The 2015 SkyMiles award charts are now appearing on Delta.com. My first impression is that these aren’t bad, but I have not done a complete analysis. I am expecting some sort of announcement from Delta very soon. In the meantime, have a look at the new award charts for yourself.

Edited: Here is the complete text of Delta’s press release. I will have some thoughts on this development in a post later today.

DELTA PUBLISHES 2015 SKYMILES PROGRAM U.S. AWARD CHART

SKYMILES MEMBERS TO GAIN GREATER AWARD AVAILABILITY AT LOWEST MILEAGE LEVELS AND IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY IN REDEEMING MILES

NEW AWARD CHART KEEPS LOWEST PRICE POINTS THE SAME, OF THE 44 AWARD LEVEL PRICING CHANGES MORE THAN 95 PERCENT DECREASE

Mar 6, 2014

ATLANTA, March 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) released the 2015 SkyMiles U.S. Award redemption charts today as part of its commitment to inform members of upcoming SkyMiles program improvements. Of the 44 Award level pricing changes, more than 95 percent of the changes reflect a decrease in the miles needed for Award Travel redemption by SkyMiles members.

Delta recently introduced a new mileage earning structure and redemption options for SkyMiles members. Today, members can access U.S. Award chart online at delta.com/skymiles2015 which will be effective for new Award Tickets booked beginning Jan. 1, 2015. Customers will continue to have access to every seat on every Delta flight as an Award seat with no blackout dates.

“The most consistent feedback we received from our SkyMiles members was a desire to improve their ability to use miles and provide more access to Awards at the lowest levels,” said Jeff Robertson, vice president – SkyMiles. “The changes in our 2015 SkyMiles program will give our members more access to lower priced Award travel, the ability to select a seat on any Delta flight, with no blackout dates and new options such as One-Way Awards and Miles + Cash. All of these changes demonstrate our commitment to making mileage redemption better for every SkyMiles member.”

The new SkyMiles U.S. Award chart is available at delta.com/skymiles2015.

With the release of the U.S. Award chart, members can learn even more about Delta’s 2015 SkyMiles program including how the new five-tier Award structure will be implemented. The lowest level for SkyMiles Saver Awards will remain at 25,000 miles plus taxes and fees for an Economy Class Award ticket for travel within the U.S. andCanada excluding Hawaii. The introduction of two additional redemption tiers will offer members more price points for Awards and is designed to complement new features such as new One-Way Award tickets which will start as low as 12,500 miles plus taxes and fees within the U.S. and Canada excluding Hawaii and the ability to redeem Miles + Cash Award options. In addition, members will experience significant improvements to award-redemption functionality at delta.com and Delta reservations in 2015.

In 2013, frequent flyers redeemed more than 271 billion miles in the SkyMiles program for more than 11 million Award redemptions.

Delta and the SkyMiles Program

Now in its 33rd year, SkyMiles is one of the longest-running and most successful loyalty programs in the travel industry. Delta is the only major airline that offers elite perks such as unlimited complimentary upgrades, no mileage expiration, no Award fees, a published Diamond Medallion tier and rollover Medallion Qualification Miles. The SkyMiles program offers many ways to redeem frequent flyer miles, including airline tickets on Delta and 28 partner airlines, mileage upgrades, car rentals, hotel stays and Delta Sky Club memberships. For more information on the SkyMiles program, Medallion status and mileage-redemption options, visitdelta.com/skymiles.

Delta Air Lines serves nearly 165 million customers each year. This year, Delta was named the 2014 Airline of the Year by Air Transport World magazine and was named to FORTUNE magazine’s top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the third time in four years. With an industry-leadingglobal network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 324 destinations in 59 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry’s leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a newly formed joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available at delta.com, Twitter @Delta,Google.com/+Delta, Facebook.com/delta and Delta’s blog takingoff.delta.com.

Terms and conditions:

For full terms and conditions, please visit delta.com/skymiles2015. All SkyMiles program rules and membership guidelines apply. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/skymiles. Other restrictions may apply. Offers, prices, rules and benefits subject to change without notice.

2015 Award chart prices are compared to current Award chart prices for travel on or after Jun. 1, 2014.