Delta Air Lines is now selling SkyMiles Select memberships with some flight benefits for $59 a year.
It’s a bundle of three types of perks: Main Cabin 1 boarding, 8 drink vouchers and a bag tag.
The SkyMiles Select package available to Delta frequent flier members may be most useful for those who might book Basic Economy seats on Delta, which typically do not include advance seat assignments, do not allow any changes or upgrades -- even for a fee, and put passengers in the last boarding zone. Boarding last could mean there's no space left in the overhead bin for your bag.
However, those who hold a Delta American Express card already get Main Cabin 1 boarding as a benefit.
And getting earlier boarding doesn’t address other aspects of basic economy, including the lack of advance seat assignments and the prohibition on changes and upgrades.
Main Cabin 1 also isn’t the first group to board. It comes after pre-boarding, business class or first class, diamond-level frequent fliers, Comfort+ and SkyPriority boarding groups.
You can also buy priority boarding separately for $15 per flight leg to get into the Main Cabin 1 group.
Atlanta-based Delta says the SkyMiles Select membership is worth $100, based on the maximum value of $9 per drink certificate plus two $15 priority boarding purchases.
Delta sells alcoholic drinks on board for $8 for Miller Lite, $9 for craft and import beers and $9 for wines or spirits.
One thing to consider is how many Delta flights one would take in a year to use the vouchers, and how the timing of flights in the morning or during working hours might affect interest in using the drink vouchers.
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