Sites help customers make voices heard, spend miles.

Atlanta - Nov 4, '00 - Recent changes in Delta's SkyMiles program seem to be the final straw for a growing group of the airline's medallion-level fliers, its most frequent customers. Last month, a new Web site, Save SkyMiles (http://www.saveskymiles.com), was launched in an attempt to persuade the program managers to rethink their cutbacks, and warn them that similar benefit reductions threaten to cut into Delta's business.

"We are creating this Web site to encourage a public forum for voicing opinions and educating both Delta SkyMiles members and the management of Delta SkyMiles of the possible impact these changes can and will have on the airline," states the opening page of the site.

To demonstrate its clout and grab the attention of Delta Air Lines Inc., the site asks each user to provide their medallion-level status and total number of miles flown on Delta. At press time, the site had enlisted almost 500 members who claim to maintain a combined total of nearly 300 million SkyMiles. (Keep in mind that there are almost 20 million members of the SkyMiles program.)

Last month, Delta announced that it would cut back on the number of systemwide upgrades it offers most medallion-level fliers. (See http://www.travelskills.com/column/8-11skymilescut.htm.) This change is the most recent in what most members feel is a long list of customer-angering cutbacks made in the program since its last major overhaul in 1995. That's when it changed from the more generous Frequent Flyer program to what's viewed by many as a stingier SkyMiles plan.

But is the SkyMiles program really that bad compared to other frequent flier programs? SkyMiles member David Huiner of Atlanta said, "I have plenty of gripes about SkyMiles. It certainly isn't the program that Frequent Flyer was. But Delta is the only airline I've flown enough to earn elite level [medallion] status on, so I can't compare it to the other programs."

Defending the change, Delta SkyMiles chief Christine Pierce told us: "With this change, we are at parity with our competitors for the number of international upgrades that are given to our top-tier members. And, more importantly, we continue to exceed the competition in providing the most upgrade options to our customers traveling in North America. When you add in the ability to upgrade a traveling companion on both types of travel, it totals to a very customer-focused package." She said that in recent surveys, systemwide upgrade coupons ranked lower than other benefits, and that the award was misunderstood by many members.

What do you think? Please send me your comments comparing Delta's SkyMiles program to other programs, and I'll include them in a future article on the subject. Send comments to chris@travelskills.com.

Big hype. Questionable value.

A new Web site (http://www.milepoint.com) created and managed by some industry heavyweights such as former American Airlines CEO Bob Crandall allows you to use your accumulated frequent flier miles to obtain discounts from online merchants like Amazon.com Inc., Skymall.com, Orvis or The Sharper Image.

Despite the hype that claims you can "spend your miles like money," Milepoint.com currently only allows you to use your miles to get 10 percent to 20 percent discounts from merchants.

Currently, the only thing you can "buy" outright with your miles is a magazine subscription.

Once you register on the site, Milepoint.com is able to deduct miles from your accounts at Delta, Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, US Airways, America West Airlines and TWA, as well as Hilton HHonors. So, let's say you wanted to buy $100 worth of holiday gifts from Amazon.com. With merchants offering a 20 percent discount, you would be able to redeem a maximum of 1,000 miles for a $20 discount. (You would not be able to redeem miles for the entire purchase -- only a 20 percent discount.)

What's best about the site is that you can combine points or miles from various programs for a single purchase. Plus, this is a good opportunity to burn off those miles lying fallow in programs where you may not have enough miles to redeem for a free trip.

As it stands now, a discount for my miles is not enough of an incentive for me to go to the trouble of registering and using the site. I think it would be easier to just rip a coupon out of the paper.

EASY E-TICKETS. Northwest and Continental have launched an interline e-ticket network, allowing customers to use electronic tickets when their itineraries include travel on both carriers. It also allows the two airlines to accept e-ticketed customers who are faced with delays and cancellations involving the other carrier, without the need for conversion to a paper ticket.

THINK AHEAD. Autumn is the busiest time of the year for hotels in perennially sold-out cities like New York or San Francisco.

That means you should be making your reservations NOW for any trips you have scheduled for the coming months.

This column also appeared in the Atlanta Business Chronicle

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McGinnis manages The Ticket Portal, a free e-mail newsletter and Internet site for Atlanta-based frequent travelers at http://www.travelskills.com.

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