The customer buying Main Basic is not into it for loyalty. And Delta has no loyalty, particularly to bargain basement travelers.

It’s probably strange for a mod on a frequentl flyer forum to be saying this, but y’all are too worried about “loyalty.” I’m 110% certain Delta has the relationship it wishes to have with the majority of customers. We generally pay higher fares, use affiliated credit cards, are less price sensitive, and still do stupid stuff (like pay $3/mqd) to maintain status that is arguably not particularly valuable for Silver or Gold.

That is true but Delta still sells Main Basic fares. If it didn't care or want to sell them, they wouldn't. The government doesn't require that they sell it. That means that Main Basic fares are of some importance to Delta. Certainly it's not as much as the big spender.

Main Basic fares are no longer bargain basement. They are the old regular economy fares. Furthermore, Delta seems to encourage the non-Comfort, non-First class passenger to buy Main Basic because a higher fare offers very little besides some SkyPesos, seat assignment in advance, and slightly earlier boarding.

The only importance these fares have for DL is: 1) FIll seats that would otherwise go unsold, and 2) Act as a hook to get referrals from Google Flights for passengers to then say "nah... I want main" and then pay the additional fee. Re the "very little" that Main offers over Main... I won't fly without the seat assignment and guarantee I can travel with my cabin luggage. I won't fly middle seat for a flight that's more than an hour.

But your argument is missing the point: Delta doesn't really care if the passenger who buys Main Basic selects them over Spirit. They know that that passenger is flying the cheapest fare they can find. They'd rather take the passenger who will pay a little more... and they also really only want to "reciprocate" loyalty to someone who does this consistently. From Delta's perspective, the passenger that won't even pay for a seat assignment is a bargain basement flyer. It doesn't matter what you think about the fares.

That might very well be true but that is not who I am. I'll fly Delta and United, maybe Alaska, but not Spirit. I have my secret formula about how much I am willing to pay for certain things. In the past, there was some loyalty and there's still a desire to have loyalty if it is reciprocated by the airline.

You’ve described yourself as a price sensitive shopper who is willing to select between several airlines. You’re not the customer Delta “wants” to have a loyalty relationship with. They believe your purchase patterns demonstrate that your business is interchangeable with millions of other people who are also shopping for the lowest fare among multiple carriers.

Let’s also acknowledge that Delta is a company, and companies have no feelings. Consumers feel loyalty. Companies take advantage of our feelings and get us to engage in behaviors that go against our self interest (pay more, fly undesirable routes or times, etc). You’re saying that you’re not willing to pay “a little extra” for the sake of a “relationship” with Delta. That’s totally reasonable. But that decision also comes with the intentional cost of Delta saying they don’t want to spend anything extra for the sake of having a relationship with you.

Sometimes I go on a date with Dawn Lewis, sometimes I go on a date with Ann Smith, sometimes I go on a date with Una Allen (but that Nadine Knight is a skank!). Every date I just bring the cheapest drugstore box of chocolate and a plastic rose. Why won't these girls (especially Dawn) show any loyalty?

I ain't saying Dawn's a gold digger...

Are there any data points of Delta charging the 9,900 skymiles to cancel a basic ticket? Last I had seen they were not, but don't recall seeing anything recently.

That statement in bold right there...is the reason why I still earned miles from my DFW-SEA trip last Christmas. I did not earn miles from the trip, but IIRC Delta awarded me miles for paying to choose a seat. Not sure if they also awarded me miles for paying to check a bag (I'm pretty sure not).

I took Alaska on the way back, and I didn't earn any miles whatsoever whether from checking a bag or paying for a preferred seat.

I think this is the essence of a "frequent flyer" program. In order to earn more benefits, you'll basically have to "pledge your allegiance" to an airline and fly with them or their partners, or shop using their/their partner's credit card. This is how I rack up miles very fast on United but didn't earn any PQP/PFP.

In my case, I let go of all non-US frequent flyer programs (including Krisflyer, ANA Mileage Club, etc.) and consolidate it to US-based programs. When the time comes and I want to rack PQP/miles/qualifying flights, I would just fly on their partner airline and maybe that specific airline on the domestic leg, so technically I'm trying to be loyal to an airline...without actually flying that airline too many times. If I merely only want to rack miles without PQP, I can just shop using a card or buy something from their partner, e.g. Delta SkyMiles with Lyft back then.

For instance: most of my Delta SkyMiles points were from Lyft and previous SkyTeam partner flights (KE, GA), 100% of my Atmos Rewards points were from Starlux, most of my MileagePlus points were from Chase and Star Alliance partner flights (ANA, TG), and most of my AAdvantage miles were from JAL and other OneWorld partner flights.

Every seat on a CS100 (Airbus A220-100) is decent, particularly if one is flying alone.

That is not true for an Airbus A350, which is also almost certainly a much longer flight.

I disagree. As a DM, a main seat gets me C+. I also prefer to be towards the front. You feel differently, and that’s fine. It’s not worth it to you… it is for me. And my willingness to pay extra is why DL would “rather” build its “relationship” with me.

I used to be a frequent flyer in two airlines and not just silver elite. I wasn't as much as real road warriors that are flying to 2-3 destinations a week, though.

DL's lack of loyalty has made me reciprocate. Before, I flew on Delta unless the fare was outrageous or the schedule lousy and then I would fly United. Not anymore. The basic economy fares were a big part of killing loyalty both ways. United and Alaska still award some miles for basic economy so they are now my preferred for all travel, basic and non-basic. This is kind of too bad because I am almost a Delta million miler but not almost for United. I don't boycott Delta but they are tertiary for me now.

Cool story, bro.

I've given it some thought.

You are right.

I am trash. Delta has every right to hate me, beat me up, kick me. I am despicable trash. I barely deserve to even be allowed into an airport. :(

At one time, I used to be golden but now just a piece of trash.

I get that "there's the principle of it all", but specifically on preferring UA basic to DL basic (since DL and UA will generally match basic fares), is a few hundred UA miles (not plausibly worth more than $15, ignoring anything like how many such flights it would take to accumulate miles for a redemption approaching that valuation) worth not being able to travel with more than a personal item?

Strange. On my return SEA-DFW flight Alaska didn't reward me any miles when I booked basic economy/saver, even when I spend for meals, baggage, and seat.