Alaska Airlines and Delta were friends, turned frenemies, turned competitors as Alaska resisted Delta’s entreaties to become its vassal and Delta responded by building its own hub in Seattle. Delta hasn’t operated as significant a Seattle operation as it has middle of the country hubs during the pandemic, but the rivalry is heating up again between the two.
Delta announced a huge summer expansion to Alaska last week.
That’s pushed Alaska Airlines to bulk up its own service from the state – including into Delta’s Minneapolis hub.
Now Delta is literally paying Seattle residents to fly with them. A reader shares an email from Delta, targeted at SkyMiles members with Seattle-area addresses, giving them $100 credits to spend on Delta tickets no strings attached. Many flights at this point can be booked for less.
If you live in the Seattle area, claim your $100 here. Claim the credit by August 25, and use it for a ticket by August 31.
After thinking it had pulled off a coup by getting LATAM away from American (how’s that going), Delta is smarting from its failed strategy in Seattle that resulted in Alaska and American going from break up to make up and entry into oneworld.
According to published schedules, Delta’s Seattle hub has consistently returned a higher percentage of capacity during the pandemic than all other hubs except for SLC.
A $100 credit is below most fare levels from SEA going into the peak summer season.
American and Alaska can only have a simple codeshare and loyalty program marketing arrangement which is no different than what AS has with a dozen other airlines. There is no revenue share or antitrust immunity as AA has with BA and JL.
For what it is worth, I live in Seattle and am not eligible. I have flown Delta quite a bit in the past 4 months, not sure if that has something to do with it.
@Tim. I am boarded on a mileage run flight from FLL to LAX solely due to Alaska joining One World. My 1.4M Alaska miles are substantially increased in value due to this new relationship. Lounge access and seating among the benefits. In fact I am shooting to become MVP 75K rather than my current MVP Gold status because of this change. I will be a One World Emerald by July
@Tom K, Enjoy oneworld first class lounges if you do any international flying with that stash of miles and oneworld Emerald status.
I live in the Seattle area and am not eligible. I haven’t flown in a year.
Ditto.
Live in Seattle. Not eligible.
I’m told:
“recipient must have a primary address located in the Seattle, Washington designated market area.”
This is classic Delta: large print giveth, small print make offer available only for left handed Lithuanians on prime numbered Thursdays.
I’m not eligible with more account activity but my wife’s account is with basically none; what the heck.
Another clickbait article.
This offer is ONLY for people that received an invitation from Delta.
No email from Delta, no offer !!
Gary, you need to tell the truth in your articles, this is a targeted offer only!
Ya, this doesn’t work. It’s narrowly targetted, and I didn’t get the email so it doesn’t work for me. Haven’t flown Delta in a while. Two other friends who tried weren’t eligible either. All three of us have different Seattle addresses. I see from the comments that people who’ve recently flown weren’t eligible either. This was kind of a bullshit clickbait piece, Gary.
Certainly an interesting marketing strategy.
@Tom K From Seattle
I presume you have landed. Hope you had a good flight.
You highlight that the beneficiary of AA’s partnerships with AS and B6 are to the smaller airlines and via the loyalty programs vs. network benefits.
To highlight that point, AS is not flying FLL-LAX after April, probably in part because AA and B6 are engaged in mutual capacity dumps from S. Florida to LAX. Remember, they don’t have antitrust immunity or revenue sharing so the 50% increase in MIA-LAX will dilute their own revenues.
DL and NK remain in the FLL-LAX market with their own one RT each.
In the NE-California and PNW transcons, DL’s capacity share of the market is higher vs. AS and vs. AA and B6 individually. Since none of AA, AS or B6 can share revenue, AA and its partners are trading their own capacity and local market revenue for that of their partner in order to share loyalty program benefits.
If you are a loyal AS passenger, you will gain more from the loyalty program tie-up but likely with a smaller nationwide network operated by AS.
to others,
coupon off promotions aren’t uncommon and I believe AS has done it during the pandemic including buy one get one free promotions.
I flew them recently, and have another reservation in May, but still received the offer. Thanks Delta. Booked 2 $49 flights to Palm Springs to get a little sun.
DL is flighting a losing battle in SEA. The should return it to a focus city and concentrate on their true hubs (MSP, DTW, SLC, ATL and JFK/LGA) The rest of these focus and mini hubs drains cash and are a distraction to their business.
@sunvking82
I think we would all love to see actual data to support your conclusion.
DOT data shows that Delta has consistently maintained about 70% of the local market revenue at Seattle as Alaska with much higher average fares to/from the eastern US than AS and fares on par with or higher than AS even in the western US, AS’ strongest region. And Delta’s international average fares to/from Seattle – which AS doesn’t serve – compare favorably with its international competitors.
Help us understand the data you use to come to your conclusion.
I also am not eligible.
Delta marketing is probably testing responses to different offers, with probably only 2000-5000 Seattle-area flyers targeted for each, and the offers staggered so the flyers accepting offers are not all competing for the same capacity.
But prices, especially for premium product, are indeed quite low. Seattle-Bermuda in Delta One first class is under $1200 round trip, about 6 cents a mile.