Adding that it also affects domestic routes.

An AS flight (booking into W class, economy saver) used to be 12,500 miles yesterday (I booked yesterday). Now it's 15,000 miles.

AS and DL will sever ties soon here... So not that it really matters, but still. Pretty soon your options to fly domestically will only be on Delta if redeeming Skymiles.

. What "requirement". Just because this was how awards traditionally priced out does not mean it was a requirement for Skymiles membership.

. Also, what is "low"? For example, DL has a bunch of levels below 12.5K one way domestically these days.

Saw a quote that some DL executive doesn't want miles used for award tickets, just things like drinks at their lounges.

I live in ATL - what do you suggest?

On what airport pairs did you find that 15K award? I found some AS USA-Canada routes with American miles that are also pricing at 15K in coach each way today.

SEA-MSP. Delta-ticketed (Skymiles award) on Alaska metal was 12,500 miles one way.

I've been eyeing SEA-MSP for a while now. Delta operates many flights SEA-MSP but funny thing is none of them fit my schedule.

Now, every Alaska award in W class (coach award) is pricing at 15,000 miles.

American-ticketed, Alaska-operated award tickets are still 12,500 miles, but US<->Canada is 15,000 miles so 15k is correct (not an increase).

https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...ward-chart.jsp

Which airline doesn't fly into ATL.....???

This argument is rarely valid.

The only reason I have the AMEX is to get $25k in spend to get the MQD waiver. Once I hit that, I'll use another card for everything other than DL tickets.

ruckzac, you do know that really not that long ago, the standard cost for these was 80,000 then 90,000 ROUND TRIP, right? One can play all sorts of games trying to rationalize "cost" as you are, "Well gee, there's a Full Whack JJJXXJJJ fare that costs $22,999 RT, so in that case its only .008 per mile!" or whatever......

What I find amazing is that from what I know, their load factors across the pnd have been relatively poor in front AND in back the last year or so....so a really bad time to pull this garbage....again.

wow this is terrible news. I am glad I burned my last 30k miles last year. Good riddance to you, SkyPeso! :)

My Delta flights have been a lot less packed lately. Maybe there is something to this.

Its customers are not all as stupid as Dullta management thinks. The continued devaluation and the total and complete lack of trust and respect that customers have for DL will catch up with it. Not immediately, but over time. This may be just the beginning of that... of course, by then the management "geniuses" responsible for this will have collected their bonuses and will be out of the door already likely. For DL management it's a short term play (reduce SlyMiles liabilities off the books by devaluing yet again = collect a fat bonus check the next quarter). But the full impact of this is only seen in the longer term. And once trust is lost, it is a lot harder to regain it.

I mean, look at the reissue by date. April 16th. It's almost like DL has given up on this one. https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...-platinum.html

The string of recent meltdowns aren't helping either. DL's big selling point (reliability and OTP) has lost a lot of credibility. TBH I'm beginning to wonder why I'm trying to get status again next year. I might as well finish the MQD waiver spending at this point, but I'm not going out of my way anymore.

DL is getting consistently more expensive than the competition, and United gets less terrible every day. If DL isn't going to be consistently better anymore, then I'm switching to the option with the most nonstops ex-DC.

Add all of this to yet another SM devaluation...

(bolding mine)

+1 on that

UA has continued to impress me (positively) time and time again over the last 1.5 years that I've been flying more on UA. UA agents, be it in India call center or US, really actually care about the customers and will do whatever it takes to make the customer happy. Without asking, I've had four award change fees waived (though I changed routing and dates), when reservations can't fix a problem, management will step in and get it taken care of, and in irrops UA also will do all it can to get you to your destination ASAP, no matter the cost to them (unlike penny-pinching Dullta). It's not perfect. The United Clubs are dreary, and even the Polaris Lounge at ORD is disappointing (poorly designed, no usable workspace at all) and super crowded at peak times. The 2-4-2 J seating is well below par. But, all that is secondary. What makes UA "less terrible" is that UA is clearly out to impress each and every customer and will do whatever it takes for their customers, regardless of status and ticket type (award or revenue). So, while the product (both lounges and in flight) may be far from the best, at UA I feel much more valued as a customer as a nobody (no status), than I do as a DM at DL overall (where things can go either very well or outright horrible, and you never know which way it's going to be). And it's human nature to do business with a company where you feel valued as a customer - so UA really has got that right (seems to have copied what NW did, but that DL and its deeply ingrained anti-customer and massive self ego attitude totally ruined).

It's particularly outrageous that employees were pushing this change through when DL could have had them on phones helping people during this meltdown.