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I am still a bit in shock that 2025 is only a few weeks away. This year has been a blur for me with much of it spent at sea on 3 different cruises and 11 days avoiding winter in Jamaica. We had our first real snow in South Bend this week and I did not like it. Enough about my winter woes and let’s look back at last week on the blog:
For so many years I have been warning that Delta is going to destroy the one greatest perk of being a Delta loyalist and that is “free” upgrades. That times, sadly, is now. See why we say so.
My wife would never forgive me. I mean seriously – Chris lost an upgrade to save himself $20! Yup twenty US dollars. Learn from his painful mistake and do not repeat it.
I hold a Delta Amex card and so does my wife. We hate the yearly fee but Delta Stays credits are one way to claw back some value from the card that offers so much more.
So when did Hawaii become a location that we need a passport to visit I ask you? Delta IT, as “great” as it is, wanted this Delta Diamond to provide one to go there. Seriously!
Our Oceania expert Michael shares his experience visiting the all but private island on the Great Stirrup Cay. I so need to book a cruise on Oceania soon.
I hope everyone has a great weekend of whatever you love the most i.e. collage football or flying somewhere nice or looking out at sea on an amazing cruise ship! – 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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Thank you Rene for this article and now I am convinced that all my purchases need to be on the American Airlines Mastercard. I have been with American Express Delta card for 7 years. But if there is no more appreciation to loyalty, why keep spending. Delta Management messed up by caving into the shareholders and now I am told that I have to pay for an upgrade. Goodbye Delta!
Good luck getting to your destination. American has the worst on time performance of the big 4 (DL UL AA SW).
Figure out what is important to you and move forward with that. I’m a lifetime Platinum on Delta physically flying over 2.4 million miles. I can status match to anyone….but Delta actually gets me there (I did suffer the cloud strike this summer but Delta paid for everything so excused).
I challenge you to find a different carrier to get you where you want to go on time.
But this is your choice and I’m not leaving Delta. Period.
Who cares about “on time performance”? I’d rather get upgrades and other perqs. I’ll get to where I’m going eventually. Obsession with OTP is one of the dumbest phenomena in air travel. LMAO.
“I’ll get to where I’m going eventually” says the man who jumps out of planes.
That was just one plane… singular.
Based on something I read, it might’ve been two.
I agree with Thomas and will be done with my expensive Amex cards (between wife and I and our businesses we have 4) and our persuit of Delta Medalion in the next 12 months. It is utterly worthless other than SkyClub access
Delta CEO Bastion makes about 92 thousand $ every day of the week. Reward him for this among other Delta Differences.
Hello again Chris,
Do you know (chances are yes!) the best way to file a DL complaint and actually get a meaningful – as in compensation of some sort – response…other than 40 I’m sorrys?c
I flew from JFK to Athens an paid fior Delta One usi9ng a Global for the upgrade. I also am diabled, showed up at the plane’s door in a wheelchair, have a different (“non-visible) disability (serious IBI), which I informed any flight attendant who would listen – not many – and the (useless) purser.
The plane was dated, filthy, and a two ai sle configuration the entire aircraft with NO Exclusive DL One cabion. THe seat was so tiny, I could not ebven put my arms down at my sides! I went to the rest room to change into some sweats for the flight, but it was DISGUSTING with a big puddle of ? on the entire floor. I went backt o my Hobbit seat and changed undern a filthy “duvet”.
THe entire flight sucked…you get it. Then, upon arrival in Athens, the flight attendants did not allow “Delta One” pax to deplane first. ANd. since it was 2 aisles the entire aircraft, as a disabled individual, I had to wait for ALL pax to deplane. I was slowly gathering my things (tiny space, remember?) and apparently taking too long. Well, from out of the resin of the aircraft, practically every flight attendant on board was at my seat – each and every one of them – at the same time and over and over again)n asking if they could “help”. These are the same non-existant flight attendants who apparently were on the Athens flight, but hiding somewhere – (do they have those hidden lower compartments with beds for the FA’s to nap?) I am certain they got more shut eye than me. Okay, back to deplaning – surrounded by flight attendants and the “Purser” who dished out the non-coursed meal and disappeared. Then the Captain came up to my filthy seat and said in a booming voice,”WE HAVE TO GET OFF THIS PLANE!” ANd then there was no whellchair waiting for me’ at the aircraft door. Stay tuned for my next comment on the delayed, return flight back home, connecting in BOS. Thanks. I’ll look for your suggestion – but read the next comment first, please.
WCT, JR.
DL Diamond
Million Miler
AMEX Reserve Card
Hi, William. Check out this page.
Hey Chris. WCT, Jr. here re: DL ONE return trip, ATH – DLH, changing planes and customs in BOS.
As a disabled pax in a wheelchair, I was abandoned 3 times at BOS Logan airport with 3 bags and no one to help me or offer to move me and my bags to the domestic conveyor. Finally, an excellent a DL employee, not in uniform, pushed me to my connecting domestic flight. That thoughtfulness was the highlight of my flight! After a detailed 14-page letter – which I had to follow up on countless times – I was awarded 13 – I’m sorry’s – and 25K miles for my compensation. It’s all not good, but the thing that irks me is: I paid cash (and used an Int’l UG) for what Delta billed as “Delta One”. What I got was a dated, dirty, video not-working, horrible food, non-coursed dinner on a plane with brown water on the floor in the “Delta One” lav. The entire plane was disgusting. I am surprised DL even would fly such a misnomer to quality.
You paid “cash”? I didn’t realize Delta still accepted cash. Every station I have traveled through is card only. Aircraft is also card only.
I assume that in this instance “cash” means “money” and means he paid outright for his fare as opposed to using points.
I read both articles covering the upgrade issue. De-benefiting is something that is happening in many airline and hotel loyalty programs. For various reasons, fewer benefits are realizable. As such, elite status has become worth less and less. Certainly, some people do benefit. But, most do not. It is the way it has become.
Imagine having top-tier hotel status. Let’s say you spend north of $50k a year at that program’s hotels alone. You check into a property. For the entire duration of your stay, *several* non-signature suites are available. You ask about an upgrade. The manager actually says to you, “We’re not going to just give you a suite” and refuses the request. It finally sinks in and you realize that tier status is a mug’s game . . . and you are the mug.
Chris, here’s a question. In comments to an article on MQD runs, someone asked you whether the value of tier status merited the unnecessary expense of MQD runs. In your response, you said that the value of RUCs and GUCs could potentially be significant and thus MQD runs were worth it.
Given the state of upgrades reflected in this article, I wonder if you feel the same way. Thanks.
@Lee – Jumping in on this on but I am sure Chris will share also.
I, in all my years, only lost one RUC and no GUCs. However I book a long long way out. If you can do that value remains high but for others value should be reconsidered.
Rene, given the frustrations you’ve expressed regarding Delta tier status (etc.), does your success with long-way-out upgrades no longer justify seeking tier status? Thanks in advance.
@Lee – For now I have given up chasing Delta status and just book best deals in the class I want any airline. Flexible points = much less stress.
I remember a couple of those exchanges. This is one and this is another. Elite status is not one-size-fits-all. For me, the RUC and GUC are not worth it, especially because my client-related business travel is almost non-existent since the COVID pandemic. And I don’t see a lot of value redeeming certificates for trips under three or four hours in domestic First. I’d rather use them for Delta One — but those are popular routes where companies actually buy seats up fronts. But that’s just me.
As René pointed out, he books way ahead of time and has been very successful with his redemptions. I know a few other people who’ve enjoyed great trips because they’re able to redeem their certificates for desirable trips.
I think MQD trips are potentially worth it for some people. But certainly not everything. Again, that’s just me.
Thanks for your thoughts. In my experience, evaporation of upgrades is occurring at all of the legacy carriers. After years of frustration, I’ve gone the route of just-buy-first-class. I’m not trying to stiff anyone. I only have so much travel left in this tired old body and I have the points and want to enjoy the time I have left.