Originally Posted by RealHJ

How so? In case of a cancelled award flight, even though there's countless options on UA, just give them a call and even as a nobody (no status) you will get put on the last full-fare F seat available on another airline (and earn miles, class bonus, full F fare bonus, etc.), if you so request, and plus you will also get some compensation in miles (for the "inconvenience" flying another airline direct flight in a better seat, vs. your original connecting UA flights).

DL, on the other hand, even as a top tier elite will have you rot for days and refuse you to put you even on another SkyTeam flight that is wide open, if another Delta flight is coming a few days later, and would never even dream of putting you on a non-ST flight. (Granted, this is coming from limited experience, and others experience may vary.)

I think that here you must have mixed up the two. DL service recovery, while not worst in class, is very spotty and sometimes good, true, at other times (like when you really need it) horrendous. UA, however, treats their no-status customers better than DL treats its DMs and will promptly spend many $1000s to buy you a full F last minute fare (literaly last seat on the plane) if you so ask for it, even on an award ticket, even with no status - something that the extremely cheap DL would first let hell freeze over before it did.