Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
If you don't have DL or SkyTeam status (or perhaps status with DL partners such as VA/VS) you really cannot expect DL to give you good seats for free. For example, if I were to book (I won't for this reason) BA flights in paid business class, BA would charge me several hundred dollars to select seats in advance, even in PAID BUSINESS CLASS, on long haul segments. Moreover, BA blocks the best business class seats for their elites.
You seem to be BA Gold Guest List or something, so think about the reverse situation before you start expecting DL to "upgrade" you to C+ just because you don't like the seats that are available to you for free.
This is a pretty absurd post. Delta does not “have” to re-route you if you’re late to the airport. Delta does not “have” to put you on another carrier if you misconnect. There are many things that Delta does — IMO, correctly — not because they’re obligated to, but because it increases customer loyalty.
Clearly, this situation is entirely Delta’s fault, unless you want to blame the OP for being automatically re-routed. Making them whole after an IT snafu is just good customer service.
I suspect most people on FT who point out that something isn’t permitted by i.e. the CoC are the same people who would get mad at DL for not waiving a rule. (And no, status is not the only way to value a customer.)