dilbertsdaddy

Agree with everything you said, except I always thought the clubs in IAH were OK. Have not been in awhile because I traded in PM on DL and CO for DM on DL and kettle on UA....so no access any more. I only fly UA to CRP and MAF a couple times a year since DL does not fly to them.

Commuter terminal in IAH (B?) reminds me of third world.

Look on the bright side, you could be hub captive to US/AA....!

pbarnette

So you have redeemed something like 6 million miles this year. And you have made similar claims in the past. I'm not saying that I don't believe you, but at some point, well, it strains credibility.

austin_res

lol...great writeup. Reminds me of going to dinner at Whistler in a group of 10 people and a girl seated in the middle of the big round table got 6 people to get up when she desperately had to pee.

bajrbajr

The OP made reference to UA awards not having any better availability than they do at DL... that statement is hard to defend. DL's "saver" award availability is horrible. On UA.com I have little trouble finding availability I need... The connection might not be ideal, or the departure time might not be perfect, but I can get where I need to go when I need to go.

hyho61

Every one has a different story. My experience with DL has not been any better than UA. Award redemption and the choice of awards makes a big difference and in that aspect UA is far ahead. Upgrades are few in DL and UA. Yes agreed DL flights are on time, but UA has now padded the timings so most of the flights are reasonably on time.

lamont2718

I'm sorry but surely this must be a typo?

Mrtrash757

I disagree with the AA part, during the polar vortex, took them 6 hours but I got a flight 4 days out (I asked for this) and a bump to MCE. Not bad for the operationals night mare.

However, I still like DL's service and planes better.

greathustle

Nice post, OP. I made the move in the opposite order from a SFO based 1K just to DL PM. I had been a hub captive in SF, but when I moved to the LA area and found myself traveling quite a bit to Atlanta and SLC I was happy to switch to DL. I had status-matched them several years previously, so I had to claw my way to PM the normal way late last year. But I agree with a lot of what you said.
- The DL front line service is simply friendlier and more cheerful. Honestly, I can't say I was poorly treated as a polite 1K with low expectations, but I just enjoy speaking with DL employees more
- DL PM line fixes things for me about as quickly and competently as the UA 1K line did. I'm sure DMs do even better

The major reasons I was happy to switch:
- UA's poor operational performance. Things go wrong during travel and I always take it in stride, but after 3 straight weeks last year of not getting me home at all on a Thursday night, I decided I'd take a break from UA and make the move to DL. This wasn't just weather, but the all too common crew scheduling issues
- Lack of WiFi was a killer
- 1,000 to 1,400 mile flights on CR7s? With no front lav, wifi, IFE, or food? Gimme a break

For what it's worth I get about 85% upgrades on eligible flights as a PM out of LAX now, which is comparable to what I got at UA out of SFO. However, I WFBF on longer flights or difficult upgrade times on both airlines

NY-FLA

Main point as yet unmentioned; SDC/SDS on UA remains light years ahead of DL, and the mobile app checks this for you seamlessly. Upgrades from a standby on UA? No issue. IME, DL will absolutely refuse to upgrade a standby and instead place travelling employees in those seats first, before they clear a paying standby customer onto the flight. 24 hours ahead of flight departure time on UA, a SDC window opens, not to check and be told no, but a window that permits taking an earlier flight on the previous day at no add'l charge. This window remains effective for 24 hours after original flight time, into the day after the original day.
Friendlier service on DL? Sometimes true. Last DL flight, though, I presented a HOOU coupon and was asked if I had xerox'd it? And I really adored the DL GA when I tried to change routing because my original flight had just departed, who said she could, but my ticket had been re-issued, so she wouldn't. (The ticket had been re-issued by DL due to DL's schedule change on my original itinerary.) Fortunately, for me, when DL GA's and TA's get off the rails, competent supervision is usually close by and helpful.
Award booking? on UA; my desires are always available at low rates, one way bookings are available, and I can hold and canx without penalty. Not my DL experience.

UA flying this year? ~ 10:1 over DL vice the ~ 3:2 from the past few years. (Upcoming, I'll be forcing myself to book DL to maintain reluctant DL Gold for next year.)

5khours

No.

5khours

Somewhere between 4 and 5 I think, but keep in mind that some bookings involve multiple international segments and you also have to add in changes and cancellations.

pbarnette

Again, not saying I doubt you, but repeated claims of redeeming 4-5 million miles in a year strain credibility.

lamont2718

Now it makes sense. If we count segments and changes/cancellations, I might also have booked a hundred award flights this year. The last time I called to make a change, the DM agent even started muttering and being snide because she couldn't understand the ticket pricing anymore given how many times the routing had been changed.

Symmetre

Could not agree more with the OP's excellent post. I'm based in YYZ, so used to give all my business to Air Canada and by extension, United, without a second thought. No more. Wound up on a Delta flight a couple of years ago and haven't looked back.

Award availability with Skymiles doesn't seem to be any better than what I found for AC/UA - at least for the destinations that interest me. But I do appreciate the fairly regular upgrades, consistently clean aircraft, excellent on-time performance and consistently friendly and helpful agents and flight attendants I've come to enjoy with Delta. And the cookies. I have to admit, I've grown addicted to them.

number21

Are you travelling the majority of the year? BTW, if you are your my hero.