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Last month, Delta announced highly punitive basic award fares in premium cabins. As if Skyesos weren’t already one of the worst mileage currencies, Delta managed to make them even worse.
And now Air France/KLM Flying Blue will join their SkyTeam partner Delta in offering punitive basic awards, even in business class, starting for tickets issued on September 8th. Book before then to be grandfathered into the current more generous policies.
Here is what’s changing:
- Current economy promo and saver awards will be branded as Economy Light awards and will include no checked baggage, no free seat assignments, and can’t be changed or canceled. You can spend more miles for an Economy standard award, which comes with a checked bag and allows for changes or refunds for €70. You can spend even more miles on an Economy Flex award, which comes with lower surcharges as well as free changes or refunds and free seat assignments.
- Current Premium promo and saver awards will be branded as Premium Light awards and will include no checked baggage, no free seat assignments, and can’t be changed or canceled. You can spend more miles for a Premium standard award, which comes with 2 checked bags and allows for changes or refunds for €70. You can spend even more miles on a Premium Flex award, which comes with lower surcharges as well as free changes or refunds and free seat assignments.
- Current Business promo and saver awards will be branded as Business Light awards and will include 1 checked bag, no lounge access, no free seat assignments, and can’t be changed or canceled. You can spend more miles for a Business standard award, which comes with 2 checked bags, lounge access, and allows for changes or refunds for €70. You can spend even more miles on a Business Flex award, which comes with lower surcharges as well as free changes or refunds and free seat assignments.
For example:
- Currently, a Business Promo award from JFK to Paris costs 45K miles+$608 (when available that month), or a Business award costs 60K miles+$608.
- On 9/8, the 45K or 60K award levels will book into Business Light fares with just 1 checked bag, no lounge access, and no ability to change or cancel your award ticket. You’ll have to spend 75K miles+$608 to buy into Business Standard to gain lounge access, a 2nd checked bag, and the ability to pay 70 Euros to cancel or change your award ticket. You’ll have to spend 110K miles to buy into Business Flex, though that will lower the surcharges and taxes to $302 and comes with free award changes and refunds and free seat assignments.
Will it be worth spending an extra 15K or 30K miles to buy up from Business Promo/Light to Standard for lounge access, an extra free bag, and the ability to pay for cancellations? It’s certainly a tough pill to swallow. Once you do that, you can use another 35K miles to lower fees by some $300 and have the ability to cancel for free and get free seat assignments, which isn’t a terrible deal, but it’s still a lot of miles to burn for that flexibility.
- Currently, a Premium Promo award from JFK to Paris costs 30K miles+$232 (when available that month), or a Premium award costs 40K miles+$232.
- On 9/8, the 30K or 40K award levels will book into Premium Light fares with no checked bags and no ability to change or cancel your award ticket. You’ll have to spend 50K miles+$232 to buy into Premium Standard to gain 2 checked bags and the ability to pay 70 Euros to cancel or change your award ticket. You’ll have to spend 85K miles to buy into Business Flex, though that will lower the surcharges and taxes by about half and comes with free award changes and refunds and free seat assignments.
- Currently, an Economy Promo award from Dallas to Paris costs 18,750 miles+$138 (when available that month), or an Economy award costs 25K miles+$138.
- On 9/8, the 18,750 or 25K award levels will book into Economy Light fares with no checked bags and no ability to change or cancel your award ticket. You’ll have to spend 30K miles+$138 to buy into Economy Standard to gain a checked bag and the ability to pay 70 Euros to cancel or change your award ticket. You’ll have to spend 50K miles to buy into Economy Flex, though that will somewhat lower the surcharges and taxes and comes with free award changes and refunds and free seat assignments.
- Currently, an Economy Promo award from Berlin to Barcelona costs 7.5K miles+$70 (when available that month), or an Economy award costs 10K miles+$70.
- On 9/8, the 7.5K or 10K award levels will book into Economy Light fares with no checked bags and no ability to change or cancel your award ticket. You’ll have to spend 13K miles+$70 to buy into Economy Standard to gain a checked bag and the ability to pay 70 Euros to cancel or change your award ticket. You’ll have to spend 17K miles+$70 to buy into Economy Flex, which comes with free award changes and refunds and free seat assignments.
Notably, only promo and saver awards will price as light awards. More expensive awards will book into standard. That’s a nice gesture that Delta doesn’t offer, but we’ll see how long that lasts.
Additionally, these changes apply only to travel on Air France and KLM, not to partner award travel.
Finally, if you have SkyTeam or Flying Blue status, you can avoid some of the restrictions. You can earn Delta status just by having some Delta cards, so there can be some value to be had there.
Flying Blue Silver elites and higher and SkyTeam elites like Delta Silver and higher will still receive checked bags and seat assignments, even on light fares. Flying Blue Gold elites and higher and SkyTeam Elite Plus members like Delta Gold and higher will still get lounge access, even on light fares. Flying Blue Platinum elites and higher will still get free changes and refunds, even on light fares.
Devaluations like this are exactly why I try not to store miles in airline programs, even if there’s a mileage transfer bonus. Better off storing them with banks and transferring them to airlines and hotel programs on demand.
What do you think of these changes? How much longer will American and United hold out before offering awful restricted basic awards?
