50% MQM for China Southern, Korean, Etc. = Weak
Dear Delta,
I hope you read this.
I've been a top tier DL flyer for the past 15 years, I spend more than $12.5K on tickets, charge more than $50K on my DL AMEX, and so on. I don't live in a hub city. But I make it work.
For a number of good reasons (mostly price and schedule) I end up on your SkyTeam partners for my many trips to Asia and Europe each year. You're just too expensive, too late, or otherwise off the mark.
The 006 or DL rules for 2013+ are annoying. It might confuse me. And it will certainly confuse my company's online travel tool which forces me to take the cheapest flight (with a few hundred dollar buffer policy). Oddly, many times it tells me to book a flight on a SkyTeam partner. But it isn't always a DL flight, it isn't a DL code share, and it isn't a 006 ticket.
Most of the time my EU flights are KL and AF. Things get bad when I'm flying beyond AMS and CDG. They are cheaper and have more seats than your same-flight booking. Even worse is the Asia factor. This is what really burns me... with these your new rules. KE and others previously gave me 100-150% MQM and now that is down to 50-75% because you want me to ride DL metal.
I understand why. It is a great idea (in your heads). But I can't do it. Not when the SkyTeam partner ticket prices (especially on the few trips where I am permitted to book J class) are thousands of dollars less expensive for the same origin and destination.
Getting 50% credit is a joke. Your service to Asia is okay. But not great. I can get 100% from your competitors.
Truth be told, I'm insulted by the 50% cut... but I have to take that flight. And as I suggested above, others will give me 100%. So I will start to look at other alliances. Ive got a year head start. Why? Because you've annoyed me.
Yes, it really is quite possible (but not certain) that I will jump ship in 2014. Nothing personal. Just business.