Even Death Is No Deterrent To Building Up Flier Miles

Even in death, you can rack up frequent flier miles at Daytona Beach International Airport.

The spoils, however, will go to funeral home directors as part of a promotion between the struggling airport and Delta Air Lines to boost the number of dead bodies shipped on its flights.

Beginning Aug. 1, the airport will award funeral directors 500 frequent flier miles for every body shipped. Delta will award two round-trip tickets for every $5,000 of business a local funeral home generates this fiscal quarter.

All of this is aimed at boosting business at the struggling county-owned airport.

Last year, Delta shipped the remains of more than 40,000 people worldwide, generating $11 million in revenue.

“It’s an important revenue component of the airline business,” said Stephen Cooke, the airport’s director of marketing. “So we want to do everything we can do to encourage cargo at the airport.”