What a year for Eye of the Flyer! The blog saw record numbers of page views and visitors in 2022.

But as they say, records are meant to be broken. And 2023’s numbers shattered the 2023’s2 totals, making this an historic year!

Thank you so much for reading the blog, commenting on posts, sending us emails, and sharing our content with others. We genuinely appreciate it.

We write several hundred posts each year. This one will get a ton of traffic! We say about a few, but some end up being about as popular as a speeding ticket. Then we post some others thinking, Well, this will be helpful to a few people but won’t set the world on fire — and then several hundred thousand people discover the post.

It’s always fun looking back on the past year and seeing which posts brought in the most readers. I also love Top (whatever) lists. So, it’s my pleasure and honor to bring you the Top 10 Most Read Eye of the Flyer Posts of 2023! (I hesitate to say “popular” because some were epically trolled in social media, message boards, FlyerTalk — of course — and our very own Comments section. 🙂 )

Here they are in ascending order.

#10: Our SkyMiles 2025 Predictions

In late August, rumors started swirling that Delta would substantially change the SkyMiles Medallion program. (And, of course, they did.)

About a week or so before the big news dropped, we wrote a post about the various gossip we heard — and also made a few assumptions of our own.

That’s all in our tenth most-read post of 2023.

#9: Row 35

I was fortunate to take two flights this year on two Delta planes with this great row 35.

#8: “Disingenuous,” “Dishonest,” and “Grossly Irresponsible”

Our eighth most-read post this year really ticked off some people. I took advantage of an Amex Offer for Motley Fool — a company that recommends various stocks. I got very lucky and made well over a thousand dollars from some of Motley Fool’s advice.

Several people lost their minds in the Comments section. The usual, tired, “clickbait!” and “shill!” pearl-clutching comments were in there, of course. But several people made wild, incorrect accusations and character judgments about me. (Frankly, I found their anger and ineptitude rather amusing. I hope you do, too.) Enjoy!

#7: Downgraded from Delta One

Our first “downgraded from Delta One” post details fellow Boarding Area blogger’s Takeoff to Travel’s experience getting kicked from the penthouse to the outhouse.

#6: The Delta Sky Pub Crawl

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is home to nine (9) Delta Sky Clubs. Someone chronicled their journey consuming alcoholic beverages at each Delta lounge all on the same day. Prepare your liver and check out our sixth most-read post this year!

We’re halfway to number 1. As the late, great Casey Kasem would say, on with the countdown!

#5: Lifetime Delta Silver Medallion Status

We were tipped off to a link that offered some people lifetime Delta Silver Medallion status. It apparently worked for someone! Naturally, people who weren’t targeted were upset and took to the Comments section in this year’s fifth most-read post.

#4: But Imagine the Points!

This is crazy. Someone on Reddit received a warning from Amex there was a charge attempt for nearly five times the United States’s debt. Yep. We’re talking trillions of dollars.

#3: 15% Cashback or 15X Amex Membership Rewards Points

Cashback portal Rakuten ran a crazy great promotion earlier this year, offering 15% cashback on purchases made with certain merchants. But here was the big hook: The Amex Platinum Card gives cardholders up to $100 a year in Saks Fifth Avenue credit.

Saks was one of those merchants. So, Amex Platinum cardholders could use their statement credit and stack it with the 15% cashback. But Rakuten also allows members to instead receive Membership Rewards points at a penny each. The tasty 15X or 15% cash back made for our third post-read post.

#2: An Airport Worker Warns People About CLEAR

I attended a preview of the long-awaited (and beautiful) G Concourse Delta Sky Club at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). Guests and media who attend these events get boarding pass-type day passes and must clear security with travelers. But we can’t use TSA PreCheck or CLEAR. Laptops out, and shoes and belts must come off.

As I was herded into the security line, a woman directing foot traffic at the security entrance gave passengers a rather ominous warning about using CLEAR.

#1: Say “Aloha” to Delta Shenanigans?

To paraphrase Three Amigos, Delta “shenanigans” are more than famous — they’re “in-famous.” 😉 Even FlyerTalk has a long thread about them.

Longtime Eye of the Flyer reader Wayne Frongello paid north of $7,000 for a Delta One roundtrip ticket to Hawaii. But a gate agent who claimed Mr. Frongello was a mere coach passenger upgraded to Delta One told him he had to sit in the Main Cabin — because his Delta One seat’s television screen didn’t work.

Here’s the story — which is our most-read post of 2023.

Final Approach

Those are the top 10 most-read Eye of the Flyer posts this year!

Again, thank you so much for being part of it! We really hope you enjoy the blog. Let’s see what 2024 brings!