This week Delta announced major changes to how SkyMiles elite status is earned, and to how people can access their club lounges.
There are consumer movements on Flyertalk and on Reddit to try to get Delta to reverse these changes. Similar efforts have worked before.
American has updated the AAdvantage terms and conditions to now say that, though they gave advance notice of program changes in 2022 and 2023, they have no obligation to do so in the future. They’ll specifically eliminate or change benefits without notice. And if your account is hacked they don’t have to restore your miles.
‘Spicy’ flight attendant Cierra Mistt is back, offering dubious advice. She says you’ll get upgraded if you give a gift card to a flight attendant on your flight. And she claims that this works *every time.”
An American Airline flight attendant apparently had his luggage spread on a bench at the Charlotte airport, and a passenger asked if he’d move his belongings to make a spot. The passenger says that the man’s partner “started getting on my case.”
She took out the phone to record the flight attendant’s indifference – impolite, perhaps but not illegal – and the crewmember “knocked [the] phone to the ground.” And, the woman says, her husband “did what he did.”
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker gave an interview to CNN’s Richard Quest, which aviation industry site Enilria flags as the airline CEO reportedly admitting to violating U.S. anti-trust law with American Airlines.
Three guests staying at a La Quinta in Nashville found themselves running the hotel when staff abandoned the front desk. They answered the phones and even set up the hotel’s free breakfast for the rest of the guests.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
My take is that he maybe should run away from this relationship? I don’t claim to have very much data to work off of, but there do seem to be warning signs.
Typically when airlines make changes to their frequent flyer programs, they try to balance the bad news with something positive for customers. That may be new benefits, throwing customers a bone. Or it may be some rhetoric about how customers are actually going to be better off with the changes. Executives will say that they ‘listened to customers’ and are making ‘changes you’re going to like.’
There’s really none of that with Delta. Delta is demanding more from customers, and not pretending to offer anything new or more in return.
Here’s the lowdown on the best barbecue in Austin. I’ve lived in Austin for about a decade and get asked all the time by people visiting the city – and there are a lot more visitors than there used to be! – what barbecue they should seek out while they’re here?
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
