My Top 10 Most Surprising Moments from Delta Air Lines 2024 – Do You Agree?

Year end is such a unique time for frequent flyers as well as many of us who are also frequent floaters. We all are looking back at what was as well as considering just what the next year will be like for us and what we have to look forward. Plus we are trying to see how we will have to adjust our plans for the following year due to whatever program changes have rolled out from our favorite airlines and cruise lines.

For this post I thought I would break down the top 10 surprising moments from the Delta mothership for 2024. Let’s dive in and see if you agree with me.

• To me the one most obvious, and while predicted for many years, is the admission from Delta that Medallion upgrades are dead for all practical purposes with the airline showing they, on average, only have about 12% of seats open for a “free” upgrade. For me who was for years a mostly domestic Delta flyer week by week 1st class upgrades was THE reason to by loyal. That reason is now gone and it makes me personally happy having become a free agent flyer no longer solely loyal to Delta.

• The next one is the one that I think has finally permanently damaged Delta’s reputation as a “premium airline” and that is the Crowdstrike week long meltdown and the airlines response that was all “arrogant Delta” until they got pushed and pushed hard. They, unlike the other airlines, did not recover quickly. During the mess the CEO jetted off to Paris for the Olympics in Delta One and it took government pressure for them to finally do the right thing and pay back everyone’s expenses to become somewhat whole from the mess. After this Delta calling themselves premium really has become a joke.

• Then we have a recent item that is this month’s “flash sale” that shows how far Delta SkyPennies has fallen in value, that is, they are now bragging up that there is “value” spending 200,000 or 300,000 Delta points to fly round trip in business class from the USA. Do keep in mind you can fly other airlines (hello AA, Alaska and others) for just 57,000 points to Europe each way in business class with a great deal of flexibility. The arrogance of the Delta SkyMiles team is off the charts in 2024 and our fellow Delta blogger Gary VFTW eviscerated them with a brutal post and likened the program to theft (he really did)!

• While we are beating up the SkyPennies program the next shocker is that TPG or ThePointsGuy, who is all but joined at the hip with Delta, this year did not give them top marks for their award program for 2024. Heck, even worse, the airline was not even mentioned in their year award winning post. YIKES! Understand how completely shocking this when the TPG logo is to the right of every Delta jet door when you board! Maybe it is time for the Delta PR folks to consider peeling that logo off now? 😉

• Next up a positive change that was surprisingly nice to see. In 2017 Delta for the first time ever premiered a premium economy product and it was remarkable, that is, something very similar to the domestic first class experience. Over time they “enhanced” it to the same as flying coach. In 2024 the premium economy experience is mostly back to what it once was and does add some value to the Delta experience if the price is right.

• Another one is something Delta did not do this year that I really fully expected. I am honestly shocked they did not nuke the Medallion program further as they fist announced the year before and we learned was their goal all along. Some have speculated that the IT meltdown over the summer may be the only reason they did not again hammer the living daylights out of the elite frequent spender errr frequent flyer program again in 2024. We all should expect 2025 will mean the higher numbers they have in mind further destroying the program.

• Then I am also equally surprised Delta is still sticking with their Boeing 737 MAX 10 order. We did learn that they will be pushed from 2025 to 2027 (and maybe even beyond that with all the problems Boeing is having) and I guess there is still a chance they could convert the order if it takes that long to deliver the jets. I am just not a fan of the MAX jet and would rather see Delta go another way. Time will tell.

• The return of 50 seats jets to the Delta regional partners. Having spent untold countless hours on the evil CRJ-220s I was not pleased to see this news but it came with a twist. The new 50 seaters would not be based on that jet but the CRJ-700s with seats taken out. The result is they can fly this with only one flight attendant vs. two and get around some of the agreements with the Delta pilots union regarding what planes they are allowed to fly size wise. I have not had a chance to try this configuration yet but look forward to it one day.

• Also Delta has been going all-in if you will on Delta One Lounges. I have yet to visit one but from all reports they are, at least at this point, still providing a “premium” experience for those flying Delta One or in most of the locations other Skyteam business class flights. It will be interesting just how many of these clubs Delta chooses to bring online and if they will be able to maintain the high level of service they have started with.

• Lastly in the top 10 list is THE banana incident that went totally viral. If you missed it a guest was walking out of a Minneapolis Sky Club and had taken a banana to enjoy later on the next flight. The lounge attendant stopped them and firmly reminded the flyer that food MUST be only consumed in the club and they could NOT take a banana with them. You can guess what happened next and seeing bananas pop up everywhere was a scream.

So there you are. These are the top 10 moments that really surprised me from Delta in 2024. Am I missing any moments that were “jaw droppers” for you that I should have included? What nasty surprises do you think we will see in 2025? Let us all know in the comments below! – René