Reward travel will now cost more in US

While most passengers who collect reward miles with any number of major airlines have probably come to accept the fact that so-called “free” travel is not actually free, even when redeeming accumulated points-due to payable taxes and the fuel surcharge-they may be dismayed to discover that cashing in on rewards will soon cost more than ever before. Carriers based in the United States have built a  reputation in recent years for eliminating complimentary services-such as meals, drinks, free checked luggage and blankets-and now that most such frills have long been cut, they have turned to charging passengers who wish to book tickets using their reward miles.

US Airways announced that from now on, it will charge anywhere from $25 to $50 when loyalty program members wish to redeem their reward miles for airplane tickets. Delta Air Lines appears to be following the example set by one of its main competitors and it went public earlier today with a plan to start adding an extra $25 fee on to reward bookings. Northwest Airlines-which is expected to merge with Delta in the near future-will, in some cases, charge as much as $100 to redeem points for tickets. American Airlines will also be introducing a new, albeit lower fee than its competitors. Those planning on enjoying reward travel on American flights will have to pay a $5 surcharge and will also require more points than before to book a flight. These changes will come into effect in early October.

Thank you to Sarah Nassauer and Stephanie Chan of KansasCity.com for the initial report.

www.aa.com