Delta not fullfilling Status Match Commitment

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Mar 17, 2015 | 6:05 pm

#16

MSPeconomist

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Sep 2009

Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM

Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM

Posts: 102,617

Did the OP request the status match/challenge from LH or was he/she approached by DL with the offer?

If this were part of some corporate travel contract, maybe the company has ended its preference for DL and hence the status was downgraded if it was conditional on the corporate contract and the OP's continued employment in a position requiring business travel. <I'm just trying to guess here.>

Mar 17, 2015 | 6:35 pm

#17

FF524

Join Date: Jan 2002

Location: USA

Posts: 222

Quote:

Originally Posted by WheelsFirst

Status matching is an interesting concept because it defeats the reward for loyalty, it basically says if you were loyal to one airline, our airline will give you the same benefits. However, it is an effective and necessary business practice as it reduces the lock one airline has on a traveler if they want to switch.

I can't imagine there's a big impact to locally earned elites. Either someone matches and doesn't re-qualify, thereby probably only taking a couple flights which doesn't disrupt much, or they qualify, which means they would have qualified a few months down the road.

I finally gave up on Delta a couple of weeks ago based on many factors that were important to me and part of my calculus. I took the AA status challenge for their platinum and will have it locked up in a couple of weeks. AA wins by offering a status challenge as they are able to lure me away from a competitor based on the fact that if I have an option to switch and a better potential exists to gain access to an enhanced experience by the nature of my AAdvantage level - with this in hand, I am likely to leave the comfort of my Delta DM space. Granted, DM was earning me row 39 on the aisle just about every flight, but there was a hesitation on my part to switch without a new prebaked program alternative.

Mar 17, 2015 | 7:29 pm

#18

webmarks

Join Date: Mar 2011

Location: CHS

Programs: UA GS, DL DM/2MM, MR TE/LP

Posts: 144

Quote:

Originally Posted by FF524

...I took the AA status challenge for their platinum and will have it locked up in a couple of weeks...

I thought AA had discontinued the challenges? When did you start?

Mar 17, 2015 | 8:15 pm

#19

orca15

Join Date: Sep 2012

Location: Williamsburg, VA

Programs: DL DM, Bonvoy LTT, HH Diam, UA Silver, USAF million miler ;)

Posts: 1,597

Quote:

Originally Posted by steex

I think it's because the programs are really misidentified as purely "rewarding loyalty" when it comes to elite status. The benefits are intended to incentivize future spending at least as much as they are designed to reward past loyalty.

There is no loyalty involved at all. The reward you get is the pay back for the promises they made to incentivize your future behavior some time ago.

If you work two weeks and your boss gives you a pay check (hoping it is big enough to get you to come back next week), is he rewarding your loyalty?

I'm sure there are many people here with status on two or more airlines. Are they getting rewarded for their loyalty? It would seem they have none.

Loyalty is a red herring in a company of this size. Your neighborhood butcher, maybe. Delta...they have no idea who you are.