GUWonder

Great idea. We should set 1-4 scenarios and then show what the difference in airline fees is from one US airline program to another.

kyushuman

Thanks everyone for the quick replies.
My goal here is to be able to fight back on this with LIKE FOR LIKE comparisons, since many of the other airlines do charge base (and even Silver/Gold) members for some changes.
Does anyone feel like making an accurate chart for "Top-Tier" Elites at UA, AA, CO, US, and AS? I know it's complicated--some charge for reissue, others don't for date changes, etc. But: Do any of NW/DL's competitors charge top-tier elites for anything, other than AS' $25 partner booking fee that seems to apply to everyone, even elites? So far I'm hearing not.....

To me at least, this is a more concrete way of dealing with it--I know we all sent in emails about how upset we were, but if all the NWA/DL employees are drinking the Kool-Aid and believing what they're told, we just look like complainers.
If there are hard facts, with comparisons, I feel like it's a lot easier argument to make.

mnredfox

Well stated, unless things change I ain't going for plat and am going to start building my AA/CO miles. Probably will go for status match

It's been a sad many months since the merger occurred.

Remember, DL wants to be "best in class."

Again, no incentive to hit PE. Watch out, GE's are next in line for fleecing.

How it was communicated (or not) was the worst.

I'm sending my TTU now, and then will send my worldperkschanges email. Then I will call the PE line this week.

Jaimito Cartero

The Z sent me the charts he has. What I'm not sure of, is what the other airlines charge their elites these days. If anyone can give me a rundown on both change and deposit fees, as well as close in fees, that'd help. The charts that Z sent me are a bit out of date.

msp727

I learned about the new $100 Delta fee because I called to cancel an award ticket I booked to Montana which was supposed to be on A320s R/T. The schedule was no longer going to work out, and I was requesting my miles back. I especially wasn't looking forward to flying to Montana on Compass, as their flying the FlyI FAA certificate that is restrictive when flying into Montana in winter weather. I then learned about this non-retroactive $100 fee for Gold Elite Members...what a hose job.

Needless to say I don't think I will have a problem paying four additional $50 revenue ticket cancellation fees for reservations that I had planned if I cannot get this resolved. Can't handle DISHONEST BUSINESS PEOPLE at Delta.

KEEP DELTA, YOUR DELTA.

drsan

Hope is a wonderful thing, but it is not a business strategy. For DL to say this to its 'best customers' is very, very telling.

Welcome to Delta.

mitjha

After more than a Million credited miles on NW and PE for last 7+ years, I decided to move to AA. Fee for Award ticket basically did it for me: I could not take this best of the class FF program for new combined airline. I hope they lose 50% plus of their PEs before realizing how stupid this decision was (incredible that they could still say that they are doing it for customers)

Sassy!

Sad to say I'm leaving DL/NW for CO. The redeposit fee and the increase in award miles USA-EU did it for me.

MikeMpls

"Best in class" has been pulled. They realized that was not was we wanted. The lastest word from JeffBob on Virginia Ave. is that we are going to be the beneficiaries of a "holistic program", if only we wait a year to realize how blessed we are.

Doesn't everybody feel better now?

stlBased

curious what drove your decision to swap to AA over others? SNA doesn't really have any dominant carriers and most seem to have decent connections to their hubs elsewhere (e.g. DL to ATL, UA to DEN, NWA to MSP, etc). SNA is one of the regular places I fly to, and I've typically not minded connecting through MSP from STL on NWA.

As drsan has noted many times, STL has been steadily de-hubbed by AA and we're down to mostly little jets with a surprisingly low numbers of effective nonstops. I wondering if there was a specific reason to choose AA over others out of SNA?
I like many am faced w/ making other choices away from NWA as I'm pretty sure some of my options to where I usually go out of STL on NWA as well as the great service from the NWA staff here in STL will change. AA obviously is a choice, just curious on your criteria. Thanks.

fti

How about HOLE-istic. Big, big holes

thezipper

... and this gem speaks volumes...

get ready for an October surprise ..."Delta has the right to change it's frequent flyer program at anytime... if you thought you were only gonna fly 75k to earn Platinum... SURPRISE!!!"

you know it's coming.... save this post for October....

stlBased

lol

evidently that's not all. In another area on the AJC site, sounds like Delta is looking to use their newfound NWA hubs to rattle their sabre with the ATL airport authority as well -

In a Jan 13 letter, Delta's VP of Corp Real Estate "cautions" the ATL GM that "roughly two-thirds of Atlanta's traffic is able to be connected over other Delta hubs, including Memphis, Tenn.; Cincinnati; and Detroit."

mnredfox

Good post. I like the "quietly made public" as in, they sheepishly knew it was a bad thing for loyalty.

And really, "thousands and thousands of award seats" never used? Notice he didn't say those thousands were all PE's taking advantage of their benefit. Even conceding that this is accurate, wouldn't you say that by the fact people are doing this, it therefore really is considered a perk of value? So taking it away would make, shock, a sub-best in class program.

And "small disadvantage"? Try major, one of the top reasons I went to PE. DL sure wants to make its FFP better by angering the most elites for the en-masses that fly twice a year. Good idea.

HeadInTheClouds

I can tell you that AA has always charged EXPs a redeposit fee. UA used to do so to its 1Ks up until about 2 years ago, but then eliminated it.