RealDLInsider

FlyerTalkers,

It was great seeing many of you at the Road Warrior event in ATL a couple weeks ago. As I said to many of you there, we’ve worked very hard over the last 12 months to align and ultimately bring together the WorldPerks and SkyMiles programs. Our goal has been and we will continue to create the industry-leading program that you’d expect from the world’s largest airline. I hope that you will agree that these announcements align with that philosophy.

There’s still work to be done and I appreciate the feedback that many of you have and continue to provide over the web and through email. Today however, marks a major step in the integration of the two programs and our airlines – as we unveil details of the 2010 elite program.

In short, we’re keeping all the current elite program features, several that many of you said to leave in place, including:

• Unlimited complimentary upgrades for all elites in the US48, Canada, Alaska, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and Northern South America
• Priority security access, priority boarding, preferred seating and waived checked baggage charges for everyone in the elite record
• Retaining of the 75,000 EQM requirement for Platinum status (I know this was a hot item of discussion and whether we would raise the threshold to align with AA and UA)
• A 500-mile minimum on all flight segments for all customers
• A 50% elite-qualifying and base mileage bonus on YBM coach fares
• One elite-qualifying mile and base mile per mile flown on all fares in all channels

And, we are permanently adding the following new benefits:

• Rollover EQMs: We’ll be the first airline to allow customers to roll over any Elite Qualification Miles (EQMs) earned above a Medallion threshold each calendar year to jump start your elite qualification for the following year. For example, should you earn 40,000 EQMs this calendar year, the 15,000 EQMs that exceed the Silver Medallion threshold of 25,000 EQMs, will all be rolled over and be in your elite bank on January 1st. There is no limit to the amount of rollover and this benefit is effective now.
• Diamond Medallion Status: A fourth Medallion level for flyers who earn 125,000 EQMs or fly 140 segments per calendar year that will offer the richest benefits of any airline.
• No Direct Ticketing Fees: Diamond, Platinum and Gold elite members will have ticketing fees waived for all bookings – just like they do in WorldPerks today.
• Choice Benefits: Diamond and Platinum Medallion members will choose from a menu of benefits, including the ability to gift Medallion status, bonus miles, Delta Sky Club day passes, and new systemwide upgrade certificates (formerly PMUs) that will now be redeemable on the day of departure.

Since many of you asked about the systemwide upgrade certificates at the road warrior event, I thought I would share a few more specifics around these. Up through the end of this year, all Platinum elites will continue to receive six Platinum systemwide upgrades just as they do today – no changes. Beginning in 2010, rather than six systemwide upgrades, Platinums will now have the option of receiving four new systemwide upgrades or can choose from a set of optional benefits instead. For those current Platinum Medallions who earn the new Diamond Medallion status, in addition to the four systemwide upgrades, they will receive two additional choice-benefits including the ability to have six additional systemwide upgrades for a total of 10 systemwide upgrades. The new systemwide upgrades will still require the purchase of a YBM fare, however will soon be usable on the day of departure and will also become fully automated (no more paper) in 2010. In essence, should a Diamond or Platinum elite purchase a YBM fare internationally and there are empty seats in Business Class on the day of departure, we will now upgrade them using these certificates. Further to this, since 80% of Platinum elites today do not use the systemwide certificates that we send out, 4 out of 5 customers will actually opt to choose other benefits – in lieu of systemwide upgrade certificates. These other benefits will include additional bonus miles, lounge passes, the ability to gift elite status to anyone else, gift cards and other soon to be announced travel related items.

You can find more details at delta.com/newskymiles, but I wanted to be sure you all were among the first to hear about the new program. I recognize we can’t please everyone all the time, but I hope you agree that these changes are a big step forward in making our elite program the best in the industry.

We will be reading the comments on these forums and will do our best to answer questions that you may have as they arise.

As always, thanks for your interest in and passion for the WorldPerks and SkyMiles program.

Enjoy,
Jeff

avidflyer

Two SWU's that could be used on any fare (international) would have done it. You could have kept the SC membership and the rest. Honestly, I am at 160k and I will not fly DL any more. For this level of flying I get INT upgrade instruments that I can actually use on MY dime cheap (That is the point guys...I can buy discount Biz on any number of airlines at the same rates as your YBM fares). I think you will find that the folks here handed this to you on a silver (or Diamond) platter and this is just not going to cut it for many who have been waiting to see which way to go.

mdb

Agreed - DL blew it. I will be moving my Itnl flights to UA....

humanoid94

This is a relativey strong domestic program, but it is a really poor program for international travelers. The primary benefit to the diamond level appears to be Skyclub access, which any diamond would already have traveling internationally as Skyteam Elite plus. I don't know why a rational, high mileage, international traveler (unless they lived in JFK or ATL), would chose Delta over UA and AA's superior programs, and isn't that the point in the first place? To encourage high value interntional travelers to chose Delta?

If I could make a recommendation, call up Bob on the phone and ask him to show you the data from the first year of Elite Extra Perks at Northwest. That was when NW offered real System Wide Upgrades from any fare class after flying "a lot" of miles. I remember speaking to a NW official a couple years ago (name omitted...) who told me that the response to that program was amazing. I think if you looked at that data you would see what we are trying to tell you, that you need to have a better SWU to drive additional revenue and create a competive program.

MikeMpls

This being FlyerTalk, there are already almost 350 mileposts of feedback for your bedtime reading, Jeff, in the NW & DL forums.

DM is DOA.

fti

Thanks for your post Jeff but obviously you are late to the party. And we don't appreciate your spin.

Diamonds have unlimited changes to award tickets? Hmm. I thought the reason you eliminated that benefit was "abuse" of the system, not to "give it back" to a higher elite level. Someone here was lying and it wasn't Flyertalkers.

The REASON that 80% of elites don't use the certificates was not addressed - because they suck. Take a look at other airlines' systemwide upgrades. Maybe you can learn something.

As usual, we can expect to not hear a peep from you again for weeks or months - until your next PR spin.

Boilertube

I bought the lifetime WorldClub membership when it was offered. Will now be a Diamond Elite.

I can't see any real advantage for me in the newly announced program. Looks like I will try to do the rest of my flying in 2009 on either UA or AA.

In future years, once I hit 75,000 MQMs, I will again make the switch.

mcblowfish

Hey Mike- how many of those posts are by the same 5-10 people? I'm just sayin'

MC

nathockens

Jeff,

How about you let us use 2 upgrades instead of 1 to upgrade a deeply discounted international fare instead of a high priced international fare? We'd burn through our upgrades faster (you win) while we still get a few upgrades (we win.)

Not everyone is a high fare international traveler -- some of us travel on our own dime and don't have the deep pockets to purchase into YBM. And we're the ones that are paying attention, loudest and most loyal.

Nat

peachfront

Well, I don't think this program is all that bad, that the first few replies should be slams. The SWUs aren't too exciting, to put it mildly, but I really like the bit about the ability to roll over EQMs -- I always have some odd amount left over.

I like this dude's idea:

How about you let us use 2 upgrades instead of 1 to upgrade a deeply discounted international fare instead of a high priced international fare? We'd burn through our upgrades faster (you win) while we still get a few upgrades (we win.)


I would also like to know what happened to priority baggage handling for first class/elites. It was hit or miss on Northwest, but having it sometimes was better than having it no times, as seems to be the case now with Delta.

sryan2k1

Since the Deltafication of DTW I think I've only flown out first class (I'm seeing almost 100% UGs <3), and the tags always say Priority and get the neon green/yellow Delta Priority tags, NW coded flights too with the tag saying Northwest, for whatever thats worth.

peachfront

Maybe it's the routes I'm on, but while I've gotten the upgrades almost every time except I think once, I've not gotten the priority bag tags at all.

sryan2k1

I would be interested to see if your tags say Priority on them and they just aren't sticking the neon tag on with it.

MikeMpls

If you actually had a valid point to make, you'd look up the answer yourself and post it. It only takes one mouse click. But obviously, that's not your purpose.

Here's the breakdown for the main thread (base post + 249 current replies) in the DL forum. 95 FlyerTalkers are represented in that thread so far:

terryan

AS a northwest silver for the last 5 years, I am not realistically going to get to the plat or diamond status. I have seen my upgrade percentage plummet since the delta merger was accomplished. I used to get upgraded about 50-60% of the time, now I haven't been upgraded more than 3 times in the last 24 segments, about 12%. Why would I try to get to silver again, all on my dime? At least if I switch to UA, I will get economy plus seating all the time. With all the mileage inflation, my status gets me nothing but free baggage check. United, here I come.