DL 2011 SkyMiles Program
 

Does anyone know when DL might announce enhancements/changes for the 2011 SkyMiles Program?

:)

In 2012 :) :)

DL 2011 Program
 

Sure wish you, MR_MAMA, were not so dead-on.
:(:(

Seriously i don't think there will be any big announcement, I think they will just keep adding things as the yer goes on, like they did this year

SkyMiles
 

I think you are corredt. The major change was last year and they may tweek as needed for 2011.
^

I agree - only minor changes coming up, if anything at all. I would guess an announcement would come sometime in the fall.

Get rid of roll over miles, and give a little more value to FO.

Roll over miles are killing the FO changes for upgrades since it is easy for one to get GM now.

also instruct ga to fallow the rules of SP.

I say get rid of FO.

GAs and SP
 

I want to retierate the last point. I have been doing a great deal of DL flying this year and as a result I am a DM. GAs need to get the boarding script right. There is too much variation. I have seen versions of:

1. Everyone gets on, smaller aircraft
2. Special needs folks get on
3. First class get on
4. Zone I, including First Class, get on
5. Gate lice get on first, regardless of status

GAs need adult supervision. Get it right, DL!!!

I think the rollover miles is a great thing. If you can't handle more people being heavier elites, you shouldn't be flying. Just my opinion since there are many these days.

:td:

^

They pretty much have.

I was joking with a GA last week about making FO. She said "you know, it's not really worth anything, don't you". I feigned shock and said "Of course it is! Now I have a 1 in a million chance of getting an upgrade instead of none, plus I have slightly greater access to an award calendar that doesn't work". :D

In regards to getting rid of FO's, they don't need to do that, but if you are an FO and don't fly enough to gedt to Gold, then you should not receive all the benefits that those of us that do. Do a few MR, get a DR card etc, earn or fly your way to Gold if the benefits are that important to you.

For everybody who says FO is worth nothing, check the seat maps w/o logging in the next time you book a ticket.

Seriously, preferred seating is a big item.

Don't hate on Silver too much... do you want to be the guy that has to gate check his bag because he got on the plane too late? Or even worse, have to put your bag in the back of the plane when you are up front?

I dont think that getting rid of FO fixes the issue of GA agents not fallowing the rules that are in place.

FO is a big deal to some people, some of us dont have 25k in the bank to make DM, or our companies are way too small to afford heavy flying. still FO are loyal customers no matter what.

I believe DL can throw a bone of 2 back to FO WITHOUT GM, PM OR DM getting all bend out of shape.

Bring back the Delta Frequent Flyer program. Two levels - Medallion and Royal Medallion. 1,000 miles per segment minimum, class of service bonus based on cabin seated in, International First Class awards on partners with 3-cabin aircraft at 100K to Europe.

Delta used to have a very good, simple frequent flyer program. Rather than continuing to complicate and dilute it, they should just consider the KISS principle.

Does it really matter on a CRJ200 that you board first, it is kind of petty and DYKWIA

I still can't seem to understand what benefits FOs have lost in the last year.

Oh boy, here we go with this discussion again.

I am a relatively new first-time FO and for the record, I want to say that FO is NOT worthless. Preferred seating and boarding before the general public and waived bag check fees make a noticeable welcome difference to a first-time FO. Also, I am batting over 50% on upgrades. Granted, most of my flghts are not transcons with nice equipment, but you do get the occasional upgrade. FOs have to strategize more for the upgrades -- take a connecting flight, fly midday and avoid monday, thurs, fri if possible. I should be gold in about a month and I look forward, but I am not going to look back and think" boy that sucked as an FO." Hopefully I will just enjoy the better status.

That said, FO DID lose stuff from before. I do see why non- first time FOs feelthe way they do. No matter what SMI says, most GAs don't think FOs can use the SP lane after their zone is called. So, FOs have lost the perk of cutting the boarding line. Sucks to be at the back of the line if you miss zone 2 calling. Dont feel like debating this bc there's no point. It's not like delta is up nights trying to think up new bennies to give FOs.

IMO the best thing Delta could bring to their SkyMiles 2011 program is address their skypesos currency crisis.

Amen cinnamon!

For the FO's who are whining about how lousy their benefits are go fly AA where you're still paying $30 per 500-mile segment for domestic UGs or US / UA that have so few F seats on many of their aircraft that even GM / PM equivalents are regularly in the back of the bus.

THE single biggest issue with the SM program is, was and likely will be the difficulty in using SM to book low-tier travel awards to anywhere other than glamorous destinations like Scranton, Roanoke and Lubbock (no offense to any of these cities...I grew up in a similar place. Just trying to make a point).

I like rollover miles on a gut level. However when you make a quick analysis, the program for the most part helps Delta.

Here is a rough comparison. I said rough ... (before someone jumps down my throat).

OLD BENEFIT LEVEL_______NEW BENEFIT LEVL______MILES TO NEXT LEVEL
xxx_____________________Silver________________25K
Silver__________________Gold__________________25K
Gold____________________Platinum (ST Elite)___25K
Platinum________________Diamond (ST Elite)____50K

If you rollover 24999 miles the program is unchanged (except for 1 mile) if you are aiming for the 'old' silver or the 'old' gold. If you are aiming for the 'old' platinum then you have to earn an additional 25001 miles. Win for Delta.

If you rollover less than 24999 you need to earn more miles for all levels. On Average 12500 miles. Win for Delta.

Since SILVER has benefits (as pointed out in this thread), on average people will need 12500 miles to obtain silver due to rollovers. Win for the not so frequent, frequent flyer and a win for Delta - buys loyalty (and tickets) for those wanted to achieve Silver.

I was all for rollover until I tried to use a SkyTeam lounge in Prague. The year before as GM entry was guaranteed on a CSA ticket. Now, PM is required (ie. SkyTeam Elite).

I was close to the 25K rollover limit (shy by a calculated 200 miles) so obtaining PM was similar to obtaining the 'old' gold. I used a rewards ticket for my last 2009 TATL because I did NOT want to earn MQMs. I could have used another carrier, but the small benefits of the 'new' gold were worth it to me (and I did get an OPSYS upgrade on my return <grin>).

Bottomline, passengers need to be more savvy about mileage accrual than pre-rollover.

Agree - there needs to be differences between the levels, and upgrade priority and more bonus miles isn't enough of a difference per Delta. It's why Plats get stuff like the Medallion Choice Benefit and Golds don't.

Same here. And before anyone says it, Zone 2 is still priority boarding. And Silvers can still use preferred check-in desks.

The only people that have lost something completely are SkyClub members, who do not have elite security access anymore (something Silvers never had).

Silvers have had their boarding priority slightly degraded this past year, but it was not taken away - watered down, yes, but it's there.

That's the biggest thing I'd like to see (that and useful SWUs for DMs, given that I make DM in a week!)

Golds have always been SkyTeam Elite (the lower of the two levels) on both NW and Delta. Platinums were the only Elite Plus (which is what grants lounge access). If CSA was letting you into the lounge in the past as a Gold in Y, they were doing you a favor.

While definitely not good for me, IMHO the fairest program would be a system based on ticket prices and not mileage.
SKYDOLLARS.

You earn one skydollar for every dollar spent for a Delta or SkyTeam ticket. Like now you must complete the flight.

There would be some conversion rate for SKYDOLLARS to real USDs with which to buy tickets. For example 25 cents per SKYDOLLAR. (Thus 4 $400 coast to coast trips would be enough for a RT low tier (ie. 400 USD) award; this is close to the current redemption system).

Maybe SKYQUARTERS would be better name <grin>.

The more you pay for tickets the more you earn. Three tiers of 'new' medallion statuses ( silver, gold, platinum --or how about just C,B,A) with 6400 SkyQuarters required for each level. Gold benefits and Platinum would be SkyTeam Elite.

Tier based SkyQuarter bonus are optional.

The 'numbers' are just examples, and I do not claim this would be the best way to restructure the system, so no attacks, please!

It amazes me that even the people providing the counter-argument to the "FO is nothing" assertion keep omitting that FOs get a 25% SkyMiles bonus over general members. But good post nonetheless cinnamon121.

This would be the end of mileage runs for the DL program. Delta and other airlines have tried putting in measures to tie free perks to $ amount spent by reducing status miles on low fare tickets. DL rescinded that but FB still does it and IIRC CO has some fares that earn less (<< not confident of this statement).

Virgin America has their program tied to amount spent. I think all airlines wish that they could go back in time to the early 80s and start their programs based on $ and not distance. Where's Doc Brown when you need him?

"FOs have to strategize more for the upgrades -- take a connecting flight, fly midday and avoid monday, thurs, fri if possible."

Good advice. Everyone, even DM that want to sit up front have to strategize.

^

Agreed. I booked an award ticket for my SigO on a separate itinerary from me (flying out of different cities). I had forgotten the seat numbers go up that high.

Why wouldn't they annouce new rules soon?
 

I am well on my way to PM for next year. But I could book some more flights, if I knew that there was going to be rollover for next year. I would also like to know how it is going to work. Do they subtract last year's rollover? Are they going to roll over just miles, or are they going to rollover segments as well.

Knowing this information may encourage me to fly more the rest of the year.

LOL! Funny, I forgot that I omitted the 25% SkyMiles bonus until I read your post. It's probably because I am a relatively new DL frequent flyer, and I have yet to book an award flight and therefore realize the end benefit. This is not for lack of trying. Everytime, I have checked a particular award itinerary, the disparity of miles needed made me end up taking a different airline (I would convert my Amex MR points to CO...but now I see that is going away next fall). So, I guess, I will "appreciate" and remember to note the SkyMiles bonus when I actually realize the benefit :). Anyway, interesting how this is all goes back to the desire to reform the SkyMiles valuation in the marketplace.

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.