It's absolutely NOT an exception, DL doesn't supply 3rd party lounge access for elites ANYWHERE.

Is there program materailly different than any other major FF program?
Seems they are all equally meh at this time.

It's an exception because it's one of if not the only airport with substantial DL ops (we could argue about what that term means) that doesn't have either a SC or a ST lounge. Fortunately, it's a temporary issue because DL is moving their TYO ops from NRT to HND and will be opening a SkyClub soon.

Yes they did and I got 1, 1 time. I was much appreciated.

And Northwest doesn't exist anymore. Maybe if they hadn't, they would have been the buyer rather than the seller on the transaction :D

Very unlikely. You got the upgrade a boarding time. Not likely that they were going to sell it.

The reality in 2019 is that airlines, DL included, are making a lot of money. The industry is experiencing some of the best financial results in history.
When this happens, loyalty and rewards begin to get diluted. Even domestic upgrades are way down because DL found out how to sell those seats.

DL revenue management team knows how to value loyalty in their overall business plan. If they were hurting for customers things would be different.

I couldn't agree more. I was a non-status on Alaska Airlines for a number of years. A few bad experiences with them, and I made the switch to DL. At the same time, I switched to the platinum DL AMEX card (since upgraded to Reserve) and also got TSA Pre-check. Later that year, I made Silver Medallion, and last month, made Gold, and am now within striking distance of making Platinum. I just love that the reservations line has maybe a 5-minute wait, I was able to change a flight same day for no extra cost, and that I can walk into the lounge if I'm delayed for any reason.

Two weeks ago, I was flying PSC-SEA-KOA. Due to fog here in PSC, my flight over to SEA was delayed two hours, meaning I wouldn't make the connecting flight to KOA. The app and website were a mess, and so I called the GM reservations line. Within maybe 10 minutes, I was rerouted on the later Alaska flight the same day to KOA, and arrived only 2 hours later than my originally scheduled time. Had I been a no-name, no status flyer, I would have been out of luck, and probably wouldn't have made it on a flight for several more days.

DL does a great job...not perfect, but I continue to be very satisfied with the level of service they provide me. I'll never go back...I'll always maintain at least Silver Medallion with Delta.

Wholeheartedly agree as well. If loyalty programs aren't as good, do people not realize the no status "perks" have been degraded at the same time?

I get it, some of the 30 year loyalty flyers are more bent out of shape, because back in the good ol' days everything was better. But the price of flying has come down to make it affordable for more people (non business travelers) too, no complaints about that? Gone are the days of half full 747's crossing the country with free everything. But I guess all things considered I can get across the country on vacation for a few hundred bucks, especially if I am paying, add a few pleasing loyalty perks and I am good.

I for one hope more people drop loyalty.

It was a merger, they were both bankrupt, which name survived wasn't indicative of much.

incentives drive behavior, though

I thought technically speaking Delta owned Northwest?

Neither was really big enough to "acquire" the other. It was a mutually agreed upon merger with DL being the successor in interest and consisted of a cashless, all-stock transaction. NW execs played a significant role in the merger and a number continued on in the company (with Richard Anderson, the former NW CEO, heading the new DL). Examples of true buy-out's include the WN/Airtran and AS/Virgin America where the acquired airline had no real role or say.

The new United ff program tells you all you need to know. Airlines don t much care how often you fly they are all about how much you spend. If all you care about is the rewards program I would fly american. If you actually need customer service and you need to get places I would stick with Delta. But with airline consolidation the airlines don’t need loyalty from any but the highest revenue flyers.

I personally have had had better luck using my GUC than my AA SWU United I get the upgrade but when the flight doesn’t go the upgrade isn’t that valuable

I spent a couple years freelancing among the Big Four as a no status economy traveler before throwing almost all my flying to Delta and partners because they were nice to me far more often than not even if I was indeed no status and flying on a V fare. And yeah, more reliable operations, the odd ATL thunderstorm meltdown notwithstanding.

So relatively decent treatment as a nobody let me to spending more on flights with Delta, getting the credit card, and finally making Sliver for the first time this year while booking mostly V or V-adjacent fares.