Tag Archives for delta air lines.
Delta is out with changes to its SkyMiles program that are positives for members. They’re building on elimination of domestic change fees by exempting award changes and redeposits as well, excluding Basic Economy fares, and extending airline club memberships and credit card companion tickets and travel credits.
Delta and United are raising money in private markets against their loyalty programs. American Airlines is using its AAdvantage program to securitize a subsidized government CARES Act loan. These moves underscore that the frequent flyer programs remain one of the most attractive assets held by airlines, even during the pandemic.
Raising money on the programs though means disclosing much more information than they’re using to offering.
This month Delta Air Lines is rolling out anti-microbial bins at security checkpoints in their terminals at Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia and New York-JFK.
TSA screening bins have more germs than the monkey in outbreak. Your fellow sick passengers touch the bins, they even put their dirty tissues and handkerchiefs in them before going through the nude-o-scope pockets empty.
On board and inflight is one of the safest indoor environments from a Covid-19 transmission perspective. But that doesn’t mean that travel is safe. Most planes (but not smaller regional jets and turboprops) have HEPA air filtration that’s highly protective.
That doesn’t mean the virus doesn’t spread. Often when this and other viruses are attributed to flights it’s likely spreading at airport security, in the gate area, or on the jet bridge. These are places where passengers congregate closely together and where the air isn’t filtered as well.
Delta Air Lines won’t be furloughing any flight attendants this year, even as its largest competitors lay off thousands.
Last Labor Day Delta gave its non-union workforce a big raise. This Labor Day their flight attendants get to keep their jobs. Delta has made a strong argument to its flight attendants not to unionize.
Demetria Poe, a kindergarten teacher from Minnesota, shared a story about Delta Air Lines on Facebook about the seat mate from hell – that Delta told her would be banned from the airline – and about how other passengers around her reacted to the incident. The story ends in an upgrade, and a gift bag from the airline.
The Atlanta-bound passengers were part of a larger party. You can hear another passenger saying, “Come get Aaliyah, she’s fighting” and “Aaliyah, stop, stop” then a man and woman approach the battling ladies who hit each other in the head. One throws the other woman up against the jetbridge wall. And a crew member calls for backup.
It isn’t often that Delta copies United but, like American, they’re also going to waive change fees. All three of course are copying Southwest Airlines – which doesn’t charge baggage fees either.
While Delta’s announcement was rushed out because of United’s move, they’ve actually been considering doing this for some time. They were talking about rethinking change fees at the beginning of 2020.
Highlighting the investment in hand sanitizer stations is cool, it’s more than others are doing – although perhaps others will feel the need to copy. And they should be applauded on that alone, along with sanitizing efforts between every flight. There’s really no need for the rest of the Delta-style exaggeration that seems to come with the news..
Past advance sales of large blocks of miles to credit card partners have on balance probably been good for members, borrowing against the program may not be although it’s far from a foregone conclusion.
You’d expect lenders to want a strong program to secure future member interest and an ongoing revenue stream yet in practice that’s not how things usually work out. Still, while Delta has a strong elite program, there’s really not much left to devalue on the earn-and-burn side.
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 »
