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A number of readers have asked if I am completely done flying Delta. As a Diamond this year and Platinum for the next two, I will still be very selectively booking flights when they work best for me and the prices are at least in the realm of sanity.
Delta, now that they have dumped South Bend to Detroit after decades of service, gives me the option of flying north to Minneapolis-St. Paul or south to Atlanta. With CRJ900 service for both of these legs, the ride is so much better than it was for years on the CRJ200s. I chose the southerly route as both flights were just about 1 hour long with time to chill in the ATL!
But not having kids, it did not occur to me until too late that I would be both flying Delta and sailing on the Norwegian JOY in the middle of spring break 2023.
Ugh.
I did sorta hope for an upgrade as at the five-day window, when Diamonds start to clear upgrades, with eight seats open on a 757 for our second leg out from Atlanta to Miami. That did not happen. Nor did it happen on the CRJ900 out of SBN. The latter was a surprise as it is rare as a Diamond not to clear out of my home town but spring break really changed the equation.
My wife and I had Comfort+ seats and boarded with every seat in first class full… But then, it wasn’t just minutes before departure. The gate agent came on board. I expected that because we were now 1 and 2 on the list, one of us would be upgraded to first class.
That did not happen.
Fail on the part of the SBN gate agent.
But the head flight attendant on this Delta Connection flight stepped up and did a “Strive for Five” worthy move after I showed her we were next on the list: she allowed my wife to take the last First Class seat that was open.
I really was impressed with Dessiree and this is the instant kind of service recovery (as Delta calls it) and fix that an empowered company representative can make! Just well done.
The benefit of this, in addition to my wife getting a nice seat, is I got to enjoy two seats that really gave me even more space than upfront.
I had not tried the canned “champagne” (yes, I know it is just bubble soda wine) in a can, so I gave it a spin. It was better than the canned red wine but I still think sticking with Woodford Reserve neat is a much better choice. Without IFE, an extra tray table to hold my phone for movies is also a big win.
After a visit to the E Sky Club in Atlanta, and some very tasty ribs, I was feeling that old warm Delta “joy” inside that was a constant feature when I flew Delta almost every week before the pandemic.
Once again, neither my wife nor I cleared into first class. But the two-seat option on the 757 for a one-ish hour flight is just fine. There was a bit of turbulence climbing out of ATL but then service began. The Comfort+ crew, especially FA Rob, was simply outstanding. Absolutely on par with the Delta Connection FA on the flight before. This round I enjoyed a single Woodford – neat.
The flight was 100% full and service took a while in Main Cabin. I had finished my drink, so I asked the First Class flight attendant, as she was passing through the Comfort+ cabin checking on us, if I could have one more.
As a Diamond Medallion and Million Miler (flight attendants know your status from their hand units called GST) I expected the answer to be something like either “sure” or even “once I am done, I will try”.
Nope!
She dismissed me instantly and said that the crew in the back was still busy. She doubted they would have time for me again.
Well, gee, thanks.
Thanks for flipping my thus far outstanding Delta #KeepClimbing experience and day of flying with Delta and displaying the “Strive for Zero” attitude and bringing me back to my sanity of where Delta is going in 2023.
Honestly, in a sad way, I am truly grateful to the Delta FA as it brought me back to earth and I was instantly thinking of Mr. Frongello’s horrible experience in Atlanta just a few months ago.
At least we made it to Miami and after waiting a long time for our luggage (and collecting 2500 miles because it took longer than 20 minutes for us to get it) we were ready to start our cruise adventure! – René
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After April 18th you should try a connection through MSP, the new G Concourse SkyClub will be opening. As for the service dichotomy, I am of two minds, on one hand, delivery is everything, you can get to no through pleasantry’s. But on the other hand, I don’t know I would put this as a zero either, it does not sound like advertised service in Comfort Plus was diminished or less than advertised, complimentary drinks and snacks were provided it seems, and honestly, I would rather the FA tell me something straight and set the expectation something was not going to happen up front rather than over promise and under deliver. I would give this a solid 3, service was delivered as sold, no more, no less.
@Ben LeRoy – In the past, when everyone at Delta displayed the “Delta Difference”, every flight everyone I came in contact with were all 5s!
I totally agree, it should be a strive for 5s every time and I recognize my armchair quarterbacking here is different than you actually experiencing it in flight. After talking to several FAs out of MSP I get the distinct impression that the demand schedule is burning everyone out. I know of at least 6 FAs I knew as “regulars” on my flights, taking early outs in the pandemic and there are a lot of new faces as well, but the “culture transfer” did not occurred because these new faces are not working along side seasoned FAs. I also think that the ban from lounges even when flying non-rev with family really did a number on corporate as well As rank and file morale. I don’t want to give them excuses, sometimes there are rude FAs and it happens more often now than before, but I think there are many contributing factors.
@Ben LeRoy – Oh I hear you and your comment nailed it IMO. Delta, the corp and leaders (not FAs etc.) have made so many bad choices over the years and keep making them.
The thing that has saved Delta (i.e. way over priced tickets compared to other airlines and insane Skymiles prices) has been the outstanding Delta people doing what they do. If that goes away… well…
We’re all still a little rusty after being grounded for so long. You forgot to play it safe by ordering a double. It lightens the workload for FA’s and the worst that can happen is you don’t get to finish it.
@Frosh – True I could have asked for that, and have done so a few times in the past and never been told no, but that is not the point. The point is this kind of attitude by those who work for Delta is simply not OK. It will cost the company in the long run and I am seeing more of this every single time I fly Delta – almost never in the past.
Unfortunately, it still comes down to people. On the way to ATL you caught a good one and on your next leg…uh…not so good. But, totally agree they NEED to be aware of you on that flight as a Million Miler/Diamond. Half of that is training…the other half is the person doing their job and actually using that machine in their hand (that they never seem to put down anyway).
Side bar to your story: I am Gold, and with my biz travel down to close to nothing these days, I’m probably not “climbing” much higher. As I read your story I was thinking to myself, “Damn, I’m NEVER getting a second drink if he didn’t get one!”
@TravelWarr – It is funny you say that as my friends who are United elites, when stuck in the back, are almost every single time thanked and shown extra attention by the United FAs.
Omg I came in last nite from JFK on Delta….. I am a frequent traveler to and from 90% of the time on business class and Comfort plus….. there was one seat left on business class…. Guess a whopping $1000- like really!!!!!then to upgrade forget bout it…. Checked 2 large luggage another whopping $35 for each!!! NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT SINCE I WAS NEVER CHARGED FOR THE LUGGAGE ON NEITHER BUSINESS AND COMPFORT PLUS!!! I’m devasted!!!! Hey the word out !!’ How miserable the airline industry want to take advantage !!!!POOOOOF
So glad I don’t live at a dl hub. I do however have lots of dl partners who have nonstop intnl flights from my usual city. So, I fly PE or J on partners and earn ridiculous amounts of easy pesos which I nearly exclusively spend on Y with dl domestic flights (particularly after last set of peso devaluations). I spend relatively little cash outright to achieve dl diamond (far less than $10k/yr). Always have. I spend far more cash for tickets on other airlines most of which are not dl partners. But I still do it because Y value on dl domestic is still ok and ste+ on partners is still sweet.
p.s. if you have time and want to know where value is at, take a look at reverse route pricing on your favorite international route in any cabin.
If you do buy up-FC or get upgraded there is still no PDB’s being offered most of the time. I was in D1(JFK) last week and the guy beside me asked if he could have a drink-20 or more minutes before takeoff.. and he was told NO you have your bottle of water??? He turned to me and said “no departure drinks anymore?” I said most of the time there is NONE>. and if your lucky you get a bottled water!!! Afterward dinner came (thai salad??) He took one look at it and said take it back.. as we were in the last seats served there was nothing else so he had chips for dinner.
Happy Sailing Rene!