Delta Tinkers with Its Boarding Zones Again — and Slightly Sends Its Most Loyal Customers Down the Ladder

A year has passed since Delta Air Lines changed its boarding zones. That means only thing: time to make adjustments that certainly will tick off some people!
We’re aware of the changes Delta announced today to its fares. We’re preparing a post!

Delta 360: From “Pre-Boarding” to Zone 2

When Delta changed to boarding “Zones” last year, invitation-only Delta 360 members were some of the first people to board a flight. They, along with military members and folks needing extra time to get on the plane, were part of the “Pre-Boarding” Zone. (As comedian George Carlin pointed out, isn’t “pre-boarding” what we do before actually boarding the plane? For example, isn’t milling about the gate area actually “pre-boarding”? I digress. And thanks to reader Shlomo for reminding me which comedian said it.) After them was Zone 1: Delta One or Delta First Class passengers (depending on what a particular aircraft featured).

As reported by One Mile at a Time’s Ben Schlappig, Delta 360 members are being demoted from “Pre-Boarding” to Zone 2. They’ll join the lowly Diamond Medallions and people flying Premium Select (on the routes that offer such service). Not long ago, Diamond Medallions who weren’t sitting in First Class or Delta One could still board with that group. Diamonds were upset when they lost that boarding slot. I’ve already heard from some Delta 360s who feel Delta did them dirty by kicking them down to Zone 2.

How Much Does This Matter?

The 360 relegation to Zone 2 is a big deal to some people whose companies (and/or they themselves) spend a lot of money and time on Delta planes. They could also rack up eye-popping bills on their Delta SkyMiles® American Express Cards. (Other than reaching specific Million Miler tiers, the formulas for receiving Delta 360 invitations are kept secret.) I think it’s a perceived lack-of-respect thing.

Overhead bin space is a prized commodity on many flights. Delta isn’t giving away nearly as many complimentary upgrades as they once did, so who knows how often 360s are actually sitting up front? Getting on board ASAP is a big deal for some people, not necessarily because of respect — but they need overhead space.

My guess is that Delta is using Zone 1 boarding as an “exclusive” perk of First Class and Delta One. They’ll tout it as a “be the first passengers to board!” sort of thing.

On the same token, all this depends on gate agents following the prescribed boarding zones. I’ve flown a few times when Diamond Medallions, Delta 360s, First Class, and Million Milers (not a published boarding zone) were all invited to board at the same time. Maybe it depends on how many Diamonds, 360s, and Million Milers are on a flight. There might be a bunch in some cities (i.e., Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Salt Lake City, New York-Kennedy, and maybe Los Angeles or Seattle). But at other stations, there could be very few, and boarding all the special people at once doesn’t make a huge difference.

What do you make of this change?