Load factors be damned; if the fine folks who fly out of BGM are not feeding DL's growth targets (Intl) then you lose the routing.

I feel for Lehava... even though DL never actually flew to BGM, their proxies did for a while. I suspect that if I lived at a station just served by RJs, I would never have developed the loyalty to any one carrier to become a PM.

The trouble is... what is an RJ station sure does change over time! I have often used PVD as an alternative to BOS (although not for several years). A few years ago, PVD had 5X daily to ATL (3 757, 2 MD88s), 3X to CVG (1 757, 1MD88, 1 CRJ) and 2x daily to MCO (DL Express 737-20s) and for a short while to FLL (DL Express 737-200).

Soon, nothing but RJs.

Dunno that I would ever fall in love with an airline ... :)

You don't necessarily "fall in love" with an airline... but you can certainly love "being somebody" on a given carrier. To walk up to the counter and be recognized by sight, or at least by your status, is pleasant at a minimum. At times, when things go awry, that relationship with "your" airline can get you out and on your way with greater efficiency than that received by the general populace. You are more likely to get a hotel voucher for a weather caused missed connection. Fortuantely, most of the time we do not need to test what the extra benefits are from having "PM MM" follow our name on a PNR.

I agree and have seen it happen! Too bad SLC is too big for them to remember me all the time. But a few do.

Those things are nice (and at BGM you don't need status to be recognized if you fly even sporadically) but I can say for me it is about more than that. I have had some very unique experiences with Delta, behind the scenes things and interactions with DL employees that very few get. To me Delta is more than just another business because of the people and the friendships I have related to it. This is more than just a non-descript business to me, much more.

I believe this is the core of the issue!!!!

Frequent lurker, rare poster - I hope Lehava, you stay on the Forum here - have always enjoyed your posts. Best wishes to to you whatever you decide to do.

I enjoy my status on DL and appreciate the little perks, but I also admit to an emotional attachment to DL - many friends who work there and my ex is a DL F/A.

You do realize that a lot of that is because you put the time and effort into developing and engaging the relationship, and learning all about how they operate. If you do switch over to NW, you'll have that same opportunity all over again. Now, MSP is just a tad larger than BGM as far as staffing is concerned, so those personal relationships will take longer to develop, but they can and will if you give it the same effort you gave DL initially.

FWIW, the FAs are starting to do their jobs and I haven't heard very much of the whining and griping that has occurred in the past. But of course, if you're categorically opposed to an airline and set on hating them, your time as a NW elite will be a very dysfunctional relationship.

In time you will come to love NW, too. It's just a different kind of love. :D

And congrats on your comp to NW, which I believe you mentioned in another post recently. That should get you off to a running start on the Red Tail.

Many of us have had attachments with DL and it's wonderful employees in the past. I too received many Above and Beyond perks..tickets to exhibit openings etc from DL.

I had, and still have, many friends employed by DL.

Yes, I got upset and moved on. It's easy when you realize that they (the airlines) are almost all the same.

Change - it is as simple as that

How do 5 year old threads get resurrected? (or maybe "why")

I dunno, but funny you should ask since 5 years later DL is in BGM, but to DTW now, not MSP. I fly DL out of BGM now and then and I'd estimate load averages 60 to 90%, sometimes more. That many people willing to travel on a CRJ200 says something! Also seems to me an increasing number of Binghamton University students lately helps to keep the load up.

Not sure how MSP comes into play. Don't believe BGM ever had service to MSP -- either with NW or DL. OP was complaining about PMDL pulling out of BGM (which appears to have had service at various times over the years to CVG, ATL, and JFK).