Last month, I helped my friend book a bread-and-butter United award to Europe. She flew from Newark to Rome to spend a few days, continued to Madrid for a few days, then returned home to Newark. All of it was booked as one award for 60,000 United miles + $110 in taxes.

I had helped her book one of the three highest value United awards to Europe, the "Stopover (Complete Two City)" award.

Last month, I helped my friend book a bread-and-butter United award to Europe. She flew from Newark to Rome to spend a few days, continued to Madrid for a few days, then returned home to Newark. All of it was booked as one award for 60,000 United miles + $110 in taxes.

I had helped her book one of the three highest value United awards to Europe, the "Stopover (Complete Two City)" award.

December 31, 2014 is the last day to book a free stopover on a roundtrip Delta award. That means it is the last day to book a free one way on a Delta award.

January 1, 2015, stopovers will be eliminated on Delta awards. Free one ways require a stopover at your home airport, which means that free one ways will be eliminated.

As widely predicted, Delta is eliminating stopovers on its awards starting January 1, 2015. Its SkyMiles program rules page says as much.

This is a bummer, but the good news is that one way awards will be bookable with Delta miles starting January 1, 2015, and Delta has already improved its online search.

American eliminated stopovers on awards this year, and the US Airways program will cease to exist in quarter 2 of 2015, which means United will be the only American program that allows stopovers very soon.