Here's a Couple
 

1. As a DM and/or PM benefit, can DL block middle seats in the first 8-10 rows of Y to allow elite flyers to have a little extra space, only filling those seats where the aircraft is sold out?

2. Why can't all security lanes at TSA in the international arrivals area at ATL be staffed all afternoon, with a dedicated Sky Priority lane (there is a dedicated lane for flyers with ATL as the final destination)?

Great job assembling this, Gargoyle.

That said, it's currently 120 questions long, which suggests 2.5 minutes per question, which seems somewhat unrealistic. Will there be some consolidation, and maybe even prioritization of questions?

For example, the SWU/PMU question is asked a few times in different forms.

I've just posted the latest revision and additions, and I've done some consolidation and cleanup. In many ways the list has grown into a monster, which raises the issue of the structure of the Q&A session.

If we just read the Q's in order and take answers, it will turn into a very unsatisfying press conference. Instead, I suggest we use this list as a guideline. I hope a number of you print it out (double spaced, so you can take notes), use it like cliff notes, check off questions as they get asked so we don't ask the same question 3 times, and when it gets near the end, circle the ones you feel are important, raise your hand and ask those.

Many of the execs will be joining us for dinner, with at least one at every table. Many of these questions are low priority or apply only to a very small subset of our community- consider saving those for dinner. You can continue grilling the execs while partaking of the grilled offerings at the Piedmont Room, roast them while eating your roast pork, or smoke them while cutting into your smoked salmon or turkey.

I think this is a pretty good approach ^

How will the question order or priority be determined? Will it be random (people raise hands and ask) or will the execs answer some pre-assigned questions before opening it up to the audience?

Thanks for keeping the questions organized. As I'm flying to ATL for the DO today, I have another question.

From the www.delta.com web site, it seems Medallion members get more information about Delta award availability from third party websites like http://www.expertflyer.com. The award and upgrade display featured at http://www.expertflyer.com/screensho...rd-upgrade.jsp
is something I would like to see at delta.com for Delta and other Skyteam flights. Why should third party websites have more real-time information about Delta award availability than delta.com?

I think it might help things move along if, as each exec is introduced and steps to the podium, they quickly knock off a couple of key questions. That way we can breeze through some major ones right at the start, and have some momentum as we move into the "random-raise hands and ask" phase.

This will only work if they give real, solid answers during their intros, and not the PR fluff that some DL folk got accused of/flamed for in past years on FT.

Also, note that not all the execs will be with us all the time- some have other commitments. Each one has their area of expertise. The order in which questions are posed and answered will be a factor of who is on stage at the time to answer. For example, if we have some operations people but no one from SkyMiles on stage during one half hour stretch, that isn't the time to ask about Million Miler perks.
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By the way, I don't have a topic category for delta.com in the master list- the website questions are mixed in skymiles, customer service, and marketing. We also have a huge sticky thread in this forum for delta.com bugs and suggestions.

For those of us that couldn't make it this year (big bummer), will someone please post the answers to these questions?

Thanks.

I trust the questions concerning the horrendous award calendar/lack of availability/lack of charts will be given the HIGHEST priority! :)

Here is a follow up question for the award calendar Q&A that I hope may be touched upon:

Will Delta give us the ability to create multi-city award tickets and show us the mileage per segment as we go? Currently you only see the total mileage at the very end after you construct the award ticket, making it tedious or impossible to construct low mileage level awards.

Thanks!

Great session today with the DL execs. They all studied our questions in advance. There was a lot to cover, we probably got about half the questions addressed (and that was with a non stop session). I took notes, I'll try to type them up and post something in the next few days. Meantime, I hope other attendees also post their observations here.

Main thing is, there is a lot of new enhancements to the system being rolled out, some will show up in the next 2 weeks, others not till first quarter 2011, and some will take a few years, but much of what we are hoping for will get implemented.

Great news, Gargoyle. Looking forward to attendees' posts about the session. I'm impressed that you think half the questions were addressed. That was a long list!

Doesn't mean we got the answers we want to all the questions which were addressed, but in some cases we got clear explanations of business reasons why they don't do some things which we want.

BTW, Richard Anderson flies coach. He feels it would be very inappropriate for him to sit up front while a medallion is in back. And he got his liquids confiscated in Ireland (DUB?) earlier this year, but he still thinks the TSA is basically doing a good job. :rolleyes:

(I know DUB is not TSA, but the point being he says that he thinks the overall TSA effectiveness is working. Of course, he has to say that...)

Thanks Gargoyle for compiling the list of questions and for volunteering to write up the responses for those of us who couldn't attend - I'm eagerly awaiting the summary here on the west coast!

If you want to prioritize writing up answers, feel free to start with their justification for the SWUs - I'll go start a bag of microwave popcorn while I wait :D :D :D

Short answer is, no.

As to the award calendar, a detailed explanation was given as to its brokenness; please correct me if I recall the explanation incorrectly:

It is acknowledged there is an IT issue within the search results.

When a search is initiated, the calendar produces results encompassing all results, including all result possibilities. This may produce dates with low mileage possibilities being highlighted in green on the calendar.

When the search is further refined (meaning you selected the green 'low' mileage levels on the dates of your choice), there's an algorithm in place that filters the results down the the 40 most preferable routing possibilities, which then creates the possibility to exclude the aforementioned low level routes, resulting in the next lowest level being mid-tier. This is the effect you attribute to the award calendar being "broken", while in reality, it is working exactly as programmed.

Currently, and to the chagrin of many a Flyertalker in the room as the presentation happened, the current IT plan is to fix the issue so DL.com no longer offers the results of showing the low possibilities found, but instead pre-filters results so it only shows the "preferred" routings that it thinks travelers would want, effectively only showing mid and higher levels in the calendar, unless within the top 40 results is included a more preferred routing, as defined by whatever algorithm it is defines a preferred routing (this was not specified in the presentation).

In effect, a low tier award may exist, but you'll never see it unless you are able to trick the system into finding it through a multi-city routing search, or a phone call. So, basically, no difference will be between when the fix happens and what we have now.