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Being Delta’s Guest - SkyTeam Elite Experience

Being Delta’s Guest - SkyTeam Elite Experience

Old Feb 24, 2018, 2:59 pm
  #1  
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Being Delta’s Guest - SkyTeam Elite Experience



Greetings from DL1115,

That SkyTeam loyalty is unimportant is nothing new, but it seems to be getting worse. Much worse. Last year, there was a huge drop off in February. This year, not so much. Maybe more people got American Express cards or signed up for Travel+Leisure or whatever else Delta is doing to squeeze a nickel.

I should be grateful Delta allowed me the privilege of being their guest on 50+ flights last year. The attached photo is the “SkyPriority” line, and my current rank in the upgrade queue.

United, American, BA, Lufthansa, pretty much anyone that isn’t SkyTeam that wants to give me a status challenge, DM me for contact info as there is no benefit for me to continue this relationship. I actually inconvince myself with layovers to stay loyal to an airline cartel whose only benefit seems to be a free bag or two. For me, it’s worth $50 to not visit Atlanta once a week.

Last edited by dz28202; Feb 25, 2018 at 8:44 am
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 11:09 pm
  #2  
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Not sure what you are complaining about.

Last year I flew over 30 segments on Air France (both intra-schengen and Transatlantic) and I can't recall a time when there weren't at least 20 passengers in the SkyPriority line for intra-schengen flights and less than 50 on TATL flights.

I also have status with AA and can't recall an AA or BA flight where there were less than 20 passengers in the Priority boarding line.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 2:18 am
  #3  
 
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Originally Posted by SDQBound
I also have status with AA and can't recall an AA or BA flight where there were less than 20 passengers in the Priority boarding line.
And I have *G and have had double-take moments flying NH at HND where I wasn't sure if the priority boarding line was actually shorter than general boarding or not. This isn't unique to one airline or even one part of the world.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 5:15 am
  #4  
 
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If you live in CLT and fly Delta once a week then you were playing some kind of game crediting to Flying Blue and you are now reaping the results of you decision.

Enjoy your decision....you are the one who made it.

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Old Feb 25, 2018, 7:01 am
  #5  
 
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What’s your point? Do you think AF offers anything special to DL elites? I’ve routinely stood in lines that long or longer in CDG and AMS. And there is no such thing as an upgrade list at all - I think once I managed to get an exit-row when flying economy on AF as a DL Diamond.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 7:10 am
  #6  
 
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Originally Posted by dz28202
I should be grateful Delta allowed me the privilege of being their guest on 50+ flights last year.

Why in the world did you not credit all or some of these to a Sky Miles account so that you earn medallion status?

Sky Team elite (and elite+) benefits are primarily airport benefits (checked luggage, priority lines, lounges, etc). The onboard benefits are mostly about getting a decent seat in coach, not an upgrade except in rare circumstances. You can't expect to be high on an upgrade list when the company has it's own loyal customers that rightly take priority over you.

Also, it looks like you were in ATL, where Delta plats and diamonds regularly miss upgrades.

And also, what Sky Team benefits did you understand yourself to be entitled to that you did not receive?
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 7:13 am
  #7  
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Originally Posted by SDQBound
Not sure what you are complaining about.

Last year I flew over 30 segments on Air France (both intra-schengen and Transatlantic) and I can't recall a time when there weren't at least 20 passengers in the SkyPriority line for intra-schengen flights and less than 50 on TATL flights.

I also have status with AA and can't recall an AA or BA flight where there were less than 20 passengers in the Priority boarding line.
I've only been on City Hopper a couple of times, but I never recall seeing the line look this insanity. "Zone Sky" was easily the largest group, probably about 30% of the pax on the flight.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 7:16 am
  #8  
 
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Originally Posted by dz28202
I've only been on City Hopper a couple of times, but I never recall seeing the line look this insanity. "Zone Sky" was easily the largest group, probably about 30% of the pax on the flight.

Yes, you were in Atlanta.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 7:37 am
  #9  
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Originally Posted by jdrtravel
Why in the world did you not credit all or some of these to a Sky Miles account so that you earn medallion status?

Sky Team elite (and elite+) benefits are primarily airport benefits (checked luggage, priority lines, lounges, etc). The onboard benefits are mostly about getting a decent seat in coach, not an upgrade except in rare circumstances. You can't expect to be high on an upgrade list when the company has it's own loyal customers that rightly take priority over you.

Also, it looks like you were in ATL, where Delta plats and diamonds regularly miss upgrades.

And also, what Sky Team benefits did you understand yourself to be entitled to that you did not receive?

Spot on, it was Terminal A in ATL. I agree that plenty of people were probably entitled to the upgrade ahead of me. Here's what's not making a lot of sense: The plane seats 160 people. Elite+ is effectively 46 (39 & 7) on the priority list, not including the upgrades that have already cleared. I certainly don't get Delta lounge access on Domestic flights. I ended up buying the pass and if I recall, I did not get an Elite discount.

Here's my point: rewarding loyalty is about generating future revenue. If Delta isn't showing loyalty to their partner airlines, there is very little benefit for people like me to fly to fly them domestic. In fact, it is rather inconvenient if I'm at home as longing4piedmont rightfully pointed out.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 7:43 am
  #10  
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Originally Posted by longing4piedmont
If you live in CLT and fly Delta once a week then you were playing some kind of game crediting to Flying Blue and you are now reaping the results of you decision.

Enjoy your decision....you are the one who made it.

I'll buy you a 12-pack of OMB if you can convince Lufthansa to do a CLT to CDG route.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 8:01 am
  #11  
 
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Originally Posted by dz28202
there is very little benefit for people like me to fly to fly them domestic.
Right. This is really by design. The program is intended to provide you with benefits especially while traveling internationally and unable to use your home airline. It is not intended to encourage you to be loyal to another airline. If you are flying 50 flights per year in the US, you would be far better off crediting those to a SM account and likely earning gold or plat status on DL.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 8:58 am
  #12  
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Originally Posted by jdrtravel
Right. This is really by design. The program is intended to provide you with benefits especially while traveling internationally and unable to use your home airline. It is not intended to encourage you to be loyal to another airline. If you are flying 50 flights per year in the US, you would be far better off crediting those to a SM account and likely earning gold or plat status on DL.
I probably hit the threashold to qualify for both SM Silver and FB Gold if not Plat. Here's the million dollar question: can I change a FF number on a single segment before the trip? I know it can be credited after, but can you change it before departure? For instance, if I have a trip from CLT-ATL-CDG, can I still book it through AF and change the domestic leg to SM?

Even better, is there benefit to using a SM number on AF flights "operated by Delta" over my FB?
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 1:01 pm
  #13  
 
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Originally Posted by dz28202
I probably hit the threashold to qualify for both SM Silver and FB Gold if not Plat. Here's the million dollar question: can I change a FF number on a single segment before the trip? I know it can be credited after, but can you change it before departure? For instance, if I have a trip from CLT-ATL-CDG, can I still book it through AF and change the domestic leg to SM?

Even better, is there benefit to using a SM number on AF flights "operated by Delta" over my FB?
I don't think you can credit segments separately if they are on the same PNR. The benefit to using a SM number would only be meaningful if you also had medallion status. If you did not have medallion status then I believe you would also be giving up your ST elite status which is only associated with your FB account, not your SM account.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 2:03 pm
  #14  
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Originally Posted by dz28202
Spot on, it was Terminal A in ATL. I agree that plenty of people were probably entitled to the upgrade ahead of me. Here's what's not making a lot of sense: The plane seats 160 people. Elite+ is effectively 46 (39 & 7) on the priority list, not including the upgrades that have already cleared.
Chances are anybody on the C+ upgrade list is also on the F upgrade list.
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Old Feb 25, 2018, 2:38 pm
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by dz28202
Spot on, it was Terminal A in ATL. I agree that plenty of people were probably entitled to the upgrade ahead of me. Here's what's not making a lot of sense: The plane seats 160 people. Elite+ is effectively 46 (39 & 7) on the priority list, not including the upgrades that have already cleared. I certainly don't get Delta lounge access on Domestic flights. I ended up buying the pass and if I recall, I did not get an Elite discount.

Here's my point: rewarding loyalty is about generating future revenue. If Delta isn't showing loyalty to their partner airlines, there is very little benefit for people like me to fly to fly them domestic. In fact, it is rather inconvenient if I'm at home as longing4piedmont rightfully pointed out.
There are many ATL to hub or business destination flights where the Premium and SKY boarding is more than half the # of seats on the plane.

A Thursday ATL-LAX saw 85 people in the PREMIUM line. This is just First Class (40 seats) and Diamond Medallions. The plane only had 220 seats and a third were in the highest priority zone! No big deal.

AirFrance agents are super rude and don't even give you the time of day when you buy lounge access. There is certainly no elite discount. Delta's agents when you enter an ATL lounge are 10x nicer than their French partner's counterparts.

Delta is showing you tons of loyalty - on the UG list, SkyPriority, free bags, standby. Have you tried using the Elite+ standby benefit on AF and KL? It is nonexistent. DL actually does it!

I think this thread is whiny and unnecessary and just shows that the OP lacks the perspective of a GLOBAL frequent flyer.
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