Hi there. I don’t really expect a response, nor can I expect that the person reading this on the other end can do anything about it. I’m sure your leadership has discussed this ad nauseam. But I wanted to let you know, if it counts for anything, that I’m leaving Delta. For years, I’ve been a loyal Delta flyer. I proudly put my Medallion bag tag on every year. I tell everyone they should fly Delta. I know my SkyMiles number by heart.
When flying for work, I am not permitted to book a first class ticket as much as I’d like to but I do generally book tickets within that “business” window of 3-7 days prior to travel which costs more than the average leisure flyer that books 14-21+ days in advance. I do, however, have the opportunity to pick my airline and any economy seat within $150 of the lowest cost option. And, I have to assume that many other companies and the vast majority of business flyers are in a similar boat that I’m in: economy seats, some flexibility on fares and timeframes.
After finally reading about the new 2015 changes, I did all the math and was heartbroken. There is never an example for me where I would actually earn SkyMiles equal or more under the new system than I would in the existing system. Never.
I see that your marketing team thought really hard to get people excited about the two new tiers of redemption, neither of which actually make it less expensive to redeem. And about one-way rewards, which is great for the person not coming back home, ever. But the new program, for the vast majority of people, is really bad.
You should notice that towards May/June, I immediately cut back on my Delta flights. I started flying other airlines to test them out and see which ones I like the best. I learned that, at the end of the day, a flight is a flight. A seat is a seat. The small nuances between the airlines aren’t enough anymore to make a difference. What does make that difference is being able to save up to redeem for some pretty nice vacations, when I don’t have to fly for work, to be able to fly some place fun. And the new system just doesn’t give me that opportunity.
So, I write you this long and sad message. As I plan out what very well may be my final revenue trip on Delta, trying to earn as many miles as I can so I can redeem them in 2015. Off to American Airlines it seems, until eventually they too end the loyalty they hold with their members.
