United MileagePlus has been making it harder for members to earn additional flights based on loyalty points. Delta SkyMiles, meanwhile, is making them more affordable.
Most major U.S. airlines have shifted their rewards programs to encourage overall spending instead buying long flights, and there"™s been a ton of confusion as consumers have adapted to the changes.
Analysis by IdeaWorksCompany of its 2017 CarTrawler Reward Seat Availability Survey shows that Southwest Rapid Rewards and JetBlue TrueBlue offer flyers the lowest average prices for reward seats, while United"™s MileagePlus program has increased its price for rewards over the last few years.
In fact, United MileagePlus was the only program using revenue-based accrual to significantly jack up the cost for reward fares since 2013…
