Flights that are fuller than ever can make it hard to exchange your hard-earned miles for award travel, so airlines are coming up with new ways to spend them.

Last year, United introduced an initiative for MileagePlus members at its Newark hub that lets them pay for dining with miles. And this holiday season, United opened a retail store at Newark where customers can do last-minute Christmas shopping, again paying with miles.

Now Delta SkyMiles members will have the opportunity to enjoy premium alcoholic beverages at the airline’s Sky Clubs without shelling out any cash.

The program started this week at Delta’s new San Francisco International Sky Club, which opened a few months ago in Terminal 1, and the carrier plans to expand it to all 34 Sky Clubs that accept payment for drinks by the end of March.

The payment rate for premium drinks is 100 miles per dollar, so premium beers like Stella Artois or Blue Moon can be had for 300 miles, while top-shelf wines, spirits and cocktails will cost 600 to 800 miles.

Of course, the Sky Clubs will continue to offer standard brands of beer, wine and liquor on a complimentary basis. You can see the list of complimentary brands here.

“Customers who opt to pay with miles will be prompted by the bartender to scan their SkyMiles membership card or boarding pass and enter their SkyMiles account password at checkout on a payment device,” a Delta spokesman said.

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Delta free upgrades disappearing + Shipping vs. checking a bag +_San Francisco’s new long-haul routes + Is Newark our worst airport? + Delta, United forge new international partnerships

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