For International flyers, this announcement is
great. However, when you factor CO's smaller F cabins into the equation, I still find DL to be a
superior program. Bigger F cabins. More likelihood of upgrade domestically. For the flyers who spend a majority of their year doing domestic flying, this isn't quite the game changer one would consider. For those with 2+ international r/t flights per year, this could be a positive.
Originally Posted by
uavking
Yup, I was thinking the same thing while reading CO Insider's post. DL is definitely last in class now in the SWU/PMU department.
Still ahead of US if you
ONLY consider the SWU. If you consider
everything I would consider Delta middle of the pack.
Originally Posted by
pitbrian
Even if they lowered to K+, IMO they'd still be uncompetitive
Disagree. K+ is similar to UA. AA/CO offer on any fare.
Originally Posted by
stephem
As for SWUs, it's hard to say this doesn't put some real pressure on DL- the last of the major US carriers without some cheap and useful upgrade instruments for 100k+ flyers.
+1. We've been saying K+ for MONTHS would make a SWU competitive. With the Y/B/M prices, it's becoming uncompetitive.
Originally Posted by
hur88
If they didn't even issue any kind of response to AA (a larger player than CO) opening SWUs to all classes, why would anyone expect DL to match CO offering SWUs to all classes?
CO was more closely aligned to DL than AA. I find DL
far better than AA @ the GM & FO level. I, however, would be
happy to jump ship to AA for EXP if they would match me there.
Originally Posted by
avidflyer
About a month back I was one of many who predicted that the FF world was about to change and for the better (if you are a customer) and this is where it is playing out: SWU's and uber-tiers. I have to tell you, I have been doing everything I can to convince myself that DL may pony up something around SWU's to respond to the war for customers going on right now. I think they are going to stay silent and after reading the CO announcement I HAVE NO CHOICE but to leave. I owe it to my company, shareholders and myself. The folks who keep parroting that DL is just shedding their "worst customers" could not be more wrong. I EASILY spend 30k a year on DL. There are fewer customers out there now and EVEN FEWER willing to pay a premium to sit up front in these economic conditions. It is my feeling that DL will keep marching to their plan and strategy that was set in 2004 and march all the way to disaster. It is a new model now and while it will change at some point (just like the job market went from Employee to Employer advantaged) right now DL is absolutely out of the competition. This really does change everything...and the next AL to jump in will change it again but I highly doubt it will be DL.
See note @ top.
Originally Posted by
FlytheTail
Wow, this could be a game changer for me too. I have over 200K EQMs on NW/DL this year and still have to purchase an M+ fare just to qualify for a BE upgrade... let alone find upgrade inventory. Amazing that the CO SWUs are valid with all published fares and are fully transferrable. I'll be following this one closely. ^ to CO.
However, these are
also capacity controlled. No award inventory, no upgrade availability. Much like DL. The lower fare classes are a + versus DL.
Originally Posted by
Stripe
It is as though CO studied DL's program, identified everything DL did wrong, and then rolled out a program that was superior in every possible way. ....
Even at 100K EQM I would be better off with CO than I would be at 125K with DL. DL's program is a joke in comparison. This just underscores how "worst-in-class" is the "loyalty" program the misguided trolls in ATL cooked up.
I agree at 100K, partly. CO's small premium cabins & cheap F leave many 100K flyers in Y.
Take a look at the current programs for US and non top tiers at the other majors. I don't think that would be MY view. Taking SWU's,
domestic upgrades, earning/burning into account I'd rank it:
AA - CO - DL - UA - US
Is DL
best in class? No. Is it
worst in class? No.
Delta is about average... and on the decline
Originally Posted by
monitor
Even though DL follows what is being discussed here, I do not think that they at all care about cultivating the crowd that gathers here. They have little respect for the LUT flyers (as the recent DEQM promo shows) and have no interest in putting these people into its premium international cabins.
That being said, I believe that no airline takes better care of its domestic business travelers. This opinion comes from one who has been top tier in three different programs over the past 6 years and has settled on DL as the best deal for his travel patterns.
It is true that when it comes time to travel internationally on leisure, it requires quite a bit of finesse and the use of lots of miles. But it can, and is done that way. Of course I would like the PMUs to be easier to use but that is far from crucial.
+1 on
ALL accounts. DL prefers higher revenue flyers over LUT flyers.
Originally Posted by
avidflyer
I am really bumming and hope DL counters but I think they too muddled in integration issues to mess with this.
+1 as well. At some point unfortunately the bean counters will not figure out WHO they have pushed away...