My "Dear John" letter to Delta
 

Sent this to Customer Care after receiving a canned reply justifying their new policy by explaining how much this improves the situation for the remaining Diamonds. Know this doesn't change anything out there, but it felt/feels therapeutic 😄 To all the remaining Diamonds out there, enjoy my share of upgrades after January 2018 and my GUC share after January 2019 ❤️

Hello,

Thanks for the reply, but are you seriously suggesting that I should just be happy to be a Delta Platinum when (at my current spend and miles) I would qualify in the top tier for either United or AA??

Delta has had a higher bar than other airlines for quite some time, but this was mitigated/justified with the roll-over program for miles and the Amex waiver for MQD. With the waiver (for all intents and purposes) gone, any current Diamond with a spend between $12,000 and $14,999 is better off elsewhere....

For me, it's all about the GUCs (which are not available to Platinums). Imagine my surprise and delight to discover that on United, I will get 6 of them!! Also, they have a lounge at SNA, my preferred airport!! And, they didn't just move into a DUMP of a terminal at LAX!! And, my whole family can sit with me in their equivalent of Comfort + !! And they have much better options to New Zealand, South America and Asia!! Polaris looks at least equivalent to Delta One (and actually, the suites to Asia look incredibly claustrophobic!), so no problem there...

Honestly, I never looked at any other airline and I suppose I should thank you for opening my eyes. I had blind loyalty to Delta since I started flying almost weekly 8 years ago and I was (and still am) very happy with the service I received...but now I know that there are other options and I intend to status match into the United program the beginning (rather than the end) of 2018.

^

Catharsis can be therapeutic.

But prepare yourself for the onslaught of "Don't let the door hit you on the way out" and "Better for me when you're gone" snark that you are about to receive.

:D

The hard truth is that, although many Delta employees make you feel welcome and important and that you are part of the "Delta family," this is a corporation run by MBA types who get large bonuses based on profits. The local gate agent may know you by name, but the decision-makers in Atlanta do not know and do not care who you are. They have developed an algorithm that they believe will maximize profits. They are also aware that the other major airlines are following suit. So, the lesson here is to stop thinking that this is a two-way street and that loyalty begets loyalty. You should look at every decision from the perspective of what is best for you - under the rules in place today. Do not assume that any loyalty will be returned. AA and UA will be no different overall - but if there is a specific policy that helps you on one airlines more than on another do what is best for you. This is like a referee's instruction in boxing - protect yourself at all times.

Does anybody think that DL hasn't done the market research here and figured some number will jump ship?

If DL turns out to be wrong, it will have to somehow back down. But, if it isn't, AA & UA will follow suit in their own way soon enough.

I get why people are upset that something has been taken away, and completely agree that if another airline (or hotel, or car rental company, or coffee chain, whatever) serves their needs better, they should absolutely switch.

What I don't understand is the need to pen an opus announcing that decision, and justifying it to the world.

Maybe it's just me.

Once we all drop the Delta AmEx card em mase, then the MBA’s miscalculated.

How many cards do you think will be dropped, that Delta and Amex will notice and realize they made a mistake?

I don't think Delta is full of dumb people, or they wouldn't be running a successful airline. Plus every time a devaluation comes up, a bunch of posters are all up in arms and announce how they're all going Over There.

And yet, here we are.

Maybe I'm being so blasé because I'm a lowly PM, but if a similar change happened next year (say, PM MQD waiver goes to $100K spend on the DL AX cards), I'll probably continue to fly Delta, since I choose it now due to overall performance.

I don't get all the hubalub about the AMEX cards. I don't have one and will make DM in about a month, already at 18000 for MQD.

Meh...I think Delta is playing the long game.
If Delta/AmEx were a married couple, Delta would be the spouse gently sabotaging the marriage while being relentlessly faithful, waiting for the kids to graduate high school before dropping the hammer. All the while hoping the other spouse will get fed up and call it quits, have an affair, and ruin their chance of equal footing in divorce court.
Delta got what it wanted from AmEx, has no lifelong needs for AmEx, and sees no profit in fidelity to AmEx.
AmEx was Delta’s “starter spouse”.
There will be a 2nd, 3rd and 4th.....

I will not be surprised when my business with Delta is viewed in the same manner.
Nor will I be surprised when circumstances change and, like almost any ex, I get drunk dialed by Delta asking for a second chance.

Hi -

I love the "drunk dialed" reference. Most of us have been there on way or another.

I am not holding my breath though - I was a 2.0MM guy from NWA that somehow got changed to 930K back in the day. Never heard word one, even though I was exactly the customer they would want -- 6x a year in Biz to Asia.

No opus, just left, burned my Skymiles before they took everything away, and went to other carriers.

Please don't think that profits only come from smart people. B Schools mint MBAs en masse and many are as average as the next cubicle. Big companies miscalculate all the time and as many say in the forum, it's up to the consumer to point it out with their wallet.

You are only successful until you aren't:

"I don't think Wells Fargo/Equifax/AIG are full of dumb people, or they wouldn't be running a successful Bank/Credit Bureau/Insurance company."

You want to compare Delta's raising the MQD waiver to $250k with AIG's writing half a trillion $ in credit default swaps?

Isn't that how the world works these days? Everyone knows their opinion is the right one, everyone who disagrees is completely wrong, and everyone needs to tell everyone else exactly why. :rolleyes:

And the churn goes on. OP storms off to airline X! Someone on airline X storms off to Delta. Overall impact on Delta = 0