Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
I have now listened to Delta’s CEO Ed Bastion’s “walk back” speech a number of times and the message to me is clear and it should be to all of us – they are going to fully implement the nasty SkyMiles 2025 announced changes – they are just going to slow boil us getting to that end goal.
Delta has broken any trust that they value our loyalty – some small walk backs will not change this!
As a Delta focused blogger for well over a decade I have seen and experienced first hand what the current Delta leadership has done to us who have tried to stay loyal to Delta and I want to remind you what with this “ripping off the Band-Aid” moment has finally laid bare.
Just this past week Delta, in the middle of the uproar from the Delta 2025 program news, with no notice as always jumped SkyMiles award prices by 40% – yes 40% – for business class redemptions from Mexico to Europe. Is this rewarding your loyalty to Delta? Really think on this!
Equally important is for us to remember that in the middle of the pandemic, when almost no one was flying, they made two massive jumps in Skyteam award prices from the US to Europe and now using Delta.com to search for even the higher prices is all but nonexistent. Why would anyone ever put a dollar of spend on a Delta Amex card to earn points (other than for a huge new card bonus offer) with a program that does this to it’s members?
Enough about Delta points. Let’s talk more about that elephant in the room. Delta has said they do not have the ability to provide what they have promised to elites by being top members of their program. They just can’t. How will walking back the announced changes fix this issue? The answer is it won’t. So the 2025 program is still the target to achieve for the airline.
Delta has given all of us the gift of a swift, hard, slap in the face wake up call. We are now alert to the reality of what they want. We now at last see that other airlines offer often better prices and service that is either on par with Delta or even better and with better amenities. Don’t let the gift of being a “free agent” ever go away again.
I am sure we will all speculate what the walk backs will look like over then next few weeks but for me trust has been broken permanently and in a sad way I thank Delta for confirming my choice early this year to end my quest for top Diamond status with the airline. – René
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Bingo!
Agreed. I’m still planning to be a free agent. Band-Aid being ripped off has awoken all of us.
Maybe they will come up with a level higher than Diamond, say Ruby that will be the $35,000 a year threshold with all the rewards of the old Diamond level. Then Diamond will be like Platinum and so on down the line.
@Rod – Delta already has 360, an unpublished top tier for really big spenders and those that influence spending (like corp travel execs and CFOs).
I’m looking forward to trying out Cathay. I know my 9k was nothing to Ed, but you get a few of those it adds up.
Amen. I was saddened to read on my Facebook Diamond Medallion group to see many people who last week said “I’m out,”, but now saying, “I’m going to wait and see what the walk backs are….” Pretty stupid when Delta showed us were they are planning to go, only now they will boil the frog (us) a bit more slowly.
@Don – In principle I agree with you, but as an ATL captive, it’s more complicated. Moving to Alaska or Jetblue (naming them because they’re courting us hard) for me would mean really inconvenient and directionally nonsensical connecting trips rather than directs on DL. Same thing, though a bit better with AA and UA, given their larger number of hubs in the east coast and Midwest where I do most of my biz travel. If I was already living in a non-hub airport and connecting on DL, by all means, 100% free agency.
In my opinion, the writing was already on the wall around 2013 or so. I dumped Skymiles in 2016 and became a free agent. Haven’t been able to burn my last 275,000 miles but I am hopeful to do so within 2 years. My loyalty to DL is very thin and only exists again Sprit.
Rene,
Well said! I, too, took the “free agent” route and I frequently find Business Class cheaper on AA than coach on DL. Already flew three times on Singapore Airlines to Phuket and going to Bangkok in November. I’ll end up with Kris Flyer Gold and will never use DL internationally again.
By the way, Flew the “Big Banana’s” “Big Front Seat” ATL-LAS last week for 1/3rd of the price of Delta and I actually enjoyed the lack of “stuffiness”, if you know what I mean, aka Delta’s DYKWIA
I’m flying a turnaround jet blue fly to DTW to give it a try…. So, Rene, thank you for your many years of dedicated assistance, advice and vision.
I do not like American or United so who else could I status match with, JFK is my airport.
Thank you for everything
@Nina – Jetblue status match quickly before gone!
Yes. To be blunt, we got slapped a la Chris Rock.
I long for the days when I had a man-crush on Richard Anderson. Screw you Ed and Delta
Same on Richard. I loved watching and listening to him for every pre-flight video and him saying “and I get to sit at his desk every day” about Delta’s founder. Now when Ed comes on for the video the headset jack comes out until he’s done yapping. With Ed in charge Delta has gone from slowly swirling down to full on outhouse straight down. #KeepDescending Delta.
@Rene, I echo @Nina in thanking you for the many years past, and hopefully many more years ahead, of your and Chris’ and the EOTF’s guidance. Your perspectives have been invaluable. This is a bittersweet reminder that we are ultimately our own agents.
@Don, Delta wants to see who the “true believers” are, by this stunt/announcement. They want to run off those who have their own free will and will determine that $35K without ANY mention of a corresponding jump in benefits just doesn’t fly. Also, the nerve to blame the customers for creating excessive demand for their “premium” product and that those customers should be penalized is the next slap in the face. Mr. Bastian, you can also adjust supply – but that would increase costs now, wouldn’t it?
This Diamond sees SkyMiles for what it is, it is Delta’s program and they can and will define what loyalty and value mean to them. Likewise, I’ve been reminded that I can determine where and how I spend my hard-earned money for the best value and to what companies will continue to earn (note EARN) my business. I recall when I went out of my way to spend money and fly with Delta in late 2020 and throughout 2021, bringing gate agents and the cabin and flight crews Starbucks gift cards and letting them know they were appreciated. I wonder if given a similar downturn in travel I’d do that again.
Elephant in the room: Delta planes are OLD. Delta Lounges are mediocre. Skymiles are worthless. Have really never had a problem with AA and UA. Their fleets are much newer. Delta staff has an air of pretentiousness that does not translate into better service. Cancelled Delta cards.
@Docntx – You really do sum it up well!
Ugh. I’ve had such bad experiences with AA and UA that the thought of using them regularly is awful. Unfortunately, my midwest city has only the big 3 and most my travels are international. I’ve toyed with flying on cheaper AA, but so many itineraries use BritAir and those are terribly unreliable and way out of the way. I’m just going to keep my options open and drive to Chicago when the weather allows.
…I remember way back when I complained about “Northworst.” Then NW got absorbed into DL, and DL seemed alright. Ripping off the band-aid tells me how DL really feels about me; I’d be a fool to believe any walk-back begging for forgivenss. There are other airlines.
I travel for work quite a bit and as anyone who has been on a plane lately will notice is that the planes are always full. They don’t need us frequent flyers! We don’t add anything to their bottom line. The purpose of a frequent flyer program is to generate repeat business. Delta has decided that the business traveler is just not worth courting anymore. US corporations only care about short term profits so the CEO can get a big bonus. They don’t think long term. Eventually the economy will decline and they will try to woo the business traveler back because it will be in their short term interest at that time.
DL award structure is a joke. AA is often 1/3 or less than DL wants. Nope. Mama didn’t raise no fool.
I intend to move over to American as soon as they do a match offer to entice me.
Delta does not want us. We do not fly Delta. For my overseas trips, Korean Air or KLM. My South American trips are dimmed after Delta engaged with LATAM, increase the price of the direct flies and now we need to stop in one of LATAM destinations to fly south. We need a new airline in ATL.
Agree for sure. I have over 380,000 delta miles which is basically useless. I tried to book a trip to Europe business class this past summer only to discover I would still need several hundreds of thousands of more Delta miles to obtain that ticket. It’s never been this bad.
Also, the fact that they will now limit the number of lounge visits to 10 per year on the Amex Platinum is a terrible idea as well.
I do have an Amex Delta Platinum card with a $260 annual fee which is basically useless at this point. I do not intend on using the card for more mileage accumulation since it is a non starter and worthless attempt at this juncture.
I will stick with American Airlines which has a much more simplified award program even though the mileage requirements have gone up significantly. At least you know what you get.
Oh, my home town carrier, how fickle you are. So Ed Bastian gets up to greet a hometown crowd, even with enthusiasm, then gets booed and hackled, much to his dismay! Does anyone really think that old Eddie was ready to give the “I’m so sorry we did you wrong speech?” No way! Ed, being quick on his feet, simply states what he knows is the best thing he can do at the moment. Repent, or so it seems. But the “ripping off the bandaid” comment was truly embarrassing! Really, Mr. Bastian? Is the “wound” that bad. Evidently so. Why didn’t you just say, “Come back next year and we’ll tear the stitches out for you!” Why, oh why, Delta? You will wake up soon and realize that you are not the only legacy carrier out there. Sadly, not soon enough. Say hello to my little friends, United, American, Southwest, Spirit, Alaskan, Frontier, Jet Blue, etc…..
Delta sucks , my wife and I have over 460,000 miles available with them from credit card bonuses on personal and business Amex cards, and it’s so hard to use any of them unless you want to fly with 2 -3 hour layovers on most connecting flights , and forget about non-stops with them unless you are flying to Atlanta , most departures are 5 am or 6 am unless you want to fly after 2 pm and arrive at your final destination at 10 p.m. or later, so frustrating
Don’t
Even
Let
Them
Aboard
…DELTA.
Well. Done. Bob.
100% with you — EXCEPT this: I’m stuck in an internal fortress hub (MSP) and don’t any realistic option other than Delta.
In ALL of these programs, “loyalty” refers only to us, not to the carriers.