Weekend Edition / Dear Ohad...

Dear Confused,

I hate to break it to you, but yes — it’s right. Or rather, it’s wrong in all the right ways.

Delta recently (and quietly, of course) gutted its partner award pricing. Flights that used to cost 75K SkyMiles now price out between 250K and 390K, one way. No announcement. No chart. Just pure chaos.

The irony? These aren’t even Delta flights. You’re paying 5x more miles for someone else’s plane. That’s like tipping 400% at a restaurant because the waiter showed you the table.

Delta calls it “dynamic pricing.” I call it what it is: loyalty tax fraud.

Dear Betrayed,

They were the safe use. Like landlines, Blockbuster, or flying standby — great in their time. But now? Forget it.

Delta nuked their own sweet spots because people were actually using them. That’s the thing about SkyMiles: every time you find something valuable, Delta finds a way to ruin it.

What should you do? Stop transferring Amex points to Delta. Stop hoarding SkyMiles. Start burning them for what they are: glorified Delta gift cards. And if you want a proper business class redemption to Europe, send those points to Air France, Virgin, or even Flying Blue.

SkyMiles don’t fly. They crawl.

Dear Heartbroken,

180K used to be a round-trip ticket to Paris in business. Now it’ll get you halfway across the Atlantic — in coach — if you pack light.

But don’t cry just yet.

There are ways to use those SkyMiles:

• Domestic flash sales (think 5K–7K one-way)
• Comfort+ for last-minute trips
• A sad little upgrade when the cash price is insane

Just don’t save them. SkyMiles are like leftover sushi: they don’t age well, and if you forget about them, you’ll regret it later.

Dear Furious,

Oh, my sweet summer Fort Lauderdalian. You’re operating under the quaint belief that “loyalty” means something.

To Delta, loyalty is a marketing funnel. The goal isn’t to reward you — it’s to convert you into a SkyMiles-chasing Delta Amex cardholder who buys $19 sandwiches at 30,000 feet and feels grateful for boarding in Zone 3.

This is a one-sided relationship. You give them loyalty. They give you mood lighting and 400K redemptions.

Break up with SkyMiles. Stay friends with the airline if you must — but keep your points out of it.

Dear Annoyed,

Because Delta is playing you.

Let’s say you want to fly Air France to Paris. You could book it using SkyMiles for 320,000+... or you could transfer 70,000 Amex points to Flying Blue and book the exact same seat.

Delta knows this. They count on you not knowing this.

It’s like two friends selling concert tickets: one charges face value, and the other charges $900 and says, “It’s a premium experience.”

Delta’s award engine is broken on purpose. Stop playing their game. Use smarter programs. Fly the same flights. Pay one-fifth the price.

Dear Wondering,

Sure — if you like in-flight Wi-Fi, ginger ale, and passive-aggressive gate agents. Delta’s a solid airline.

But SkyMiles? SkyMiles are done. They’re over. They peaked in 2015. They’re now the Liz Lemon of points currencies: charming, chaotic, and not taken seriously by anyone in power.

So yes, fly Delta if the price is right. But don’t fly Delta because of SkyMiles. That’s like dating someone because they promise to take you to Paris — and then surprise you with Newark.

Dear Elite-ish,

Here’s the truth: the Delta Reserve card is fine if you like SkyClub access, MQD boosts, and pretending Medallion status still means something.

But if you got the card for award flights, you’re in the wrong decade.

Think of it this way:

• Want lounge access? Consider Amex Platinum.
• Want points with actual value? Use Chase, Amex, or Capital One.
• Want to feel betrayed every 18 months? Stick with Delta.

If you enjoy the perks, keep the card. If you’re clinging to SkyMiles as a meaningful currency — it’s time to set them free. Or at least downgrade to something less delusional.

Final words from Ohad:

This weekend's edition was heavily skewed towards questions I received about Delta. I get that it might be too much.

You see... Delta didn’t just move the goalposts - They launched them into space and charged you 390,000 SkyMiles to chase them. The program is not built for you. It’s built for breakage. The more miles you earn, the less they’re worth — by design.

So be smart. Transfer to partners. Use programs that still respect value. And stop treating SkyMiles like a dream. They’re not. They’re a cautionary tale with first-class branding.