A recent blog post calls out frequent flyers using the term “SkyPesos” for Delta’s SkyMiles as potentially racist. And, since it acknowledges that the term – which took off in mileage circles – is something that I originated, they’re suggesting that I’m being racist.
The first online use of the term was in 2009. That’s many, many Delta devaluations ago. Even then it was important to understand that not all “miles” were created alike. Miles in United Airlines Mileage Plus, American Airlines AAdvantage, and even Continental One Pass and Northwest Worldperks were much more valuable than Delta’s miles.
- Miles are a private currency, with no central bank. The airline determines how much they’re worth. This was a key point that Delta and others made when raising debt against their frequent flyer programs during the pandemic – they could choose to devalue that currency at will.
- Since Delta’s had been so devalued, calling them all ‘miles’ didn’t make sense. Instead, a currency that was worth less than what most of us (those I was writing to, at the time both on my blog and on FlyerTalk) used regularly seemed more appropriate. Instead of miles or dollars, Pesos were ‘worth less’ or ‘more devalued’.
Is it racist to acknowledge that Delta’s miles, like Mexico’s peso, are relatively devalued currencies? That’s just… true. Delta even explained at an industry conference that they aren’t trying to offer greater redemption value through the SkyMiles program.
And, contra the Your Mileage May Vary post it doesn’t mean that the people in other countries have less moral worth, but it does mean that other governments have managed their currencies less well.
I did think comparing the low value of SkyMiles to pesos was condescending, as well as a short, perhaps even subconscious jump into feeding into many Americans’ belief that the U.S. is better than, say, Mexico
The United States is, broadly speaking, “better than” Mexico as a place to live and in terms of its state capacity. To say otherwise ignores which direction traffic flows over the metaphorical wall that President Biden continued to build.
U.S. per capita GDP is six times higher than Mexico’s per capita GDP. In purchasing power parity terms U.S. income is just over 3 times higher. As an American, with a U.S. income, may certainly enjoy visiting Mexico. However Mexico also has some of the world’s greatest inequality. And for all the flaws of the U.S., it is far more difficult to succeed there.
Here’s a comparison of per capita GDP from Our World In Data:
Nonetheless, they enlist the opinions of anonymous others on the racism of the term “SkyPesos”
“it is classism; it’s punching down, it’s claiming superiority.”
“plays on the myth of American superiority.”
“reinforces the idea that latin america is inferior bc the peso is of lower value”
The term SkyPesos doesn’t claim superiority – except that other frequent flyer programs offer more valuable earning and redemption than Delta’s. It may play on American AAdvantage superiority over Delta, and of the U.S. Federal Reserve over the Bank of Mexico, but says nothing about the people of either country more broadly. Would you rather have 100,000 U.S. dollars, or 100,000 Mexican pesos? Similarly, would you rather have 100,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles or 100,000 Delta SkyMiles?
To be sure, the U.S. has certainly made mistakes managing its currency. Covid-era inflation was completely predictable and predicted (Cf. Larry Summers). Expanding the money supply (Fed beefing up its balance sheet) and putting money into circulation via widespread deficit spending even after shutdowns had passed and while the economy was seemingly doing well had the obvious effect of debasing the currency. Fortunately, while we’ve capitalized a higher price level, we’ve pulled back from continued devaluation of the dollar.
Delta, on the other hand, has kept its foot on the devaluation gas, however it does appear that the program’s economics has plateaued. So while in the past it seemed like they could devalue with impunity they may finally have hit a wall. Certainly they got the message that changes to the elite program announced last fall were a step too far, which is why they walked those back.
Frankly, my wife (who is from Mexico City) and I think it’s with a wink and a smile towards all the currencies in countries that experience constant nagging super inflation. It could be the SkyPesos (Argentine), the SkyLira (so devalued they went out of business)… sometimes people are just looking for fights. Smile, acknowledge someone made a comment, and just …. Move on 🙂
Skypesos is not appropriate. I feel Skyrubbles might make more sense.
Gary,
I’m with you. The peso is not an individual. You could use any currency that has a historically high devaluation rate. There are lots of them. The peso is just more familiar to Americans.
There are way too many people looking for an excuse to whine these days.
I think my life time SkyPeso earnings are north of 7M.
People who are that sensitive need to be laughed at, at a minimum.
If everything is racist, then nothing is.
That’s what these silly people just don’t understand.
I’m center left politically, but I’m growing tired of the knee jerk response by the left to every little thing that could be remotely considered racially insensitive. I never would have made it through Boot Camp with such a tender sensibility.
I winter inNicaragua, where it takes 37 Cordobas to make a US dollar. That’s just a fact, not some racist slur.
Maybe you should just call them “Skykilometers,” since It takes approximately 1.61 kilometers to make a mile, which conveys the diminished value of SkyMiles without the possibility of blow back based on bruised racial sensitivities.
People like this who constantly find something to be offended about are telling the world that they are people that have no value to offer the world except to play victim. Society needs to stop amplifying the low quality voices like this. The best thing we can do is ignore their weakness and stupidity, and move on. Do not placate them, do not bend to their demands. Ignore or at most ridicule are the only two options.
mexican devaluations of the peso in 76, 82 & 93 are charted all over the intertrons, but we can’t confuse virtue signalers with facts; that said, the repeal of glass-steagall led to the gambling crisis of 2008, when the global financial belief system collapsed because the 1% allowed themselves to go 50-1 against their own system and rolled snake eyes, dwarfing the mexican devaluations of the last century by 5 trillion
This idiocy from the left is exactly why we have MAGA. I long for the days when voices from the extremes of the bell curve didn’t have such equal coverage.
You are a straight white older male—therefore by definition you are a racist (and also every one else that can be so described). Nothing you do can change this, so just ignore it and tell the accuser to FO
My dogs name is Peso and he is personally offended and would like a formal apology from you after taking such a cheap personal shot at his community
Now he cant sleep at night
One devastated puppy
The term no longer makes sense given that the mexican peso is one of the few currencies that is up against the dollar in the last two years.
They use pesos in Argentina too, and they say Argentina is a country of a lot of Italians who speak Spanish eat like the French while dreaming of being English or something like that. Most of the urban population of the country is of at least some European heritage.
By the way, SkyPesos was used before 2009. And I am pretty sure I had a discussion a few times considering which country’s currency nomenclature should be melded with Delta and that this was at a time when it was the Argentine peso and Zimbabwe dollars that had been much worse as a store of value in recent years than the Mexican peso at the time of the Delta devaluations in the first decade of the 2000s.
How about “SkyPennies?” That’s about all they are with all the devaluations.
Peso means weight in English.
Delta SkyMiles was the first US major to make its miles a featherweight currency. But they hooked customers with elite status benefits, operational superiority and an efficient network — and so Delta got away with the awful devaluations that made FF/SkyMiles miles into SkyPesos, Argentina style at the time.
Good grief. This is exactly why DJT may actually win this fall.
If you follow Bill Maher. He explains this exact issue is the reason of extreme identity politics just not working for society.
I’m a gay man. I love who I am. But I’m the first to laugh at a gay joke. Take time to laugh at yourself. News flash….not everyone is trying to be evil and commit micro aggressions.
Those that are easily offended, will be….
However, I do like SkyPennies…
Will always be skypesos, don’t care who I offend.
I personally believe that any airline frequent flyer program which measures its currency in “miles” is intentionally disrespectful of people—and countries—that use the metric system.
Fittingly, as the Mexican peso has become less of a discount the last few years, DLs miles aren’t as low value compared to say UA of the last few years
When Delta re-values we can revisit the terminology
Forget Peso, i think the word sky is racist!
Sky implies that there is the sky and the earth!
Upper and lower. Non-equals!
Colonialism of the sky against the earth!
The whites enslaving the other races!
I propose that they not be called SkyPesos, but EarthPesos.
I saw the original post on YMMV and couldn’t believe the clickbaitiness. They weren’t sure if Skypesos was racist, so they posted it on the internet and asked anyone to comment. Surprise, surprise, “the internet” said it was. I, mean, c’mon…
This blog needs critical race theory training. It is society’s fault not the authors fault.
T*rump will beat B*den this fall, and a large part of that is because the Republic*ns play up identity politics and insecurity much more effectively from the start than the Democr*ats. The other part is that B*den comes across as old and boring and too many 2020 B*den voters in 2016-2020 swing states are either not enthused by B*den after the last several months or are not fans of K*mala Harr*s becoming the likely next President if B*deb wins re-election.
Nothing to do with “woke” or whatever a quasi-right-winger — a la Alan Dershowitz and johnny-come-lately fellow traveler Bill Maher — is whining about nowadays.
*GUWonder
GOP play up identity politics? You are delusional. You never stopped to think that maybe Bill Maher and Alan Dershowitz only seem like right wingers to you because you are so far extreme to the left? You extreme leftists are so deep in cognitive dissonance, pushing woke gender ideology while simultaneously aligning with terrorists that kill civilians indiscriminately, while also being the most intolerant people on the planet when it comes to your entire woke gender ideology.
But yeah, it’s all the GOPs fault. Nice self awareness. But thanks for letting me know that all of your future posts can be safely ignored as low IQ leftist drivel.
To be fair to all concerned, the airlines should rename their currencies as “thingies.” To wit: Sky Thingies, Advantage Thingies, Thingies Plus, Thingios, ThingiePlan, Thingies and More, ThingieFlyer, etc.
DO NOT listen to anyone that has a problem with something like this. It’s THEIR mind that’s full of poison. It’s just a funny way to refer to the devalued miles and a peso is worth less than a US dollars, per unit.
You are an uptight, miserable, seatbelt extender using person if you have a problem with that.
The conversion value of two currencies is not an evaluation of the countries, just a ratio. The UK is not 25% better than the US, just a ratio of the two currencies. People who interpret anything as racist will always find racism, they are the Karens of the world and to be avoided at all costs.
Argentinian pesos are notoriously prone to devaluation….
@Gary, I think you’re wasting your time on woke crap. Ignore the leftist crowd, they will always bark at success.
@Peter – totally agree. Unfortunately 🙁
This is not racist, except for people who like to make everything racist, which. is just as bas as racism itself. I’m Mexican and have always found the SkyPesos term hilarious. I’m sure most of the people who are “offended” are white, middle aged, suburban women with unhappy lives.
Grow up ya big babies.
Gary, GREAT article, and it’s hard to imagine anyone could possibly think that was even remotely racist! As soon as I saw your posting it quickly reminded me of my all time ‘favorite’ piece of currency I acquired about 15 years ago as it is a 2008 Issue from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe for a ‘scant’ 50 TRILLION DOLLARS…..so had you referenced that level of inflation in your article you might have really tipped several more overly sensitive folks over the ledge. Keep up the good work and your reference to Peso’s couldn’t have been more appropriate.
From a blog (ymmv) with such gripping travel commentary with titles such as:
Is it better to choose a window or an aisle?
How to check in a bag at an airport.
Should you pack a toothbrush on your trip
etc….
I always assumed this was referring to Argentine pesos.
yeah, YMMV has seriously scheety content. A loser couple with naught to do but spout
Say SkyPesos all you want, as long as you don’t open your kimono anymore.
People who find everything racist are racists themselves. To them everything is in terms of race. And since when is Mexican a race?
Who cares what others think. It is your opinion. Pesos, Pounds, Shillings whatever. Would you be considered racist if you called them Rubles or Rupees. Probably not – well maybe Rupees! but again who cares. These people that always look for something thr rant about are nothings. These ranters want to take up a cause that even the Mexican people don’t care about. Block them and keep doing what your doing your readers like it.
How about SkyMills (one-tenth of a penny) or SkyFeet.
Premium sky pesos
Given current inflation you could call them SkyDollars, but SkyPesos was definitely appropriate when you coined it
There seems to be a merit badge system for young SJW types. They need to find some racist activity no one else has found. If they can’t find a real one, they invent one. It is great street cred for them (“Hey, everybody, there’s Biff; he exposed the skypeso racism!”).
No one using MileagePengos yet for how United is inflating their currency? I would argue that United is faster than Delta in that regards, such as the Pengo was faster than the Peso.
Contrary to Mantis’s disbelief, the Republicans are a master of playing identity politics. The evidence is in the outcome with Republicons doing so overwhelmingly well with votes from the non-college grad European-American male demographic group in particular. They play to that group’s insecurities and lock up most of that segment. Identity politics by other means, but identity politics nonetheless with dog whistles included.
hmmm. . . as I am sure Gary knows, currency wars are not a contest to see who have the most valuable currency.
MX Pesos are actually up 15% v. USD over the past year. But Skypesos has a better ring than SkyBolivares (Venezuela) or SkyNairas (Nigeria) Or maybe you meant Argentina pesos?
Maybe SkyInches would be better.
This is an exceptionally stupid criticism of the term SkyPesos or it’s author, putting to one side how the Mexican Peso has vastly outperformed the US Dollar in the last 2 years or so . . . but certainly not the Argentine Peso which has been one of the worst currencies in the world and hopefully will soon be gone forever thanks to the wonderful Javier Milei.
Please don’t acknowledge these pathologically hypersensitive and ridiculous people. I’m amazed how these types can see racism in everything and anything, including inanimate objects and making benign comparisons like fluctuating currency values.