Understanding the tone of Delta forums...
 

I've been glad I switched from WN to DL (post RR2.0) but the switch in forums has (frankly) been more difficult.

Frankly I find the general attitude of the Delta forums difficult to understand. There seems to be an underlying feeling that posters should conform to certain "standards" (I'm not talking forum rules, I'm talking perspectives). The level of entitlement and arrogance in this forum is, well... discouraging. I continue to have trouble understanding the moderation style.

It's odd that the WN forums didn't seem to have as much "insert feeling here". I'm certainly not implying they were a "luv-fest" but at least when someone posted a question or comment, the answers were generally based on the answer...

Am I just missing the tone? Heck, I moderated forums for a long time (not on FT) and think I have a good understanding of being objective... I still can't help but think I'm missing something...

Are you saying the posts are more emotional here than at the WN forum?

Yeah, that's the thing... I wouldn't characterize it that way... Not emotional... more like... hmmm... I guess this is an example of me not being able to accurately describe it... (another reason why I think I'm missing something...)

I'm certainly not feeling like the forums should be "my" or "any certain" way... just trying to understand why the tone seems so much different than "over there" ;)

Haven't been to the WN forum but at times have participated at the UA/CO forum. I think overall more than likely similar attitudes, most people are helpful. I haven't flown WN in ages, others on DL have. Maybe it's because the DL program has more perks. In other words more to lose, it's a bigger airline/ alliance, sometimes complicated policies, more to know, always more to learn. Personally, I enjoy flying Delta, I travel 95% internationally so my perspective is slanted in that direction, I'm always treated well as are most people. I/we like it when things go well and disappointed when the service isn't as good as it should be. Anyway, welcome to the DL forum.

I agree with the OP.

I switched my flying from CO to DL a few months ago. I've enjoyed flying DL so far. But I too, felt a bit of a "culture shock," to say the least, when reading the Delta forums. It's def deterred me from participating in any discussions on here. I still manage to read Delta forum though, mostly as a need. I guess I've been desensitized. Now I just skip over the unhelpful, attitude-filled comments. :p

Maybe we need to sneak in some happy pills in the Delta snack basket... :)

I fly DL a lot, but on short trips to CA I fly WN, so I frequent both forums. Personally I agree with your assessment.

OP, if you can't describe the tone of the forum, could you give some examples?

No, I don't think you missed a thing, if anything, you provided a great outside perspective of the DL forum. I am a long time delta forum loyalist, but am often loath to post due to the level of angst often accompanying a new post.

I get a lot of great information from the forum but it is at a cost of flame wars, hundreds of "I agree", personal attacks and wars, and the combination of NW and DL loyalists each with their own "unique" perspective.

Still a great forum, but one that needs a lot of filtering....

You really have to take the DL forum with a grain of salt....

You have a few camps:

PMDL: Delta flyers from before the merger, tend to support Delta, think nothing is bad.

PMNW: Northwest flyers from before the merger, tend to think Delta destroyed Northwest, and continues to...

Delta Apologists: Delta CANNOT, and WILL NOT, and NEVER HAS done anything wrong.

Delta Haters: Everything that Delta does is evil.

The rest: it is what it is. We deal with it, good or bad.

+1--many people are happy with DL and try to help others. But, there are the "haters" who for some reason have such an intense hatred of an airline that they see the need to include in (almost) every post that "DL Sucks", or "Just typical Dulltah", or (my favorite) "Once again, DL is FLEECING you all!". I'm a "semi-apologist"-I'll really like DL and have been very happy with them for many years. However, I'll bash them where it's due. I've found that DL does things in the air and on the ground pretty well, but their website and loyalty program are lacking. However, I don't include in every one of my posts (and in my signature) how "Delta is fleecing you all!" or how "everyone who flies this miserable excuse for an airline is a moron".

This is one of my biggest pet peeves on the DL board--people post a question and some members just flame away. The same holds true when someone posts a positive experience (yes, they do exist!)--whether it's redeeming a great award or good customer service.

End of rant. Like I said, this is one of my biggest pet peeves with this forum.

Cheers! And as always, YMMV.
DL757ATL

I find all of FT very helpful, including this Delta board.

There is positive and negative sounding stuff here, but all that matters is whether any post is factual, thus helping members and visitors to continually assess whether Delta is getting better, staying the same, or getting worse.

Where things go sideways here is when opinions are share that are facially inaccurate or intended to mislead.

The best thing to do is to use the "ignore" feature so that you never see the pointless drivel...whether for or against Delta. This is who is on my ignore list:

1.) Those who have never posted on any other FT board, if they have more than 10 posts in their history.
2.) Those who have never posted anything useful to readers, instead only arguing or belittling factual posts. Or even more demeaning to themselves, just trying to start baseless arguments.
4.) Those who live in an echo chamber by never posting something that is the opposite of their usual positive or negative view.
5.) Those who by their posting history indicate that they have not flown heavily on at least 20 domestic and foreign carriers in all classes of service.
6.) Those who are inarghuably currently employed by Delta based upon having access to passenger manifests, who was given what seat, etc.

Using the "ignore" function actually contributes greatly to creating useful and civil discussion here.

Wow, I guess since I won't qualify Buccaneera won't see this, but this is absurd.

I would think number 5 would "killfile" about 90% of the people on here, including me.

It used to be better. Once the merger was announced it was quickly understood that PMNW frequent flyers were just like PMNW FA's. Surly and arrogant.

I think that WN has a smaller and more homogeneous customer base, customers who have chosen to fly WN, and customers with lower expectations.

DL has about twice as many customers, and a wider variety including a large number who pay more to fly DL and thus have higher expectations. Also, close to half of DL's customers didn't choose to fly DL, but were acquired, mostly from NWA, and many of these PMNW folk, myself included, aren't happy with the major downgrades in website and general computer capabilities, customer service, and FF program (though I for one do like Biscoffs).