Delta Airles has just launched Skymiles Select as an annual subscription to gaurntee priority boarding. It also includes 8 free alcoholic drink coupons and a luggage tag.
This was confirmed to also apply to Basic Economy tickets. Passengers can book Basic Economy as award tickets and cash fares. The priority boarding would apply to both and can be important since no checked bags are included in Basic Economy. This means getting carry bags into the bins and not being forced to check them at the gate as part of the last boarding group.
Delta did confirm Basic Economy is included in the priority boarding benefit via Twitter:
For reference here are the stated benefits on Delta’s website of Skymiles Select as of the time of writing:
At $59 USD for 1 yeah this is a great deal especially if you can utilize the free drink coupons. Fair value of the drink coupons is $5 USD each to match a reasonable average cocktail price. With 8 free drinks that comes to $40 USD. That means paying $19 for Main Cabin 1 boarding group for an entire year. A great deal for cheap fare flyers!
For travelers who regularly fly on Delta Basic Economy tickets or just want to have better boarding position to stow carry on luggage this is a good value. Travelers with a Delta co-branded American Express card already receive priority boarding as a benefit. There is no need to purchase Skymiles Select if you have the credit card.
