Delta Frequent Fliers claim rewards don't come easy NEW YORK (AP) =97 A group of customers has filed a lawsuit against Delta Air= =20 Lines Inc., claiming it's too difficult to use frequent-flier miles. The=20 Delta frequent fliers contend the airline's program, SkyMiles, started out= =20 as a "miles-flown" loyalty program, but has evolved into a larger marketing= =20 tool where Delta awards the majority of its miles to credit-card users and= =20 buyers of promotional items. As a result, Delta has adopted numerous=20 restrictions, including blackout periods, capacity controls and expiration= =20 dates "that make it ever more difficult for plaintiffs ... to obtain fair=20 value for the miles credited to their accounts," according to the suit,=20 filed Monday in Manhattan federal court. Reid Davis, a Delta spokesman,=20 said the company doesn't comment on pending litigation. The plaintiffs also= =20 claim Delta has engaged in a pattern of "threats and intimidation" in order= =20 to prevent frequent fliers from selling, exchanging or bartering their=20 SkyMiles. At the same time, Delta and other air carriers have formed=20 entities such as Milepoint.com =97 whose Web site allows users to exchange= =20 miles for cruises, hotel stays and magazine subscriptions =97 in violation= of=20 antitrust laws, the plaintiffs allege. Delta and the other airlines use=20 Milepoint and similar ventures as the "vehicle by which they jointly=20 restrict, restrain, limit and control the market" for frequent-flier miles.= =20 "Such price-fixing is unlawful," the plaintiffs claim. The suit, filed on=20 behalf of all members of Delta's SkyMiles program, seeks an unspecified=20 amount in damages, and a court order banning Delta and other airlines from= =20 forming ventures like Milepoint. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: www.pichemas.com TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************