Are DL Platinum Medallions losing award fee exemption benefit?
Jan 7, 2009, 7:22 am
#16
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Edit to add: I feel like a sheeple being completely fleeced
Last edited by avidflyer; Jan 7, 2009 at 7:30 am
Jan 7, 2009, 7:26 am
#17
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After all the DL-forced "customer givebacks" which DL management have pushed through by way of the three-tier award chart mileage devaluation and multiple award fee introductions and increase, if now DL thinks that eliminating this Platinum benefit and reintroducing the same fee exemptions for a new top-tier elite status is going to get me to give DL more business than before, then DL is living in a fantasy land.
"Just say no to fleecing" by DL remains the call sign of the day.
Jan 7, 2009, 7:37 am
#18
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Location: LAX/BOS/HKG/AMS/SFO...hmm, I need a life.
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Perhaps DL wants to gamble on a published 4th tier with publicized qualifying criteria and benefits but in this economic environment they can gamble without my money and see how much these changes motivate or strip motivation away from using the DL-NW FF program(s).
After all the DL-forced "customer givebacks" which DL management have pushed through by way of the three-tier award chart mileage devaluation and multiple award fee introductions and increase, if now DL thinks that eliminating this Platinum benefit and reintroducing the same fee exemptions for a new top-tier elite status is going to get me to give DL more business than before, then DL is living in a fantasy land.
"Just say no to fleecing" by DL remains the call sign of the day.
After all the DL-forced "customer givebacks" which DL management have pushed through by way of the three-tier award chart mileage devaluation and multiple award fee introductions and increase, if now DL thinks that eliminating this Platinum benefit and reintroducing the same fee exemptions for a new top-tier elite status is going to get me to give DL more business than before, then DL is living in a fantasy land.
"Just say no to fleecing" by DL remains the call sign of the day.
This requires much bigger action than just saying no to sheeple fleecing. It IS time my freinds...it is time to rise up ala "Saveskymiles.com" or bigger and at least go down with a fight. I have to believe one of the airline networks is willing to step up and take on tens of thousands of regular, generally high spending, informed customers. We need a new deal with OW or *A for our business. Then, we need to publicize the hell out of it. There is no doubt we could get the message out, this is Flertalk.
WE ARE AS MAD AS HELL AND WE ARE"NT GOINT TO TAKE IT ANYMORE! (Great movie Network was
)
Jan 7, 2009, 7:49 am
#19
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Long Beach, CA
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 5,292
Is anyone else just tired and tired of fighting? It takes A LOT of time, money, and effort to make platinum. I did it this year for the first time in a long time. While I am not NW's bread-and-butter, many of the fares paid were Q, H, and M class tickets - most-definitely not the lowest fare buckets. If this is how Plat is treated, it honestly makes me want to just book the flight that works best for timing, etc. without regard for the airline or alliance. Screw them.
Jan 7, 2009, 7:57 am
#20
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K (MM), DL, AA, AS, HHonors, SPG, Kimpton, Hyatt, IC PC, Marriott Titanium (LT PLT), Hertz PC
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Although I agree with the message this really takes the effectiveness out of it 
(and made me laugh out loud, or LOL as the text crew likes to say).
Personally, I'm seriously rethinking booking my upcoming trips on DL/NW and am shopping around. Where can I get the best status match?
(and made me laugh out loud, or LOL as the text crew likes to say).Personally, I'm seriously rethinking booking my upcoming trips on DL/NW and am shopping around. Where can I get the best status match?
Jan 7, 2009, 7:59 am
#21
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Who would be stupid enough to count on Delta to provide those benefits once you qualify? Ask the Flying Colonels and holders of Old Miles about Delta's integrity.
Last edited by MikeMpls; Jan 7, 2009 at 8:06 am
Jan 7, 2009, 8:00 am
#22
Join Date: Jan 2006
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And for those who may not be following the complimentary thread on the NW forum, NWA elite services has confirmed that platinums will in fact have to pay these fees starting Mar. 1.
Jan 7, 2009, 8:03 am
#23
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Although I agree with the message this really takes the effectiveness out of it (and made me laugh out loud, or LOL as the text crew likes to say).
Personally, I'm seriously rethinking booking my upcoming trips on DL/NW and am shopping around. Where can I get the best status match?
(and made me laugh out loud, or LOL as the text crew likes to say).Personally, I'm seriously rethinking booking my upcoming trips on DL/NW and am shopping around. Where can I get the best status match?
Jan 7, 2009, 8:12 am
#24
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Formaldehyde Medallion DL DieMiles
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As I said a few days ago in another thread, regarding DL's continuing tendencies to degrade the FF program:
Too many of you have been willing to adopt the attitude of "Well, that change doesn't affect me... I'll let it slide." If DL frequent flyers don't find some issue to rally around and organize a resistance to DL management's abusive and dismissive attitude towards the members of its FF program, we'll end up getting what we deserve... a seriously degraded program.
Aren't you getting tired of DL doing things to you because of your elite status? Not good things to reward you for your loyalty... but bad things because they perceive you as being held captive by your status, and they believe they can get away with it.
I anticipate more "probing" such as was the case with "Choice seats" to determine what the tolerance levels are within the FF community. In that case, DL opened a hornets nest.
So, I would fully expect more incremental degradations in the program, such as the recent changes in baggage allowance. A slow whittling away at the program...
Absent some external stimulus impacting DL management, today's FF program (as an integrated whole) is the best it ever will be. Not the best that is has been, but the best that it will be.
A gradual erosion of benefits will likely fly under the radar screen of complacency typified by the "My upgrade record is satisfyingly steady right now, why make waves?" attitude too commonly evidenced here."
So... here is what appears to be another probing. BOHICASo, I would fully expect more incremental degradations in the program, such as the recent changes in baggage allowance. A slow whittling away at the program...
Absent some external stimulus impacting DL management, today's FF program (as an integrated whole) is the best it ever will be. Not the best that is has been, but the best that it will be.
A gradual erosion of benefits will likely fly under the radar screen of complacency typified by the "My upgrade record is satisfyingly steady right now, why make waves?" attitude too commonly evidenced here."
Too many of you have been willing to adopt the attitude of "Well, that change doesn't affect me... I'll let it slide." If DL frequent flyers don't find some issue to rally around and organize a resistance to DL management's abusive and dismissive attitude towards the members of its FF program, we'll end up getting what we deserve... a seriously degraded program.
Aren't you getting tired of DL doing things to you because of your elite status? Not good things to reward you for your loyalty... but bad things because they perceive you as being held captive by your status, and they believe they can get away with it.
Jan 7, 2009, 8:21 am
#25
Moderator: Mileage Run, InterContinental Hotels
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 5,916
This is truly shocking, and deserves a big 
!
I can see two reasons they will give for doing this: (1) No doubt the bean counters have calculated how much revenue the Plat exemption costs them (I, for instance, redeposited or changed 23 awards in 2008, worth $2300). (2) The rationale "this practice wastes award seats, and they are scarce" will be brought up again, like it has for the elimination of award holds.
The real reason has to do, of course, with fleecing the sheeple: With the three-tiered system, DL needs to keep people from booking a "mid tier" award a few months before travel, and then "buying down" to a "low tier" award if it opens up a few days before departure. A $100 change/redeposit fee and a $150 "last minute ticketing charge" are a pretty strong disincentive to reissuing award tickets at a lower mileage level. I'm guessing the Plat exemption from the fee for award ticketing <21 days from departure will be next to go.
! I can see two reasons they will give for doing this: (1) No doubt the bean counters have calculated how much revenue the Plat exemption costs them (I, for instance, redeposited or changed 23 awards in 2008, worth $2300). (2) The rationale "this practice wastes award seats, and they are scarce" will be brought up again, like it has for the elimination of award holds.
The real reason has to do, of course, with fleecing the sheeple: With the three-tiered system, DL needs to keep people from booking a "mid tier" award a few months before travel, and then "buying down" to a "low tier" award if it opens up a few days before departure. A $100 change/redeposit fee and a $150 "last minute ticketing charge" are a pretty strong disincentive to reissuing award tickets at a lower mileage level. I'm guessing the Plat exemption from the fee for award ticketing <21 days from departure will be next to go.
Jan 7, 2009, 8:23 am
#26
Formerly known as fsa_ea
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Up in the Air
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Those are only two of many DL award fees.
To different degrees, AA, UA, AS have top-tiers exempted or subject to fewer and lower fees (even no fees in comparison to DL if talking about date changes) -- and that is just out of the US program.
Out of the foreign programs, many more have fewer and lower fees or fee-free changes compared to DL.
To different degrees, AA, UA, AS have top-tiers exempted or subject to fewer and lower fees (even no fees in comparison to DL if talking about date changes) -- and that is just out of the US program.
Out of the foreign programs, many more have fewer and lower fees or fee-free changes compared to DL.
UA charges 1Ks $0 to redeposit an award.
Jan 7, 2009, 8:27 am
#27
Formerly known as fsa_ea
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Here's the discussion in the NW forum about this:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/north...beg-3-1-a.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/north...beg-3-1-a.html
Let's see, PMUs are worthless, it's already impossible to get compliemntary Medallion upgrades on cheap fares, and GMs get the same 100% mileage bonus as PMs, so why bother with PM over GM?
Jan 7, 2009, 8:31 am
#28
Moderator: Mileage Run, InterContinental Hotels
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 5,916
Jan 7, 2009, 8:36 am
#29
Join Date: May 2005
Location: FLL
Programs: DL ♦M MM|HH♦|Marr Slvr|CO UA AA US|Pri Cub Plat|SPG|Avis 1st|Htz 5*
Posts: 5,044
My letter to Delta
no salutation
I understand through web forums that Delta is going to eliminate the fee exemption for Platinum Medallion members for award ticket cancellation. I have always ranked this benefit in the top 2 reasons to maintain Platinum status with Delta. For me (and the friends & family with whom I share my SkyMiles) having to commit definitively to a trip some 10-12 months in advance is very restrictive. In the past I could cancel when friends or family flaked on me with regard to travel plans without having to ask them for reimbursement for the re-deposit fee or actually EAT the re-deposit fee myself.
This change (coming on 4/1/09 as I understand) devalues the SkyMiles Medallion program greatly. The 100% mileage bonus is great... but I can get that by achieving Gold Medallion. Without the re-deposit fee exemption the only benefit I see for maintaining Platinum status is upgrade priority.
Delta has implemented a plethora of junk fees including the partner-segment fee and the international-origination fee on award travel. I have paid these fees while trying to look at the bright side of (almost) free travel. With a fee for re-depositing miles I might as well be a general member of the SkyMiles program with regard to using SkyMiles.
I hope Delta will reconsider this change. It is becoming harder and harder to justify financially remaining on Delta itineraries.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.
Evan!
Jan 7, 2009, 8:41 am
#30
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AA has a change fee of $0 (zero) for even general members. [This applies too to all AAdvantage members regardless of elite status as long as sticking to the same routing.]
Last edited by GUWonder; Jan 7, 2009 at 9:12 am