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I like DL on-line access, makes it very easy to check for missing points. Hilton, on the other hand, sucks!
DL hard copies are mailed on average about 1.5 mos after the flight, so they're pretty useless. I have DL FF statements going back to 1984.... Think I should trash them when we move to a new office in 2 weeks? :-)
P.S. I once cajoled a DL (internal MIS) person to print my entire personal file, with flying history going back to 1983, adn all kinds of comments/remarks. Fascinating! I'll keep that.

MileJunkie - Have you used the Hilton site recently? I think that their online statements are much improved.

First, if anyone wants to see how it should be done, just check out DL's online mileage summary. Your mileage shows up online the minute it shows up in your account, and each flight and all bonuses are shown seperately, just like on your paper statement. I think DL already has a good enough system in place that if they wanted to offer online only they could (the only change they might want to add is a bit more of an archive, it only goes back about six months right now). However, I certainly would not give up my paper statements without some incentive ... can you say mileage bonus? Say 50 or 100 points per statement that they don't have to mail to me ... that sounds about fair.

Second, I'd just like to say I think DL also does an excellent job of mailing statements. Both my girlfriend I receive our statements like clockwork about the last week of the month showing activity through the end of the previous month. Sure it could be a little faster I suppose, but I think less than four weeks is pretty good! I would venture to say that DL paper statements are much less useless than those of most of the other majors who take *much* longer to get you a statement.

congratulations to DL - but even that is too late for me, and shows only what is credited, missing wat is planned, done but not credited yet, claimed, etc. I want to see the miles (and compare different options) at a very early planning stage:
- to combine (wave) different rtw-tickets one into the other (a "way" of 'back to back')
- to change the program (LH / UA) on different segments of the same ticket/trip
- to achieve the status I want (and not a mile more wasted as status mile in that program when the goal is achieved for the year running)
- to have enough miles for those awards I want sometimes 300 days in advance (300 days in advance when the miles are used as a free intern first-class for my father)

Agree with beckles that DL is emerging as a leader on the web.

Though I too try to maximize status of Elite qualifying base miles to earn/retain higher levels in multiple FF programs, I'm not sure why one would consider miles above the minimal threshold "wasted". After all don't we all get the additional bonuses/benefits etc for that level achieved too? Just a thought, and maybe I'm missing something here.

I agree that Delta is really good. Recently when I mailed them with paperwork for Austrian airlines flights, they credited it in about 6 weeks which is not bad. But it is a bit of hair splitting if Delta posts flight miles instantaneously, while if United posts the flights in 1-2 days. I can readily live with a 1 or 2 day lag. What needs to be improved is - credit for partners, credit for online surveys and bonuses (United is slow on these), and online award booking.

For me - paper statements are almost obsolete. With United, the paper statements sometimes contain more detail about the bonuses. If the online version had these, I would not even bother with the paper statements.

I am very happy with Delta's on-line statements. They are timely, usually correct, at least for the flights. I also like diff breakdowns - segments YTD, miles this months, etc. Also shows my old FF mileage.
However, the statement which just arrived lists the flights I took in June, which frankly I have already forgotten about, especially the bonuses/promotions/etc. available at a time. That's my only beef w/Delta, albeit a small one. Don't know much about other airlines' sites, I am a DL only.
Hilton's new site is improved. However, their paper statements seem to arrive randomly, 2-3 mos after the quarter end. I am using the on-line info now.

I only clock up a reasonable amount of miles with Delta, but I agree that their on-line statement walks all over the paper-based version. I am UK based and it often takes an age to receive any snail-mail from Delta, although it's nice to get the Newsletter in print. Delta seem to have bucked their ides up on the amount of time it takes to credit miles to your on-line statement too. I flew MAN-ATL last November and it was three weeks after I returned before the mile were credited. Last January I flew MAN-CLT and I checked my statement about four hours after landing back in the UK and there miles were already there! BTW, hope this post doens;t appear twice. It's only about my third post and the first time I submitted it it disappeared. Sorry If you are seeing double!

Mark - if you click on that pencil on top of your second/double message - you open the edit function and you can click then in the little delete-box in the top left corner - and the double posting disappears.

Thanks Rudi! I couldn't see either post for ages then they both appeared along with yours.

MarkB: I think the record in "double" postings - may be two months back - goes to Randy himself. He did hit the post button about 8 times then, if I remember correctly ... http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Rudi: Wow! I guess that means I can make a few hundred mistakes! http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

BTW, nice collection of mug shots you have on your website!

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Some men see things the way they are and say "Why?", I dream things that never were and say "Why not?" - Robert F. Kennedy

[This message has been edited by MarkB (edited 08-14-1999).]

Welcome to the board, MarkB. I thought I was about the only DL flyer in this country http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Thanx for the welcome, James. I guess that means DL have all of two UK flyers! http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Actually, I am only a DL guy because I have friends in Atlanta and Asheville, NC. But I can't really complain about the service I have received.

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Some men see things the way they are and say "Why?", I dream things that never were and say "Why not?" - Robert F. Kennedy