NEWS: Southwest, Delta, American, and United Are Being Investigated for Potentially Deceptive Frequent Flyer Programs

Disney4me · September 6

If you tend to fly a lot, chances are you’re part of a frequent flyer program.

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When are you flying next?

It’s a pretty popular way to get some serious perks for being loyal to a particular airline. The more you fly, the more frequent flyer miles you get. Or at least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. Some major U.S. airlines are being investigated for engaging in deceptive practices in their loyalty programs, and now we have an update.

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According to the Associated Press, the Biden administration is looking into the four largest U.S. airlines’ frequent flyer programs. Specifically, the government wants to examine how they devalue points that customers have earned along with frequently changing the number of points or miles needed to book a flight.

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Southwest plane

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote to the CEOs at Delta, American, Southwest, and United Airlines on Thursday and asked for reports on their programs’ policies, fees, and other benefits. Consumers are fed up that airlines continue to raise the number of points needed to book a flight and the number of seats they can use points to purchase.

Not flying today!

Buttigieg stated that while loyalty programs have value, they are controlled by the airlines who can change them at any moment.

“…unlike a traditional savings account, these rewards are controlled by a company that can unilaterally change their value,” he shared in a statement from the Transportation Department. “Our goal is to ensure consumers are getting the value that was promised to them, which means validating that these programs are transparent and fair.”

Airplane

In response, Delta said its loyalty members “mean everything to us, and providing a meaningful rewards experience is the top priority within Delta’s SkyMiles Program.” Similarly, Southwest shared that its points never expire and that it books more seats with points than other airlines.

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A spokesperson for Airlines for America, a trade group that represents the four carriers under investigation, said, “U.S. carriers are transparent about these programs, and policymakers should ensure that consumers can continue to be offered these important benefits.”

This all comes at a time when frequent flyer programs are booming. Delta, which had more than 100 million frequent flyer members in 2020, added a record 8.5 million members in 2022. Whether or not anything changes will remain to be seen.

Southwest Cabin

In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for the latest travel tips, airline hacks, deals, and more. Make sure you stay tuned to DFB so you don’t miss a thing!