Imagine spending 175,000 Delta Air Lines SkyMiles to take a 7 Hr Flight ATL - ATL.

More accurately, FlyerTalk member MileTex was traveling on a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Dubai via Atlanta on a SkyMiles award ticket. However, the aircraft fron Atlanta to Dubai was apparently consuming more fuel than usual, which could prevent the aircraft from completing its journey to Dubai. Approximately four hours into the flight, the decision was made to turn the aircraft around and head back to Atlanta. By the time the aircraft arrived back in Atlanta, approximately 7 hours had elapsed since the flight departed from Atlanta.

Because the unexpected problem would have shortened the time in Dubai to two days from the original 3 days MileTex was originally going to spend there, MileTex decided to head back to Dallas-Fort Worth and cancel the trip.

Should MileTex receive a refund of the SkyMiles spent for this trip?

A number of Delta forum FlyerTalk members — including yours truly — received one bonus Delta Air Lines SkyMile in our SkyMiles accounts.

The question is: why?!?

Another ancillary question is: does that one SkyMile also include one bonus Medallion Qualification Mile to count towards elite status for the following year?

Details, speculation and discussion regarding this bizarre and unexpected gift of one Delta Air Lines SkyMile can be found in the Delta Expiration Extension - 1 free mile posted thread.

Effective immediately, book international award travel on Delta Air Lines or Northwest Airlines and use up to 25% fewer miles for your award ticket.

Rules and restrictions apply, and this offer is available only for a limited time. Please refer to the following FlyerTalk threads for further details:

• NW Giving 10-25% discount on award flights
• Discount International Award Tickets

In an apparent response to the offers by United Airlines for Mileage Plus frequent flier members to earn double elite qualification miles on United Airlines flights and Continental Airlines for OnePass frequent flier members to earn double elite qualification miles on Continental Airlines flights as reported by The Gate, Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines are offering a similar promotion with notable differences as compared to the United Airlines and Continental Airlines offers: higher fare classes will count towards the earning of of up to triple Medallion Qualification Miles, or MQMs, for Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines flights worldwide…

…but are Northwest WorldPerks and Delta Air Lines SkyMIles members really earning up to triple Medallion Qualification Miles? Please read the How many flights will you book if Delta rolls out a 2X MQM Bonus right now? and Will NW/DL match AA/UA double EQM? threads for details, as well as some controversy and confusion.

If you are both a Delta Air Lines SkyMiles member and a Northwest Airlines WorldPerks member, here is your chance to earn a quick and easy 500 miles when you Link NW and DL accounts.

Not only can you earn 500 free miles as a result of a minute or two of effort on your part, but once your accounts are linked, you are free to transfer miles between accounts as often as you like, free of charge.

Details of this offer may also be found in the Linking WorldPerks With Skymiles? [500 Mile Bonus after Link] thread.

Additionally, if you are interested in being matriculated for some higher education, how about a “degree” where you can earn hundreds — perhaps thousands — of Northwest WorldPerks miles? Pack your trunk and head on over to the Master WorldPerks University Thread [Merged Threads] where enrolling, participating in the courses and taking the final exams may be worth your while, and each course requires only mere minutes of your time. The WorldPerks miles immediately post to your Northwest Airlines WorldPerks account upon completion of each test. Dormitory facilities are not available, but at least there are no heavy textbooks to carry.

Keep in mind that both the Northwest Airlines WorldPerks and Delta Air Lines SkyMiles promotions are included here due to the recently announced merger between the two airlines, and it is expected that when the merger is finally completed, the miles from both programs will be combined.

If you have been thinking about purchasing a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, or even if you have always wanted to drive one, now is your chance — and you can even be rewarded with 1,000 Delta Air Lines SkyMiles just for doing so!

This offer is only available for a limited time at select Mercedes-Benz dealers in the United States, so please refer to the 1000 Skymiles for Mercedes Test Drive - Select MB Dealers thread for additional details.

If you are a Delta Air Lines SkyMiles member and are a Hilton HHonors member who stays regularly at Hilton family properties, you may be in luck.

For a limited time, you may earn six times the Delta Air Lines SkyMiles you would normally earn when staying at a participating Hilton HHonors property. This could translate into up to 3,000 Delta Air Lines SkyMiles per stay at participating Hilton properties!

Please read the Skyrocket to Sextuple SkyMiles® thread for additional details, including the length of the promotion period and how to register for this promotion.

…if you won them?

Where would you travel? Who would you bring with you? Like we really need to ask, but in which class of service aboard the aircraft would you plan to be a passenger?

Here is your chance to find out, if you decide to participate in the Million Mile Sweepstakes, as the lucky winner will walk away with 1,000,000 Delta Air Lines SkyMiles. Of course, there are terms, conditions and details regarding entry and participation in this promotion.

The contest ends 28 February 2009.

From now until 31 December 2008, you can earn Up to 150% mileage bonus for most miles earned through year-end 2008.

This may be a good time for you to top off your Delta Air Lines SkyMiles balance.

However, a bit of controversy is brewing in that thread, as some FlyerTalk members are unhappy with what appears to be the giving away and devaluation of SkyMiles.

In a related PROMO: convert 20,000 SPG points to 62,500 Delta Skymiles (good through 12/31/08) thread, you could benefit if you are a Starwood Preferred Guest member and need more Delta Air Lines SkyMiles.

A similar Cross post alert - 150% Delta Skymiles bonus on transfers thread in the Marriott forum could benefit Marriott Rewards members.

What would you rather do?

• Use 25,000 Delta Air Lines SkyMiles and pay $308.71, or
• Pay $285.80 and earn approximately 2,000 Delta Air Lines SkyMiles?

Both scenarios are for the same exact flight at the same time on the same day.

Find out the frustration that FlyerTalk member beofotch and other FlyerTalk members are experiencing, as well as the details, in the SkyMiles Award Tix Taxes/Fees *More* Than Buying Ticket From DL thread.