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Though Delta Air Lines recently cut the lifespan of its miles by a full year for inactive accounts, they’ve made a positive move to the SkyMiles program by introducing mix-and-match awards.

The new policy means that you can book a first-class ticket on the outbound flight, and coach on the return. Or a “saver” award on the outbound, and an “anytime” award for the return.

Previously, if you could snag a saver ticket for one flight but not the other, you’d still be stuck paying twice the miles at the “SkyChoice” tier, or not using miles at all. Obviously, getting the lower rate remains the best option, but if that fails, this new flexibility is a good option to have.

Continental has already offered such an feature for some time. Offhand, I’m not aware of any other airlines that do. (Please correct me in comments if I’m missing someone.) Come on, United, American, etc… Step up!

Bottom line: Delta flyers have more redemption options, and that’s a very good thing.