Originally Posted by
DLFan2
I guess DL is afraid that the ticket price increases that would be dictated by the old formula would so shock the traveling public that they would rather nickel and dime with change fees, baggage fees, fuel surcharges on paid tickets, fuel surcharges on award tickets, etc.
Excellent point, Delta has to compete.
Soon when all airlines' programs are charging $250 to $300+ f**l s**ch***es & fees & taxes on int'l RT award tickets -- which is what Delta's competitors do and which is quickly becoming
the standard industry practice across the world, permissible under the terms & conditions we all agreed to in mutual good faith by signing up for our too good to be true free lunch freebies program, even when still insufficient to cover the operating costs of the airlines, what exactly are the arguments one uses with the DOT, DOJ, DOA, etc. to argue that DL is in the wrong? Please drive a stake into the heart of our airline: we deny that oil went from $20 to $140 a barrel and insist on a fairy tale time warp return to yesterday?
Just like soda & bag charges, the genie is out of the bottle on this one. Too bad. DL is just matching yet another industry best practice.
I would love to write a letter but I for one find it hard to make a rational plea using irrational arguments...surely our letter writing should do more than provide random chuckles for the recipients...?
Quijote fighters, ho!
Originally Posted by
mikey1003
And if Delta is true to its word, and to the spirit of a surcharge linked to a specific variable cost, consumers can expect that the fees will be reduced or eliminated if fuel prices ease.
As Jeff Robertson, managing director of SkyMiles, explained in an email, "It's intended to be temporary, intended to directly offset exactly what we are charging extra for (fuel cost increases), and we do really hope that fuel subsides and it goes away."
Euro airlines publish the exact criteria and formulas which trigger increases and decreases in the fuel surcharges. DL should be held to the same high standard. Send a letter to Jeff perhaps?