Much like the paint job on this now (thankfully) gone Delta Connection CRJ-200 jet, the disastrous SkyMiles 2025 launch continues to generate buzz in the frequent flyer community (something Delta does not want to see) despite the airline’s CEO promise to shortly roll some things back (the key point is the rest is still coming just slowed down).
Delta clearly did not expect this kind of massive reaction as every other horrid change to either loyalty or the points program was met by a shrug of the shoulders by most participating in the program so why not this change as well? We know the reason because it really was going way too far.
So, now the airline is in damage control mode until they can come up with something less nasty to hopefully end the passionate response from so many of its long-time, loyal customers. What they are doing is telling us what they fear most and do not want to see as a developing trend.
We all should know by now that Delta is not really an airline – it is a points program that markets credit cards and happens to fly a bunch of jets as well. That is the impact of the widely publicized $7 billion they take in from the Amex partnership. But that is now very much at risk.
A Reddit user the other day mentioned even the Sky Club agents were trying to up-sell him on cards — and we posted here on the blog that it seems more flight attendants are pushing cards, as well. I myself got a push from Amex to upgrade to the Reserve card (I would not do this as I would rather apply for a new card with larger bonus than upgrade). The point of all of this is that there must be a drop off in new card acquisitions and that has Delta scared. They want MORE folks applying for cards – not less.
Another fear is Delta Amex cancellations. Here on the blog, we agree that under Delta 2025 there is little reason for most to hold more than one Delta card if you are staying loyal to Delta. For just about anyone else who still plans to fly Delta now and then, holding one of the cheapest yearly fee cards for free bags and discounted award tickets is the way to go. But we also are seeing by all reports that many are just done and dumping cards.
The next fear is folks stop spending on their cards. It is shocking to me how many people use their Delta Amex card (or cards) for everyday spending. With Delta SkyMiles holding so little value, almost any other card (even a 2% cash back card) is so much more valuable. But maybe the SkyMiles 2025 dump is the trigger to at last get folks to stop spending on Delta cards unless they need to for a new card bonus.
Then we have the fear that folks are booking other airlines’ first class products. The overwhelming comments I see from Delta loyalists are they simply always booked Delta because they want all Delta can offer them — including status and so on. We also know that first class seats offer a massively higher profit margin to the airline than coach seats. If blindly loyal Delta flyers find other airlines are not just cheaper in first class but offer a similar experience, they may never again return to being a 100% Delta-centered flyer. Lifetime shifts are hard to ever win back and Delta may have done that this time.
The last big thing is a permanent breakup. They do NOT want you status matching to American (who seems to be waiving match fees, BTW) or United or especially Alaska or Jet Blue who both are trying to poach you. If you go all-in with another airline you are likely to dump everything Delta and move on. I think there has been a wave of this — and more is on the way.
Bottom line: Delta is in damage control but I think they have so overplayed their hand that the horse has bolted so it’s too late to shut the door and the arrogant move to SkyMiles 2025 will finally hurt them like no other changes for the past 10 years! – René
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Rene,
On Sunday, I called AMEX to see if I’d get some sort of “retention” offer for keeping both the DL Reserve and DL Platinum. Combined spend has been approximately $60k/year. I’ve experienced much difficulty with redeeming the “companion” certificate as well. Surprisingly, I got on “one shore” AMEX representative who wasn’t to worried with loosing a customer, no offer was made to retain both cards, so, regardless o my “lounge “ access for several months, I made a decision to accelerate the overcrowding of the SkyClubs and cancelled both cards. It’s a small data point for this Platinum Million Miler but if we don’t individually take a stand, the Delta employees on Virginia Ave at lunch will keep laughing at us in Delta One with there extended families. I stays matched to AA and been booking the flying banana to LAS.
I can’t see the point in having two cards if you would spend more than $120K per year on the Reserve (the level at which you can no longer earn MQM). Also I wonder whether Amex likes people to have more than 1 card. If they make most of their money from commission, a person may be a liability if they have two cards and low spending on one of them.
That should say “if you would not spend”
Be accurate with your photos. That is a SkyPest [sic] CRJ-700
Hoping they get the Budlight treatment
Until I see Ed’s modifications to the SkyMiles program, Delta is in the penalty box for both my Reserve Amex spend and Delta flights. Today I bought my first non-Delta airline ticket in over 5 years! I live in Indianpolis, so being loyal to Delta requires at least one stop. I bought a SWA ticket and it was $200 cheaper and a nonstop (instead routing through ATL or DTW). Forgot how much more Delta is. I don’t want to leave Delta but Ed needs to make the SkyMiles program fair to loyal flyers.
Delta and SWA are two completely different offerings. If I were going to switch it would be to an airline that still offers better seats for the more loyal customers
The current situation at Delta where you can’t get into the club you’ve paid for without a long wait, or where the Comfort seats are all taken weeks in advance, is also not fair to the most loyal flyers.
I bought my first ticket on jet Blue the other day.
A same day rt to DTW from JFK—- my home airport.
I did not like the process:
1. The fare shown is the cheapest just a seat fare .
2. I do not understand their miles program.
3.they don’t have a “sky club.”
4. I would not want to fly business on a single aisle on a transatlantic flight.
I have heard pleasant comments about jet blue though, and thought I’d give it a fry.
I’m really NOT keen on America. Or United so,
What’s left? Suggestions please. And thank you .
@Nina – AA or UA really are the only game in town for you if not happy with Jet Blue.
I have been thrilled with my domestic SW flights that I now take more and more from ATL as long as they are under 2.5 hours. I never used to comparison shop as I always just bought Delta but I booked a SW flight this morning that was half the price.
For me, once I got over the emotional aspect of what Delta has taken away, it just means that Delta has to compete with other airlines without any loyalty from me. I’ll still be a PM in 2024, and free luggage, EC upgrades just after booking, and the Medallion line still have value, not to mention burning the RUCs. However, in 2025 I will only be Silver and things will be different. I will be dropping my Reserve card in December.
I often fly from the Bay Area to MSP or other upper Midwest cities that typically connect though Minneapolis, Detroit, Chicago, or Atlanta. I expect I will still be on Delta often. However, I am seeing some great first class fares on American, Alaska, and United from SFO to MSP as low as $550 that I would try, but all these require a connection. Only Delta has multiple nonstop options from SJC and SFO to MSP. United might have one or two nonstops a day from SFO, but they are typically more expensive.
I expect that Delta will still often be the best option for me. Also, keep in mind that loyalty also locks people in. Without loyalty, Delta will need to compete harder to beat the competition for each ticket I purchase.
Consider why you want to change. Maybe you will be worse off because of the changes that Delta made. On the other hand, if your flying or spending habits were to change, you might be worse off because of reasons unrelated to Delta. My recommendation is to fly the airline you find most comfortable. Maybe, for too long, some of us have been choosing our airline for the wrong reasons, maybe even making life choices simply to make status. For those that have, this is a chance to reset.
TPA based DL Diamond for past 5 years, 200k+ annual Amex Reserve spend and currently sitting in United Club at LHR waiting for TATL flight to EWR considering my post 2024 plans (already 2024 diamond met). Show me some love. Sky Ike’s couldn’t compete with UA points redemption to Europe and back.
You would qualify for Diamond under the new rules assuming you made Diamond through MQD since you didn’t send 250K. 200K Amex plus 15K air spend (less than the current MQD requirement) would give you Diamond. It seems like you are one of the people that would be better off under the new rules. I agree that the mileage rates at Delta are out of control. It will be interesting to see whether United and American rates will follow suit.
I took up JetBlue and Alaska on their status matches. I had the JetBlue Plus card and just got (again) the Alaska Visa card, so that’ll give me status through next year. I’m Gold Medallion, so I’ll match into Alaska’s Gold 75K tier, which is quite generous. Even if I’m not doing a lot of transcons next year, I can still take advantage of Alaska being a OneWorld airline, which will help me with AA.
I had been very loyal to DL, but with my current spend (about $4.5K) I won’t even make it to Silver. Putting college tuition and taxes on the card could help, but is it really worth it to pay a 3% convenience fee that would total into four figures just to be Gold Medallion in 2025 and get only six lounge visits via my Amex Plat? Thinking no.
The days of status for “flying only” are officially over (been over for some time) and not coming back. 15 yr Diamond (2024 qualified) and nearly 3MM. Along with 95% upgrade in late 90’s-early 20’s, I am missing the MQM carry over most as it was going to allow me to keep Platinum for 6 years into retirement with appropriate DL Reserve spend – usually spend 75-90K/yr. That was going to be my reward for spending around $50-75K/yr flying with Delta for last 10+ yrs. Not now. Sad, but trying to get over it. Where is Donald Sutherland when we need him! Not totally leaving Delta, but I have 6 flights coming up on AA including Bus Class to London and will probably cancel or quit using Delta Res. We shall see. No illusions on AA, but way better points redemption.
I have been Delta (and before that Northwest) Platinum Medallion for over 25 years and held the Amex Platinum for the SkyClub access and the Delta Platinum Amex for the MQM boost (and, secondarily, for the not-that-useful companion fare). FC upgrades have been few and far between as a Platinum over the past few years, but I’ve kept with Delta for the C+ seats at booking. With these changes, I’ll never be Platinum again (and thus lose access to C+ seats at booking). So, I have status matched to Alaska, where I can access premium class at booking and likely will get more FC ups at the 75k level than on Delta. I have abandoned the Delta Amex Platinum and will keep the Amex Platinum at least through next year (I’ll have to reassess then whether the value is still there). I would have stayed with Delta, but Delta just left me. I’ll spend the next year using up my SkyPennies for good-value domestic flights but use Alaska (and American and OneWorld) for everything paid.
I have the Delta Platinum and a newly acquired Amex Platinum as my travels lately have forced me to use other airlines out of convenience. I live in San Diego with limited options. That being said, I always have chosen and preferred Delta, in fact I had a great D flight last weekend and I like them better than Am and Un although I have to say those have really upgraded their game and are getting very close to D. My take, I’ll keep the Delta Plat while I get thru my 1m miles via pay by miles the CC allows me so 1-more renewal, but w/o the bonus MQM boosters that haven’t been replaced by anything at all I have no choice. I have already started the process of my default pay for daily expense to the Amex P, so Delta will start to feel the pain. I charge in excess of $250k per year. I will use the Amex Platinum for all travel going forward as it just makes financial sense, and then may grab another CC down the line after the cancellation in 2025. I also have the AA MC that mostly my backup CC but mostly useless w/o any bonuses like the Delta P will become. The Delta P will be on par with AA and United, I guess that was their intention?
I agree that not replacing the MQM boosts with anything is extremely disappointing.
Amex Platinum holder who HIGHLY values (valued??) my Delta lounge access. Now for almost $700 (Plus $175 x 2 for my authorized users), I can visit 6 times per year? That’s just three round trips (assuming no connections).
Both AA and UA offer a card for around $100 less that gives me unlimited access to their lounges. I’m probably going to add one of them and start flying United or American more often.
Does anyone have a strong opinion on which of those two domestic lounge networks (AA vs UA) is better? We fly mostly out of LAX, and most often to BOS, ORD, and DEN.
Thanks for your help!!
I’m @ DCA, now, using up my Skymiles on a flight purchased with miles.
Schedules come and go, I learned during the plague years, when Delta had cut their schedule to two flights a week to the Caribbean, etc. I’m moving to AA and maybe UA. Their schedules always are changing. Time will tell.
In addition to Delta/AmEx Reserve for Business’s Sky Club access, I have long valued the Delta Platinum Medallion option to redeposit award travel SkyMiles if our plans change or a cheaper award ticket option shows up. Could you please post details about how best to inform AmEx and Delta that I plan to cancel my Reserve (+one employee) cards at their next renewal date? Thanks.
I think that award ticket redeposit fees are gone for everyone as long as you stay away from basic economy tickets.
https://www.delta.com/us/en/skymiles/how-to-use-miles/travel-with-miles
I don’t think that is a benefit limited to Platinum members. See https://www.delta.com/us/en/travel-planning-center/change-or-cancel-your-trip/flying-made-simple
Whatever Delta has done wrong to break trust, they need to respond immediately! Just saying “No question we probably went too far in doing that” and a promise to announce modifications “sometime over the next few weeks” falls flat!
CEO Bastian needs to step up and Delta needs to announce these changes to stop the hemorrhaging from their program and their co-branded AmEx cards.
They were quick to pounce, eager to dump so many, now noticeably slow to make amends!
There will be no rollbacks or very minimal modification. This is just a tactic to slow the tide of those taking status matches and downgrading/canceling their AMEX cards. Delta leadership has show their true colors and have instituted a 100% income based “class” system for the airline. No need to fly, show us you have a high income by being able to charge $120,000, $180,000, $320,000+ on an AMEX card and you are welcome to be treated well, if not then you can grovel for crumbs.
I am a DM and currently on a SkyPennies trip with a few more planned to use up my balance. I have not and will not use my Delta Reserve card during this trip, a few weeks ago there would have been no way I would have used any other card for my expenses. My previous annual spend was 60K-120K primarily on the DR Amex which will remain in my wallet unused till renewal, theres no value for me to continue down this useless path.
Fix it Delta or forget about me….Oh wait you already did with a swift kick!!
I see no reason to spend a dime on Delta branded credit cards unless the changes are radically altered. Today I spend $30k/year on my Reserve in order to get the MQD waiver (at 25) and MQM bonus (at 30). Then I hit Platinum by actually flying – under the new program I don’t understand why I’d spend a dime with the Delta AmEx.
Just took the offer from Alaska to match Delta DIamond/Platinum. Keeping card until it expires. I walked by the Lounge so many times this year as the lines were always very long to get into the club.