Have you changed airlines due to FF changes?
 

I was recently asked by a reporter how many people have really switched from Delta?

This is broader than one airline, so I am asking this question here.

Have you switched? Were you comped status? What airline did you leave and what airline did you move to?

I was comped Northwest WorldPerks Gold and moved from Delta (3.8MM with DL and Plat for years)

Left British because their new award redemption rate sucks. Was already with AAdvantage and am now flying that more.

I am a Platinum on Delta, unfortunately, I had already qualified for Gold for next year, but had I had my act together sooner, I would have jumped ship earlier. United comped me to Premier Executive...I used to take the Delta Shuttle every week, but to stay away from Delta, I now drive out to IAD so that I can fly United.

I've jumped ship.. and will be complete once my two ATL-LAX RTs are complete on Delta. It's a multitude of things but with double EQM for any fare on United plus a recent trip to NZ, I'll keep the PremEx that I got comped to last year. Since most of my flying will be to the northeast this year, I'll stick with UA/US.

Why don't you catch the USAirways Shuttle? You'll earn UA status miles.

I'm pretty unusual, methinks!

My past history was to shop price above all, but accumulate miles in all programs.

My exposure to FlyerTalk convinced me that elite status might be in reach, and I first reached Silver on Delta (with the help of the 10K status miles on the Amex).

When NW and CO became partners, and as I became wiser in the ways of FlyerTalk I also achieved silver on NW.

(I did not consolidate and shoot for gold, as it still helped my penny-pinching ways to spread my travel out.)

Delta's recent changes affected me differently than the various platinums. Knowing that the least expensive fares would only received 50% credit made me skeptical of the ability to continue qualifying for DL silver, so I had basically decided to focus on CO/NW with all miles going to Worldperks.

CO's decision to do something similar left me in a bit of a quandary. Thinking NW might do the same made me wonder about choosing UA or AA as my primary carrier.

I was relieved by NW's decision not to penalize the least expensive fares. They also included the curious stipulation that the cheap CO metal flights would receive 50% elite credit but the cheap DL flights would receive full elite credit on Worldperks.

So now I am at the point of likely minimizing my travel on CO, particularly when the cheapest fares are involved...maximizing my NW travel, and yet also making room for booking very competitive DL fares, (foregoing upgrades for the moment) and posting those DL flights to my Worldperks account.

More than you wanted to know! Stay tuned for further adjustments!

[This message has been edited by Watchful (edited 11-03-2003).]

I actually began my transition from Delta to United early in 2001, when I saw the handwriting on the wall, so to speak. Delta seemed to value its customers less and less with each passing month. During 2001-02, I split my business roughly 50/50 between Delta and United, earning top status on both. After the SkyMiles changes announced late in 2002, I made United my first choice and have split my business in 2003 roughly 2/3 United and 1/3 Delta (which I still fly mostly because of a corporate contract on the Shuttle).

I will retain my 1K status on United into 2004 (and likely beyond), but I will drop to Gold on Delta. I traveled enough to earn this status, but I am lifetime Gold, anyway, as a 2 Million Miler.

Bruce

I have been 1K on UAL for 4 years. Last year I also hit Silver on Delta. Once I heard about the changes on Delta, I have not flown them even one time. Usually I qualify for 1K sometime in December. This year I will make it this week. I have flown only UAL all year long.

I dumped DL for NW in AUgust. My lats transaction with DL was reserving two F seats on AF for a trip to Scandinavia next summer. So long Uncle Leo!

I switched from AA to NW not due to FF chanes, but because of the downsizing of STL. As AA only flies to STL from PAH, I really don't want to double connect all of the time.

So did I, but I left OW entirely and went over to Star (BD and TG).

[Okay, I still have a CX Marco Polo card for "emergencies"...]

Both my wife and I left CO (Platinum) for AA at the start of 2002 because we were never able to use our OnePass points for a standard award ticket. We're now both EXP with AA and very happy, both using our miles, and with the VIP upgrades that we received.

Left Delta for UA. Comped to same level

I was 1K at UA when the mechanics were threatening to strike back in Feb 2002. I wrote AA and was comped in as Platinum, and worked my way up to EXP (equivalent to 1K). Had it not been for the UA double status miles promo this year, I would not have been able to hold onto PE there, which is the highest I would go with the devaluation of SWU's on cheap fares. AA seems to meet my needs at top tier for a discount traveler. I can't see going back to top tier on UA.

I moved a lot of my travel from CO to AA last year because I was never able to redeem my NONEPASS miles I had. Looks like it was a good decision based on CO newest changes. I absolutely try to avoid CO and its partners NW and DL if at all possible.

I am also moving from CO. I have been OnePass Elite since 1996, but I've grown frustrated with the EUA games, the problems with redeeming miles, the uncaring attitude of customer care, and (the final straw) the new elite qualification rules.

UA comped me to Premier Exec, and I have already purchased over $1500 in travel on UA for the first couple of months of 2004.

I have a few more trips on CO, but the last one ends Dec 16. After that, the only time CO will see me is when I use my OnePass miles.

Have been DL gold for several years, and have moved to NW, thanks to Rob Borden's ax job on the Medallion program.

I primarily travel for leisure. I had been fairly loyal to NW and finally managed to achieve Silver in 2000 (with the help of FT). CO offered comp silver status and I took them up on it. After a year of dual silver with CO & NW (not especially helpful), I opted to stick w/CO, in part due to my frustration with DTW pre-McNamara. I achieved Gold last year and will again this year, albeit with more miles on NW metal. Being a cheap leisure traveler, with only occasional business trips, and no longer valued by CO, I'm headed back to NW for 2004.

I left Air Canada for Lufthansa last year. AC changed the redemption rules for Elites, eliminating instant access to reward tickets. Now an elite, Gold Level, has the same access to reward seats as the person who earned their miles solely through credit card use. In response they offered elites the opportunity to get seats for double miles. I said shove it, switched to LH and have not looked back.

Some of their lower fares don't earn status miles either, so count for squat.

I left Delta in the late 90s, largely in response to changes in their FF program (LUser fares, for example) after having been some level of Medallion, usually Royal (top-tier) in their earlier program, then mostly Gold (mid-tier) in SkyMiles, every year since about 1990.

What finally pushed me over the edge was, having mailed them a letter with suggestions for constructive changes to the new policies that would have still met their business objectives, I got a form-letter reply that missed or ignored my points and was full of platitudes about what "the majority of their frequent flyers want."

Maybe the majority did. I didn't.

I left DL in 9/2002 for UA. UA comp'd me 1P through 2/2004. This year alone on UA I'll finish with about 140k miles (real rump-in-the-seat miles) and had 1K back in July. I've been very happy with UA. I sadly miss the Crown Rooms but the RCC aren't too bad. Just a shame to pay for beers and have to buy the membership as a 1K.

Left BA because of Exec Club changes, redemption levels, and BA's general 'way of handling issues' -- cut up the BA VISA as well, so I could go cold turkey. Just burning up award tix now.

Switched primarily to LH, as well as Emirates. Also generally flying more, will reach LH top tier either this year or next for sure -- BA picked a good time to irritate me.

--Grog--

Have been CO Silver Elite for years and now hoping to get matched 2004 status on NW or UAL. Already purchased flight in January on NW. Won't put a dime in the pocket of an airline that doesn't value my loyalty.

Have been CO elite for the past 15 years, Plat again this year. Went for the UA status comp a couple months ago, and have not looked back.

I use my miles primarily for free international front cabin seats. For a long time I used CO as my secondary carrier (AA being the primary). I stopped flying them when it became impossible to book free businessFirst in planning a vacation.

Corporate travel policy doesn't permit me to use USAir Shuttle. If I didn't take the Delta Shuttle out of DCA, then Corporate travel would book me on American. I can use my Delta miles on domestic United flights so that works best for me.

Wouldn't it be a lot more convenient to fly US out of PGV?

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"Yippie-kay-yay, Mr. Falcon!" -- John McClane, Die Hard II As Seen on TV

[This message has been edited by JS (edited 11-06-2003).]

PM on Delta - 1.5 million miles.

Left Delta for NW.

I hate airports and flying now. Used to be fun. Now it's just tedious.

I left UA for AA a year ago for several reasons:

- AA had more reasonable mileage redemption polices (no need to buy the more expensive fare to be able to upgrade).
- AA treats their elites (even PLT like me) better than UA.
- Service on UA had gotten more inconsistent.
- Their ACs are more pleasant to hang out than UA's RCC. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

To be fair, UA has several things going for them such as:
- Better route network, especially in Asia.
- Much more comfortable F/J seats.
- 744s!
- Their on-ground Int'l First service were outstanding, especially in NRT. (At least before they apparently downgraded the on-ground service, have they?)

NOMOCO

I left DL for CO. I have been happy at CO but now they have copied DL. I do not have a primary airline for 2004. I am self-employed and travel all over the US. Being based out of fll we have nothing but lower fares I cannot see a reason to pay more for the same flight just to earn elite status. So for now it is off to wn or orbitz to see who can get me there the fastest and the least expensive.

I left DL for UA in March, 2003. I could not stand the thought of flying in Delta's coach product after two years as a Platinum with 99.9% upgrade rate. I find that I now prefer United's E+ coach seating over DL F. That has been reflected on several opportunities since I switched when DL and UA pricing and schedules were comparable.

I've been a Medallion on DL for a good 3-4 years, and I also had the Elite level with TWA. When AA bought TWA they matched my status in AAdvantage, and I sampled them. Even before DL screwed the Medallion members royally with the changes, I had realized that AA has a better coach product by far -- more room (really noticeable, especially on the 767s), more frequent service and power ports. Oh, and did I mention the consistently cheaper fares? This year, once I used all of my left over DL upgrade certificates, I'm switching to AA completely, and I'm much happier for it. With the Medallion changes, cramped seating and cuts in service and aircraft type on the routes that I fly (757s have replaced 767s on the JFK-SFO and most JFK-LAX routes), I don't see why I would fly DL any more. The only decent product they have left is the Shuttle.

I did not leave Delta (as I was not that loyal to them in the first place). After they devalued their FF elite benefits, I simply shelved any plans to increase frequency on them even when they offer a cheaper and/or better schedule. I stick to OW/Star carriers and LCCs sometimes (B6, WN, etc.) when FF program is not an issue.

No. All FF plans eventually copy each other anyway. Give it time.

We are two multi-year Delta elites (plat last two years) who comped to NW last January. So far, it's working out really well.

If Delta hadn't screwed with the platinum upgrade system, we would have stuck with them, paying higher fares and taking less convenient flights.

Dumb us. We upgrade as often on NW (although with a shorter window), pay less, can consistently fly reasonably from our home airport, and have better flight time choices. Plus there's decent food in first. Plus when we cash in miles for a coach ticket, we can upgrade. Plus the new Detroit is awesome and WorldClubs are great. Well, I could go on and on. We each expect to earn NW platinum on miles flown this year.

But it's all because they dinked our old SkyMiles program. Oh, the unintended consequences!

Yes. I've been Silver on CO for 5 years (was Gold one year) and next year will be different. I still have Silver on CO but IO have a trip to India coming up (business) in 2004 and will have to decide where I want to put my loyalty since the 18,000 mile round trip is a healthy start towards Elite status somewhere. I may even be flying Business Calss. I have several options within a reasonable range of each other on price. All I know is that it will be with an airline that loves me for my miles all the time, not just when I'm flying Business Class. Whether it's my money or my employer's, I always get the lowest fare class I can.