One Mile at a Time thinks Delta’s new fuel surcharges on frequent flyer awards are actually a good thing.

There is something of a point here: if fuel surcharges were inevitable, then Delta’s move really isn’t bad — $$50 internationally is less than the fuel surcharges one normally sees on paid tickets, so it could have been much worse… like $100 each way. Now the fuel surcharges could go up later, but it should take awhile, and other airlines aren’t likely to go full out when Delta has laid down its marker at the $50 price point.

I do think this is bad, it’s a terrible precedent, and the fuel surcharges are likely to spread to other carriers and eventually go up. But as lucky points out, it could have been worse.