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Looking back at decades of flying Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and SkyTeam partners, I have so many fond memories. For example, the stunning kindness of the Delta flight attendants when I was escorting my mom back home to Sweden after she had emergency pacemaker surgery while visiting me in Indiana. Or the time in Detroit Delta not only moved the arrival gate for my inbound jet but then held the next flight until I could board. Thanks to my pal Dave my Million Miler flight was a complete scream and the flight attendants on landing telling the entire 747 I had just crossed 1 MM and the entire plane erupting in applause.
I have really had some amazing moments on Delta jets in my life that make me smile.
Another thing that used to make me smile, before the days of inflight entertainment (IFE) and Wi-Fi on Delta jets, was the SKY magazine. It was always fun to see just what they had to share from the Delta CEO and others on different travel-related topics and where Delta was going next. Before it completely ended publication, I even enjoyed reading the digital version when I was not flying.
SKY also holds another lasting memory for me. My wife and I were very young when we got engaged. My engagement ring, while special, was tiny and I planned to do what many other Swedish folks do: wear two rings – one symbolizing your engagement and the other that you are married. But we never got around to that. But there was something that caught my attention in SKY.
Austin-based jewelry designer John Christian advertised in SKY that they make custom jewelry out of dates. I loved this idea for a one-of-kind ring for me. I shared this with my wife and for a special anniversary we got this:
Yes, my wedding date is my wedding ring and every day I look at it I think not just about my dear bride, but that it is thanks to Delta I have my unique memento.
Fast forward to just this year because there is a reason I am posting about this — and it is not just for the walk down memory lane. For many years now I have been lazy and have not taken my ring off when I have done projects and I have ended up pinching and hitting my ring many times and the result was a number of stress cracks in the ring. I went to a local jeweler to inquire about repairs and they found 8 cracks and it would run some $500 to repair.
Ugh.
I decided to reach out to the folks who made the ring all those years again and, yes, John Christian is still in business in Austin. I asked how much credit I could get if they were to make me a new ring and get this – for just over $100 they could send me a new one and I just had to pop the old one into a prepaid mailer back to them!
Really? Wow!
In 2024 it seems, at least to me, customer service and loyalty are way down compared to what we had years ago but one of the exceptions to the rule is clearly John Christian.
Now if only Skymall could come back with another 25,000 SkyMiles offer when you spend $500 my nostalgia would be complete! 😉 – 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.
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Love it
@Davy – Thanks! I just wish Delta “feel good” posts got anywhere near the amount of views the negative ones do! 🙁
Did you replicate the original ring when you traded it in or did you change anything???
@dee – They sent me a brand new ring 100% same as original and then I sent my old one back in a pre-paid mailer!
Wow very nice!!!
@Rene I’m as disappointed with present-day Delta as any who frequently visit this blog. However, you got my eyes and clicks on this one. I remember handwritten notes appreciating my business, only five or six years ago. That gesture always got me. Thanks for this.
Great story Rene! I always loved to read the Sky magazine each month too, at least when it was Richard that was in charge, not so much for the current guy. I loved watching and listening to Richard also say ‘And I get to sit at his desk every day!’.
@Dave – Thank you very much for your comment. It meant a bunch to me!