This is very true. I find that Delta has (generally, with a few exceptions) truly superior CS and its staff really do listen and care. Delta also is really great at service recovery; yes, things go wrong (and more than they should, IMO), but, CS now seems to be empowered yet again (how it was at NW) to make things right, and often (not always, again, depends on whom you get)turns around a bad event into a good and positive impression for the customer. That is the reason - the only reason - why I still am a DL SM customer: the superior CS. The problem lies with the powers that be, that simply ignore customers so many times on so many things (e.g. the horrendous business never changing "chicken or pasta" food quality for 8-10h long flights, the abysmal award availability, the lack of clarity on the T-72 rule, etc.). DL management seems to be only interested in superficial (and yes, "holistic") "improvements" (that often cost more than real improvements, such as meal quality, for example), and it shows.

But, having faith in DL CS, I have even convinced some staff whose only travel preference is to "avoid Delta at all costs" to travel on DL (again), after some really bad experiences in the past on it, knowing that if things go wrong, I can help them to have DL set it right.

So this very important piece is there. It's just sad to see how DL management seems to be letting the air_line rot from the top down, while its workers do their best to repair the damage and patch it up from the bottom up. With management that cared and saw and appreciated the wonderful asset that DL has in its staff, in how it relates to customer satisfaction, and supported as opposed to often opposed that, DL could be going so much further, faster -- and yes, be more profitable as well.