Advice on Leaving Skymiles
Dec 30, 2023, 6:00 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 2
Advice on Leaving Skymiles
Looking for ideas on transitioning from Delta to American. My home airport is portland, me. I think I am going to move to american. My story I have been Diamond since 2001 and am a million miler. I booked an unaccompanied minor trip for my 10 year old daughter to visit her friends in atlanta. Booked it non stop departure was flawless but they would not let her check in at the airport because the flight arrived to late. I called and they said they could not override the airport and all they could do was book her on a flight the following day that connected through LGA. The point was to have her on a non stop. I understand that there are rules but I booked the flight with no issue and they wont let her check in on the return flight home^ Given this expereience and the other skymiles changes I it is time for me to go. I also heavily use a delta reserve amex. Any thoughts on the best programs and cards to switch to would be appreciated and if other airlines will acknowledge your previous loyalty and value you as a customer at sign on.
Dec 30, 2023, 6:23 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: AMS
Programs: Delta Skymiles - Platinum; Hertz - President's Circle; Expedia - Gold
Posts: 473
Emotional change of loyalty program is a bad business decision.
Any big company doesn’t care about emotional actions of an individual, unless it becomes a pattern for many.
And any other big company on average makes the same amount of mistakes in individual customer cases.
Only if the value of staying in the Skymiles is low for your personal case it makes sense to switch.
Any big company doesn’t care about emotional actions of an individual, unless it becomes a pattern for many.
And any other big company on average makes the same amount of mistakes in individual customer cases.
Only if the value of staying in the Skymiles is low for your personal case it makes sense to switch.
Dec 30, 2023, 6:27 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: DL, UA, AA
Posts: 1,996
Emotional change of loyalty program is a bad business decision.
Any big company doesn’t care about emotional actions of an individual, unless it becomes a pattern for many.
And any other big company on average makes the same amount of mistakes in individual customer cases.
Only if the value of staying in the Skymiles is low for your personal case it makes sense to switch.
Any big company doesn’t care about emotional actions of an individual, unless it becomes a pattern for many.
And any other big company on average makes the same amount of mistakes in individual customer cases.
Only if the value of staying in the Skymiles is low for your personal case it makes sense to switch.
Dec 30, 2023, 9:18 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL Plat, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 7,491
I’m not really understanding the circumstances here, though. What does, they wouldn’t let her check in for her return flight because the “flight arrived too late” mean?
Dec 30, 2023, 11:17 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, MM, NR; HH Diamond, Bonvoy LT Gold, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Diamond, others
Posts: 12,159
For that matter, 125K miles/year since 2001 would have you well over 2MM.
Dec 31, 2023, 6:31 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 1,082
We’ll need to wait for the OP to come back and explain. Given the option provided for having to come back the following day, my interpretation is that “they arrived too late at the airport and thus missed the flight.” It could have been too late to meet the check-in window timing requirements or totally missing the flight.
Dec 31, 2023, 6:57 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: NYC/DC
Programs: AA,SPG, Delta, Amtrak, JB
Posts: 894
. Very well said
Dec 31, 2023, 12:32 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2008
Programs: DL Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 325
Given the recent lawsuit over American's handling of two unaccompanied minors, one might want to be cautious in jumping to AA because of the experience cited by the OP:
American Airlines Sued For 'Losing' Two Children
American Airlines Sued For 'Losing' Two Children
Dec 31, 2023, 2:50 pm
#9
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: OZ Diamond *A Gold / Delta Gold
Posts: 776
We’ll need to wait for the OP to come back and explain. Given the option provided for having to come back the following day, my interpretation is that “they arrived too late at the airport and thus missed the flight.” It could have been too late to meet the check-in window timing requirements or totally missing the flight.
Dec 31, 2023, 3:14 pm
#10
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 2,236
Delta's Unaccompanied minor program is pretty well documented. There is a lot of responsibility and liability for accepting an Unaccompanied minor.
https://www.delta.com/us/en/children...-minor-program
https://www.delta.com/us/en/children...-minor-program
Dec 31, 2023, 4:19 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Hotlanta.
Programs: I've gone underground!
Posts: 4,612
Theres a rule saying unaccompanied minors (in the program) can’t fly on flights after 9p. IDK if that’s the situation here since OP hasn’t come back after his rant.
Dec 31, 2023, 4:24 pm
#12
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: MCO
Programs: AA,DL,F9,UA,WN
Posts: 582
AA just changed a future flight of mine from the 9:00am departure I purchased to a new 6:58am departure.
That's a huge change in my eyes but the only options they offered were to move to the new flight or a later flight.
I wanted either a full refund on my non-refundable ticket or to give me a Travel/Trip credit.
No, they said. Flight changes require a difference of 4 hours to get such an option.
On Delta it's only 2 hours.
Point is, any airline you choose is going to have plusses and minuses.
That's a huge change in my eyes but the only options they offered were to move to the new flight or a later flight.
I wanted either a full refund on my non-refundable ticket or to give me a Travel/Trip credit.
No, they said. Flight changes require a difference of 4 hours to get such an option.
On Delta it's only 2 hours.
Point is, any airline you choose is going to have plusses and minuses.
Last edited by SUPERTRAVEL; Jan 1, 2024 at 8:56 pm
Dec 31, 2023, 4:26 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 5,202
AA just changed a future flight of mine from the 9:00am departure I purchased to a new 6:58m departure.
That's a huge change in my eyes but the only options they offered were to move to the new flight or a later flight.
I wanted either a full refund on my non-refundable ticket or to give me a Travel/Trip credit.
No, they said. Flight changes require a difference of 4 hours to get such an option.
On Delta it's only 2 hours.
Point is, any airline you choose is going to have plusses and minuses.
That's a huge change in my eyes but the only options they offered were to move to the new flight or a later flight.
I wanted either a full refund on my non-refundable ticket or to give me a Travel/Trip credit.
No, they said. Flight changes require a difference of 4 hours to get such an option.
On Delta it's only 2 hours.
Point is, any airline you choose is going to have plusses and minuses.
And there are no more change fees for NA flights so by definition you can get a flight credit even without the schedule change probably even if you bought a BE ticket.
Last edited by sydneyracquelle; Jan 1, 2024 at 5:22 am
Dec 31, 2023, 4:51 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 3,461
I cannot begin to count how many waivers and favors DL has given me over the past 30 years. Even with one minute schedule changes. The grass isn’t always greener.
And there are no more change fees for NA flights so by definition you can get a flight credit even without the schedule change.
And there are no more change fees for NA flights so by definition you can get a flight credit even without the schedule change.
the grass looks greener
That is because it’s different manure.
Dec 31, 2023, 5:43 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Back in Reds Country (DAY/CVG). Previously: SEA & SAT.
Programs: DL PM 1MM, AA PLAT, UA Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 10,369
AA just changed a future flight of mine from the 9:00am departure I purchased to a new 6:58m departure.
That's a huge change in my eyes but the only options they offered were to move to the new flight or a later flight.
I wanted either a full refund on my non-refundable ticket or to give me a Travel/Trip credit.
No, they said. Flight changes require a difference of 4 hours to get such an option.
On Delta it's only 2 hours.
Point is, any airline you choose is going to have plusses and minuses.
That's a huge change in my eyes but the only options they offered were to move to the new flight or a later flight.
I wanted either a full refund on my non-refundable ticket or to give me a Travel/Trip credit.
No, they said. Flight changes require a difference of 4 hours to get such an option.
On Delta it's only 2 hours.
Point is, any airline you choose is going to have plusses and minuses.
I cannot begin to count how many waivers and favors DL has given me over the past 30 years. Even with one minute schedule changes. The grass isn’t always greener.
And there are no more change fees for NA flights so by definition you can get a flight credit even without the schedule change.
And there are no more change fees for NA flights so by definition you can get a flight credit even without the schedule change.
SUPERTRAVEL if you didn't book a Basic Economy ticket, you can cancel your flight and get an eCredit for the full value. If you did book Basic Economy, you can always try "HUCA" and see if another agent will give you a different resolution.