Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles Members Donate 46 Million Miles for Hurricane Relief

Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles members have come together to donate over 46 million miles, equivalent to nearly 2,000 award seats, to support relief efforts in the Gulf Coast region affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The airline kicked off its charitable hurricane relief campaign by donating one million miles each to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army on September 2, 2005, and has since encouraged its members to donate miles. The donations will be used to provide relief workers, food, shelter, and basic necessities to those in need.

Key Takeaways:

Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles members have donated over 46 million miles, equivalent to nearly 2,000 award seats, to support relief efforts in the Gulf Coast region affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The airline donated one million miles each to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army on September 2, 2005, to kick off its charitable hurricane relief campaign.
SkyMiles members can donate miles via e-mail at delta.bids@delta.com or by fax at 404-773-1945, with a 5,000-mile minimum donation required.
Donations will be used to provide relief workers, food, shelter, and basic necessities to those in need.
Delta Air Lines has also partnered with government relief agencies to operate flights into and out of the region to bring evacuees from the path of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to safe locations throughout the country.
The airline has also donated tons of supplies, including plywood, food, water, toilet paper, and generators, to the affected region.
Delta CEO Jerry Grinstein and employees flew a relief flight on September 1, 2005, with water and emergency supplies to the New Orleans airport and returned with approximately 150 evacuees from Hurricane Katrina.

Statistics:

46,000,000 miles donated by Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles members to support relief efforts in the Gulf Coast region.
2,000 award seats equivalent to the donated miles.
1,000,000 miles donated by the airline to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army on September 2, 2005.
5,000-mile minimum donation required for SkyMiles members to donate miles.
150 evacuees brought back to safe locations by the Delta relief flight on September 1, 2005.

Sources:

PRIMEZONE via COMTEX - September 27, 2005
Delta Air Lines, Inc. - (c)2005