In disappointing news for many Delta SkyMiles members, Delta has announced the program will no longer issue Round-the-World award tickets on or after Jan. 1, 2015.

News reports about the decision quote Delta as saying the airline is discontinuing the award because of lack of interest–that only 215 members redeemed the Round-the-World awards in the last 12 months. The awards are 180,000 miles in coach and 280,000 miles in business class. Any Round-the-World award tickets purchased before Jan. 1, 2015, will be honored in 2015, including changes and reissues.

Bottom line:
Although these awards may not have been used by many, they were aspirational. And as we’ve heard from more than one SkyMiles member, this change doesn’t bode well for the SkyMiles program in 2015.