S_D_P

Hi Folks,

Well, after giving it a few tries, I decided that I really don't like the direction Delta is going with its new Sky Priority program. I'm a silver who consistently flies 40K/year and have done so for the past 15 years with NWA and now Delta. I feel so insulted and devalued with the new Sky Priority program. I know that is the topic of a different (and large) thread.

I'm writing with advice on switching carriers. I live in a small city and my only other reasonable option is with UA. Has anyone heard anything about what a combined UA/CO loyalty program might be like?

Thanks

mersk862

No changes have come out with the CO/UA program.

That being said, here are some comments about United:
- Silver level for boarding is devalued even further than Delta. The first boarding call is only for Global Services/1Ks (top level elites) and first class, and these are the only people allowed to board using their carpet lane. Second group is only Premier Executives (Gold level) and Star Alliance Gold (ST E+ level), but through the regular lane. Then there's Group 1, which is the Premiers (Silvers) and anyone that pays for it. If you arrive late to the gate, you get to wait in line with everyone.
-Check in is often the same way. Often it's three lines - 1K/Globals/First, all other elites, regular people. Some airports, it's all elites in one line, non-elites in another. Some airports I've seen it only be for mid-tiers and up. It can be inconsistent.
-You do get priority security at least!
-Upgrades can be tough to come by. The A319s have 8 F seats (vs 16 on Delta), A320s have 12 F seats (16 on Delta), E-Jets/CRJ-700s have 6 F seats (9-12 on Delta). But at least there's E+!

DiverDave

There is much speculation on the Continental forum, but of course there has been nothing official or even any substantial rumors.

Continental seems to have been slowly aligning their program with UA's, so one could argue the final program may look more like MP than OP. Then again, UA recently introduced unlimited domestic upgrades so they moved in the direction of OP on that one.

I'm not really aware of anything that Silvers lost with SkyPriority, other than now boarding in a zone behind higher level Medallions instead of all Medallions in the same zone. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Good luck with your decision - hope it works out for you!

David

edscholl

if it matters, with your flying patterns and rollover you would likely be gold every other year...

MikeMpls

The only real advantage to switching would be access to E+. You'll get better economy seats much/most of the time, but F will be even more elusive.

DP-340

You do not fly enough to get SWUs, and thud do not think there should be much difference in terms of upgrades between UA/CO/AA with your level of flying. Hence, I would make a decision mainly based on routes (for both work and leisure award travel).

longtimelurker

One thing to note is that with Rollover MQM, your ~40K/year travel pattern will lead you to reach Gold status (and Sky Priority) about every other year. UA/CO do not offer a similar benefit.

Stripe

CO Silvers get the same "Elite Access" benefits (dedicated check-in desk, blue carpet boarding, etc) that the higher level elites get. So to that extent CO may look better to you. There are plenty of reasons to switch to CO but that's a pretty trivial one IMO.

hoth300

good luck trying to get a status match on another carrier as an FO

S_D_P

Thanks to all of you for your thoughtful and helpful replies. You have given me a bit to think about.

I know that as a silver, i am not a major road warrior and i wholeheartedly agree that people who fly a lot more deserve more benefits-- especially earlier boarding and priority upgrades. But I do feel that when airlines offer a similar product, I have tried to be loyal to Delta to stay in their FF program.

What Sky Priority has done is simply made me feel as if the company doesn't really care one way or another about the business I give them. I know this is minor-- but on my flight the other day, the flight attendant announced that Delta appreciated the business of "Sky Priority, Diamond, Platinum, and Gold members." Now I thought that was just silly. It is no benefit to other FF members to exclude the Silvers. . .and what possible benefit is it to the company to have a "silver" status and then exclude that one group from the thank you? I feel similarly about the check-in. Why have a silver category and then say that members of that category cannot use priority check-in?

As I say, I feel it is appropriate for me to board after Diamonds/Platinums/Gold, I rarely get upgrades and don't expect them. But it doesn't foster any good will to include me as a member of the FF program and then make me feel excluded during my flight experience. I ended up only feeling bad about Delta after my last trip.

But as many of you say, it might not be better on other airlines and the moral may be that for a traveller like me, I may be best off selecting a carrier based on convenient schedules rather than a loyalty program.

DiverDave

CO would probably match OP to silver. They have been generously (or aggressively depending on your point of view) giving status matches to Delta Medallion members.

David

MikeyZBT

By the way, not sure if you've heard of the "Rollover MQM" program that ONLY Delta has... but if you're telling the truth about actually FLYING 40,000 miles per year (and therefore earning 40,000 MQM per year), you'll alternate Silver and Gold every year... Example below:

2010: 40,000 MQM - Silver
2011: 40,000 MQM + 15,000 MQM (rollover from 2010) = 55,000 MQM - Gold
2012: 40,000 MQM + 5,000 MQM (rollover from 2011) = 45,000 MQM - Silver
2013: 40,000 MQM + 20,000 MQM (rollover from 2012) = 60,000 MQM - Gold
2014: 40,000 MQM + 10,000 MQM (rollover from 2013) = 50,000 MQM - Gold
2015: Same as 2010 and the process starts over...

So, to sum up: 3 of every 5 years you'll be Gold and in the SkyPriority program. So, before you just quit altogether, realize that Delta is the ONLY program where you'll benefit from anything you do over 25,000 miles of flying, but not 50,000...

pbarnette

CO will almost certainly match.

Personally, I think the OP should get over the insult and stick with DL for the exact logic MikeyZBT notes. The reality is that, while the OP may not feel valued, they are simply getting a better deal with DL than they will get with either UA or CO.

DLNYC

Ugh. Silvers DO get priority check-in. FO's flying patterns are evident in their thinking they lost priority check-in. If one has flown DL even once since the implementation of SkyPriority, you should know priority check-in for FOs was never eliminated. You STILL have priority check-in, there are just TWO priority check-in lines: one for SkyPriority, one for FOs (except at smaller airports, where there is one priority check-in line for all elites, including silvers).

n301dp

You haven't been reading the numerous examples provided in the SkyPriority thread from slivers at small/medium stations that have been moved to the "General" line. I'm still unimpressed as an FO, even with the fix to boarding.