Has Delta contacted any defectors?
 

I was wondering if delta has taken the time to contact any PMs or GMs who have zero miles on DL this year?

I was PM for four years then last year I only earned GM. Due to circumstances I havn't taken one flight this year (on any airline) and I havn't heard anything from DL. (I didn't even get my GM credentials!)

They haven't (yet) contacted me. I am a PM with zero MQM's year to date. However, I don't expect them to, unless a large number of elite members have lower than expected MQM's -- in which case they will probably offer them some kind of promotion as opposed to flat out asking them why they haven't flown on DL this year.

The problem of contacting defectors is that it is labor intensive. Their bean counters will be able to provide them answers at the end of the year. In addition, they've already offered a "buffer" promotion, by stating you will only drop one elite level for 2004 if you fail to qualify for your current level under the new program. For example, all PM's this year who don't qualify under the program as a PM, will drop only to GM next year.

[This message has been edited by jeffreyt (edited 08-16-2003).]

Aint gonna happen. Borden says more people will benefit and that's that!

On the other hand, when I and others wrote a letter to Delta telling them why it will be difficult to stay with them, I believe we all were contacted by quite senior Delta staff members. I spend 30-45 minutes on the phone with Mr. Borden elaborating on my letter to Delta that I have posted elsewhere, and he did, if nothing else, take the time to let me explain my view and tell me his (Delta's) view. Now, if going solely by labor intensity, I can't think of anything more labor intensive than to spend 1/2 hour on the phone with every PM who is expressing his or hers displeasure with the upcoming changes.

I did get a phone call months ago when all the changes were first announced.

There was a lot of back and forth both by me and the person who called me. We both pretty much ended up sticking to our guns - he said the changes are here to stay, I vowed I would not fly an airline that valued only some of my business.

I'm almost out of vouchers and come January or sooner, I will go the way of Mr. Blutarski - zero...point...zero paid flights on Delta.

Thankfully, AA and US appreciate all of my business. And for the moment, both cooperate quite nicely with QF.

Only contact I ever got was a form letter from Patrice, warning me that if I didn't start flying more, my status would be lost in 2004.

So, I took her advise... I am flying more, actually lot's more.

Only problem for DL, is all my flying is on CO/NW http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I had a phone call from DL after I was quoted in the WSJ two times. They wanted to know what DL needed to do to make me happy. I told them to read the article again.

They just don't get it, they think everything is perfect at DL, so how can we be upset?

Neat business plan, loose millions yet all is well. Maybe DL thinks it is a .com company?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

"Help yourself to some more stock."

They never called me....I'm gonna cry!

It doesn't cost a heck of a lot to send a postcard or dial the phone so I disagree that it's a labor intensive activity. They can easily do a quick computer run and generate a call list of every PM that hasn't flown YTD and set up a script to chat. This costs very little especially since they probably already contract with someone either internal or external to do this kind of work. It is incredibly baffling to me that no one has seen that a customer that flew 100,000+ miles with them last year is a good prospect...even if we flew ZERO YTD. Remember, it's a lot cheaper to get me to fly on DL than it is to find someone new. It's a though nobody at DL every took a marketing course.

Once they see the Portland zip code they know it is a lost cause ...