Originally Posted by
FlyAO2
While the repaint doesn't do much for us - it is actually critical from a branding standpoint. They were trying to create a one brand image - NW is dead you don't want people to keep seeing it on the sides on planes
Not only that, repainting planes is a lot less complex than merging two IT systems and rolling out a new website. It's not like they could have reassigned the painting crews to write business applications.
I choose to share the OP's optimism on the changes to delta.com. I did think that launching only a new homepage last month was premature and raised hopes needlessly, but it did simplify some of the more common tasks for average users. With the much improved SkyMiles Activity page, it looks like the promised incremental improvements are coming.