I don't think you can defect. I have the same issue in DTW and it is just a pain to try other "non-hub" carriers.

Actually I have tried a few other carriers this year and my overall impression of DL is that they do a better job than the other carriers I have tried. I tried UA and AA and had some scheduling issues with UA mid-trip and they were truly not interested in helping.

Overall - as much as this forum is filled with complaints - I think that DL is doing a great job for me and have stopped considering alternatives for now.