When Delta recently announced they were adding fuel surcharges to frequent flyer program redemption, it was virtually the last remaining resort for this type of fee. As we know, for quite some time Delta and many other airlines had added fuel surcharges for paying passengers. With the new fee scheduled to go into place on Aug. 15th and US Airways’ into effect on Aug. 6th, some frequent flyers will be surprised to know that they truly were the last resort for this action. Back in April, Delta started to add fuel surcharges for it’s employees flying on “buddy passes.” While those fuel surcharges are about half what frequent flyer award members will be paying, they certainly are humble in comparison to what revenue/paying passengers are paying. So despite what you might think of this latest wrinkle, knowing that Delta charged their own employees a fuel surcharge before members of its SkyMiles program is something worth knowing.