Transportation, consumer agencies review fairness of airline and credit card reward programs

WASHINGTON — Booking flights with airline points is a popular way to save some cash especially for avid travelers like Cameron Greene.

“I’ve been a Delta medallion flyer since I was, honestly since I was eight years old,” she said.

Greene is a travel agent and influencer and so far, she’s been to 76 countries. She relies on reward programs with Delta, United and American Airlines.

But she said recently, there’s been a shift.

“The airline programs have actually gotten worse,” said Greene. “Where they’re not recognizing their most loyal customers and honoring their business customers.”

Because of passenger complaints, the Department of Transportation and the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are now examining the fairness and transparency of these reward programs.

“We want to make sure that every family is getting what’s promised and that we really have a fair transparent and competitive market,” said Rohit Chopra, director of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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“How we can make sure companies are being straightforward about what people will get from these frequent flyer miles or loyalty programs when they sign up, and whether people are actually getting the deal they were promised,” said Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Department of Transportation

Officials say many reward credit cards have higher annual fees and companies often charge you higher interest rates on reward cards too.

Smaller credit unions say they offer much lower rates but limited rewards because it’s tough to compete.

“The larger institutions can do things much cheaper, more effectively and advertising budget if you watch TV you see a credit card commercial,” said Andrew Grimm, president and CEO, Apple Federal Credit Union.

But Airlines for America, which represents major U.S. carriers, argues there is competition.

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“Airline loyalty programs are widely popular, voluntary programs that consumers value because they accumulate rewards toward travel when they make everyday purchases. There is fierce competition within the industry for both customer and credit card loyalty, and consumers have the power of choice when picking a carrier for air travel or a credit card for spending, with a wide range of options, to pick what best fits their needs,” said an Airlines for America spokesperson in a written statement.

In a recent survey, the organization found nearly one out of every four U.S. households has an airline credit card.

Some airlines are also trying to make their points systems easier to understand.

“We wanted to make it clear that if i show you that you Mr. [Transportation] Secretary have 15,000 points that equals $150 you will see that on all of our communications,” said Scott DeAngelo, executive vice president at Allegiant Air.

As for travelers like Greene, she believes customers should be rewarded for the miles they fly each year.

“Like I flew more miles than you I should be rewarded for my amount of miles that I flew for that year,” said Greens. “That’s telling you who is flying long distances, that is telling you who is really loyal in those situations.

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