I'll be the FO community's pardon and add to the "FO is not quite worthless" tally. It is true that there is quite difference between FO and Gold - but its a necessary one. Between rollover, promo MQMs and the Amex MQMs I'm fairly sure that the FO population has surged. Its hardly unprecedented - the difference between first level Elites in hotel programs and the next tier is usually huge.

Back to the original topic though - I too tend to doubt that DL will be making any revolutionary changes in the program. Its less than 2 years since they did the merger and all that came with it and they still are catching up with the promises from that list. I'm sure there will be continual revolutionary change but the basics will remain the same. The only way I see a deviation would be if the new UA did something truly radical in their merger launch and DL had to react to it.

Any new ideas on this? I was hoping some info would have came out of the recent ATL DO.

what do you think the chances are of getting the name officially changed to SkyPeso's?

Doubtful - that would imply that they actually have a tangible value and can really be exchanged for a product of service people truly want :D

So Very True
 

When I book a flight if I can't see an exit row seat open, I usually will look to find another flight. Thank the good lord that those of us in the elite programs can reserve those seats. I can remember going to the airport early in order to "try" to get an exit row.

Maybe after CO/UA announce theirs?
 

With the CO/UA merger underway, at some point DL is going to have to see what the merged airline is offering and compete with it.

DL GAs
 

I would like to second this. DL needs more GA training. They seem to be mostly FAs--free agents--these days with doing whatever boarding drill comes to mind. Give them a script to follow, just like the FAs use on the metal.

When a Zone 3 person is in the front of the line, ask him/her to move back and board when that Zone is called.

Jeez, Louise!!!

It's almost December 14th... and still no announcement of the 2011 program. Isn't that odd?

Absolutely. Think overhead bin space.

+1

I was just a member before status matching and now with priority seating I get some decent seats.

This should tie me over until I make PM probably Q3 this year if all my travel plans go through.

I am not based in the US so all those cheap fares are non-existant to me.

Nonsense. Free checked bags, pre-boarding, priority check-in, chance for an upgrade (yes it happens), preferred seats, 25% medallion mileage bonus. Sounds like silver medallion (I refuse to use that ridiculous "FO" abbreviation) is definitely worth something.

The idea that silver is worthless is ridiculous.

Take a trip with someone without status and you'll get learnt real quick. Did this last week - hell, the rest of us were as frustrated as he was since we had to wait for him to get from the back of the bus.

I agree - my partner just flew as an FO (PM gifted) on his first DL business trip (to YYZ through DTW) in Y, got upgraded to F on both outbound legs and (so far) one return leg. Yes, yes, depends on from where to where, but even when I was an FO, I had a 50% upgrade rate - much better than a general member!

I really enjoyed being a FO before I became a GM. I had the chance of picking up good seats, zone 2 boarding, free checked bag, and got a few UGs on certain routes. Even a few companion UGs for my son when I took him on several trips. I didn't realize that there is a better level of service until I became FO, and started to read travel blogs (including this forum).

FO doesnt do much anymore. God, in the old days on NW, Silver was a decent perk.

My only complaint/wish for 2011 is to 1) increase the value of Silver (at least give me priority in lines/security) and finally and I know this has been going on since time immemorial, but I flew 40 segements on DL in 2010. Almost all non stop. However, I cover the east coast from Detroit, so I only reached about 28,000 miles. My West coast guy, flew 35 segments on CO, mostly connectors from Cleveland, and got to gold back in July! Now, at the end of the year we reviewed our travel expenses, I spent more in Flights than he did.

So we flew the same amount, I paid more, yet I barely got to silver, and he got to gold and almost platinum, no problem.

I remember when they switched to segments that was a huge help, but there is still a disparity from east coast -west coast travel.