steveholt

It seems to touch of "Delta isn't going to read this, but I want someone to read what I wrote, so here!"

The point the poster was making was pretty clearly speaking truth to power as opposed to saying they were comparable. Delta's made bigger mistakes that don't come close to AIG writing credit-default swaps and still qualify comfortably as mistakes; you might also argue that the bulk of their profitability comes from a decrease in oil prices which they have very little control over (refinery aside).

Not suggesting that you should have thrown a hissy fit and posted on FT, but Delta wrote off 1.1 million miles you'd flown and you didn't even try to contact them once?

bitterproffit

I think it is important to let corporations know that their decisions have a negative affect on your loyalty. And as someone who was loyal to DL for as long as you were, it is important that they get this feedback. It will probably not change the decision, but no successful company is going to be happy with losing loyal customers. If they don't get feedback, then how will they know the extent of the cost of the decision?

It might not matter, but it is important to let corporations know how their decisions impact your loyalty.

steveholt

Also: which airline isn't run by MBA types?

FlyingBeanCounter

I think Delta misses the point.

Loyalty programs are there to inspire loyalty. If this benefited me greatly I would of course by excited to see my upgrade changes go up and the ranks of similar situated flies thinned. I might even go as far as to say that there is really a counter intuitive brilliance to deltas move as super elite fliers will now feel more special. More over, I admit I like the perks of flying as a diamond and I will pay for them. Not to the extent that delta thinks though.

The idea that this wont hurt delta is nonsense. The idea that delta has smart people running it and wont make a mistake is even more BS than I can think of. Netflix had a lot of smart people too - how did that work out for them? Just because I went to an ivy league school doesn't mean I am not capable of being stupid.


Now, here is how it hurts:

Delta doesn't have to worry about me jumping ship, I will still fly them. I just wont fly exclusively. I will now be WFBF. I won't have status on any airline. I will selectively poach your diamond first class seat. You won't notice at first, but as more and more people like me start buying the op up or out right fare you will see your upgrades dwindle.

While this sounds good for delta due to increased revenue, the problem is I am no longer married to delta. AA and UA will see business too. I have flown them, and they are fine airlines with a better schedule sometimes. I will just fly them more. As Delta makes us less and less appreciated we in turn will care less and less to fly them. It really is a vicious circle. When they devalue FF or Medallion programs to the point they no longer have value to us as consumers then they put themselves into the unenviable position to have to compete on price.

On that note, I have been divorcing myself from Delta for this year. I normally spend about 20k traveling out of my own pocket. I did some checking, and by cutting delta out about half the time my airfare spend fell to 10k. That means I was paying a 10k premium for Diamond. Now some who spend OPM may see no big deal, but I have to say the sky club and the occasional upgrade are not worth 10k. Not even close. And since I get almost no miles relative to that now the free trips do not even make up for it.

This hurts delta, and it does not help existing diamonds. I don't think this will float to the level of stupid netflix had but it is certainly a stupid way to proceed. Why didn't delta just create a "super diamond" and make a fifth tier like 360? I guess we will never know.

mdaecher

and when you experience the awesome product that is United, you'll be even happier.

Trust me, That grass is not greener

sydneyracquelle

Why not simply open a bank account in Canada, Mexico or a Caribbean island? No more MQD requirement. Problem solved.

fliesdelta

Sure, but my point is that while the loyalty program might generate some loyalty, a good product works even better for that.

What keeps me flying Delta isn't the Skymiles program, but how I've been treated as a customer: the upgrades and perks are appreciated, but I value getting to my destination as planned even more. So far, Delta seems to be doing a better job at that than some of its competitors. In a few cases when their flights weren't going to work as planned, they put me on AA (when they still could) and UA, even. I suppose being a PM might have had some bearing on that, but I don't know for sure.

I was an AA flier for a good long while, and some years back I started to notice that the value was decaying. I flew a few segments on DL and UA, and preferred DL so I switched my business to them. The Skymiles program as it was then didn't really have an effect on my decision.

CJKatl

No, this is a marketing program. They don't care about our loyalty, only what we are going to spend with DL in the future. It's a modern S&H Green Stamps without the books and actual bad taste in your mouth.

Leo and friends made some similar types of decisions years ago that drove the airline into bankruptcy.

Orange County Commuter

I realize that it's good for our egos to think it was the frequent flyers that drove the airline to bankruptcy, but I am not sure the facts support that model LOL!

Frogbone

Isn't that what the Internet and forums like this is for? What's the point of having Flyertalk when you can't state an opinion, agree or disagree ?

pvn

Sure, opinions are great, but the "delta miscalculated, didn't consider that I would be mad about this and leave, thus dooming the company" takes are pretty tiresome.

davetravels

You're WRONG!!!

FlyingBeanCounter

Funny, I noticed DL decaying at the same rate. I suppose it is the old familiarity issue. The more familiar one is with something the more likely one is to find fault.

Different strokes I guess. I don't see a commodity as being worth anything more than market price. You do. Delta is lucky people like you are in the world.


If Sky miles is a marketing program, why does it reward spending behavior as if it is a loyalty program? I guess you would have to explain to me the difference - they look like one and the same.

Also, if Delta doesn't care about our loyalty then why have a program at all? there are plenty of airlines that compete on cost alone where there is no program (Indigo in india for instance). It seems an unecessary expense if delta doesn't care about loyalty.

And if delta doesn't care if I am loyal, then why should I care if i fly them?

ScroogeMcFlyer

Dear OP:

Every change any airline makes, or doesn't make, someone doesn't like it.

I'm not Diamond, but if I was, I'd probably want fewer people in the tier. United was smart to not have a waiver and so was AA. DL ultimately decided to continue the credit card waiver but at a very high threshold.

If you are a DM and only spending $12K, you aren't making the requirement. Everything who is always on the cusp of making a tier, always wants a waiver. Do you realize that the average DM isn't spending $15K, but probably significantly more. Maybe its $25K or $30K etc. Your $12K probably isn't close. You'll find the same situation at all the airlines. The minimum is there for a reason. The average is always much higher.

DL (and UA and AA) has to compete against Spirit, Frontier, Allegient, Sun Country, JetBlue, Southwest, Alaska etc. Let's take the first four. They generally offer a far inferior product. tiny legroom, crazy fees, carry on restrictions, no meaningful loyalty program, terrible operations, etc, but customers jump ship all the time to maybe save a buck or two.
Southwest, runs a good airline, but doesn't have upgrades, won't interline (bad during cancellations), and doesn't give as much compensation when things go wrong, doesn't get you overseas or to Hawaii or even an option for more legroom. And you'll likely have to pay for $30 for priority boarding to hope to get a good seat.

You say that United's Economy Plus is like Comfort but it's not quite as nice. There's no free drinks or snacks. If you really want the legroom, just spend the $20. If you are really spending $12K a year, just cough up $20. The airline didn't add legroom just to give it all away. Oh, and hope you enjoy paying for the United Club; and Clear and all the other perks DL offers.

Everyone wants something for free. I'm tired of reading everyone's first world problems.

Maybe you can write a letter to Delta (or United) and tell them how much you appreciate the help they are providing in Puerto Rico right now. #priorities

motytrah

You're where I went years ago. I can buy F/J from anyone and as soon as you start shopping around you realize there's a lot of times where someone else is cheaper/better. DL is a business. They don't actually care about your loyalty.

Extracting/maximizing benefits and complaining about first world problems is the whole point of this website.