Originally Posted by
itsaboutthejourney
Very interesting points. I know many long ago former DL elites that have given up on DL since "journey control" and other Rev Mgmt policies kicked in.
It's good to try to give Jeff some slack, but it does not excuse some of his contradictory "PR-speak" statements nor the fact that he seems to do these 'hit and run' posts with little follow-up. It would be nice if the situation were more transparent (ie: Jeff saying he wanted to do X, but was rebuffed by Y dept/exec.)
I'd also say that he does carry significant influence at DL where he's known as the "billion dollar man" for selling AMEX 2 Billion $ worth of SkyMiles.
Good points as well. I agree that Jeff's posts have been little more than marketing/press release fluff. From DLs latest presence, the lone post (actually doubly posted to both DL and NW forums, SkyMilesInsider appears to have the same distant tone and be little more than hit and run marketing spin as well. For example:
Originally Posted by
SkyMilesInsider
Thanks so much for your feedback on our 2010 Medallion program. We continue to read your responses and while we can’t respond to each individual question or comment, we do want to address your major concerns – and clear up any confusion about the issues generating the most feedback. SkyMilesInsider will periodically address some of your most frequent postings and provide additional clarity on an ‘as needed’ basis giving you quicker, informative responses to major topics. So here goes:
Yet the answer following never addressed the greatest amount of concerns about restrictive SWUs, companion upgrades and the lack of value of SC membership for those having access through means other than memberships. Like I said, marketing spin. When is DL going to learn that we are not stupid? For most of us who fly this much, at least someone values our time and intelligence enough to put us in the air quite a bit. Can DL not give us the same courtesy. We could be one of DL greatest assets by telling our associates, contacts, family and friends about how great our favorite airline is and how we value their loyalty program. Instead, they have left us, once again, scratching our collective heads wondering what they are thinking.
Those who know his history know that Jeff does have more than a little experience in Rev Mgmt from his AA days. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, and I think it is helpful for him to have seen an airline from that side of the business. I can only speak for my approx. 2 hours with the man and say that to me, he did not appear out to get FFers, he did seem straight forward and truthful, and he did seem to have a good grasp of the issues presented, and he did seem to be intelligent.
I still say that it is ultimately Mr. Anderson's job to conduct the necessary oversight, especially when launching a new loyalty product. I'm not talking about micro managing or anything like that. Sometimes it just takes a few words to your most trusted managers. A little coaching can go a long way.
As for me, I'm going to
try 
to throttle down a bit and give DL some time to absorb this feedback that they tell us means so much to them. Their response (or non-response) will tell the real story here.