I received emails, both as a SkyMiles and WorldPerks member. Although they were from Jeff and Bob respectively, they said the exact same thing. I imagine WorldPerks members will receive an email directly from Delta once the details about the program integration have been finalized.

There is a clear distinction between discussing comments made in a public forum and requesting personal, private information be published.

Other programs have made changes and, in many cases, DL has not been the first mover.

It doesn't matter if you're sold on the merger. It happened. Its over. Move on.

Although it varies by stage length, I think DL (on AVOD equipped aircraft), B6 and WN all offer leading domestic products. CO is also quickly moving in that direction.

QUOTE=SchmutzigMSP;11169915]If you're talking about domestic service competing with international carriers, you're right, they can't. But they're also apples and oranges. Very few airlines have to compete as broadly domestically as they do internationally like US carriers do. I mean when Delta is aiming to hit 50% of their traffic to be international as a goal, that should tell you something when you compare it to the likes of SQ, LH, CX, and all the other regulars that are held up against the domestic legacies in these types of arguments.

Why would it be so difficult to retain a domestic program that competes with the other domestic carriers and rewards people who do significant mileage without ever leaving the homeland? Why should these flyers get penalized because the airline now wants to compete with the Big Boys and therefore decides to cut benefits with a sickle instead of a scalpel? This is America. We're ingenious, inventive, unique. Why can't we come up with a program that does both: provide competitive international service as well as a rewarding domestic product? Why is this too difficult to imagine? We are, after all, looking at the largest airline in the world. If anyone could do it, the new Delta should be able to...[/quote]

While US airlines don't compete against foreign carriers domestically, you can still draw an anecdotal comparison between the two domestic products. Ultimately, it shows two distinctly different investment strategies. The US carriers have, in general, been routed in the past, depending on the loyalty of passengers instead of proactively trying to address changing consumer preferences. Foreign airlines, in general, have done a far superior job at running at understanding what their customers want and operating like a true consumer-oriented business.

US-style loyalty programs, with few exceptions, do not encourage profitable consumer behavior. Legacy carriers can't evolve and move into a sustainable profitable business model while continuing to reward the type of domestic travel patterns many on this board celebrate.

I'm sure you know that all of the domestic aircraft have been refreshed since bankruptcy. I'm sure you've also read the press releases that the 767-300ERs will be retrofitted with new J and Y seats.