonus miles and its accompanying benefits I have had no problenm and no blackout dates and have used these miles more easily then any other airline FF miles-(AA GOLD, United Premied Executive)
Would someone be able to tell me what my new Platinum staus means in terms of perks/benefits for Delta? I received it a couple of months ago.... evidently from total miles accrued from my Delta AMX and flying..... I just want it to be explained in simple terms. Thank you D.Cerasani
Somebody needs to work on their math skills. I thought I was getting short changed until I did the math. Nobody is getting $.37 per mile. The responder getting two $2700 tickets for 150000 miles is getting $.036 or about 3 1/2 cents per mile, still better that one cent per mile. I hold three open-jaw tickets on Air France LA to Vienna and Budapest to LA this summer using 150000 skymiles and put the value at just over 3 cents a mile.
I personally threw the "Pay with miles" in the trash. As with VCapalongo above, I planned my trip to Bonaire last November, transferred miles from my Marriott rewards accout to Delta and used the combined miles, approx 140k miles, for two first class tickets. Plan in advance if you can. Pay with miles.... Some new program!
anyone know the status of the previously announced ability to use frequent flyer miles to upgrade between carriers in the Star Alliance group? It has disappeared from their website.
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????I have a Delta Platinum AMEX. Is there an advantage to having a AMEX Starwood card over this card for flexiblity , for usage of miles etc? Please simply explain the differences and the advantages, if any? Many thanks DCerasani
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