DL Elite program, what is so "elite"
Oct 30, 2009, 7:13 pm
#46
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: AA EXP2M, DL 1MM DM ext, UA PP <=> HH G/Marr PE/Hyatt G/IHG P FT RA ( Recovering Addict)
Posts: 4,596
Here a company be mismanaged, go bankrupt, can declare Chapter 11, and with a new set of paper owners and often the SAME management and employees come out as a "stronger" company! A lot of major airlines now except AA WN and CO I think have been through this process in the last 15 years. UA was bought by the employees and again was flirting with the process.
This can then swallow a "better" company, which was better liked by its customers, but which was in contracts that were more expensive and which it could not change by itself, unless it was bought or went bankrupt. So if you were terrible, you could start new, but if you were trying hard, you could not change because you did not fail enough! We have a perverse set of incentives.
I personally like DL once I have become higher on the totem pole but will certainly miss the chances for improvement that were present with NW system, especially for flyers and for ease of booking awards. I just learnt about the Hawaii trick for J for 60k to fly to Asia! Too late.
I certainly think they would have done better with the NW front end, even if they were going with the DL back engine. I have lurked on several threads here and realize why it was not possible.
I happily now (ab)use the upgrade process and sit in First on LUT or awards, and will certainly keep a few reservations pending as a DM, but I think instead of Status- Fare- Time of booking - Time of check in, if the process were Fare - Status - Time of booking - Time of Check in etc that is probably more useful and fair to the airline. Of course, if that were the case, I would not be loyal to any airline either. I would go for the cheapest F /A / C or Y or B fare.
Oct 30, 2009, 8:00 pm
#47
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Nashville
Programs: DL DM 3 MM AA PLAT HH Lifetime Diamond Marriott Plat AMB lifetime titanium Hertz PC
Posts: 6,187
If there is really no one travelling on weekends, the airlines may cut service, frequency, size of planes or price, increase miles, elite miles etc. See what is happening now in an effort to maintain load factors in the face of low / no demand. Again, it is their program. If that does not work for them, they may change it next year.
The airline business is wacky. We are on FT. This is a relatively savvy crowd that gets it's last ounce of value, but also very generous in helping out to others.
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The airline business is wacky. We are on FT. This is a relatively savvy crowd that gets it's last ounce of value, but also very generous in helping out to others.
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