Good and bad news for frequent fliers

WASHINGTON – Get the scorecard out. Airlines are making changes to their rewards programs.

NBC News reports there’s good news for American Airlines customers: The airline and Marriott Hotels have restored a program in which a hotel stay can earn credit toward miles in the sky.

JetBlue just made their loyalty program points good for life, meaning they never expire. And Delta has a big stake in Virgin Atlantic, which translates to advantages for some fliers like priority check-in and being able to hang out in special lounges.

But there’s some bad news, too. A change by Delta effective in September eliminates elite mileage bonuses in some cases, NBC says. And United is introducing a minimum annual spending requirement.

The bottom line: Always read the fine print.

WTOP’s Joan Jones contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter.

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