Delta’s wealthiest passengers have applauded the move to move lower-budget people out of the lounges and restore exclusivity to its most valued customers.
The Atlanta-based airline faced a barrage of abuse after announcing that its rewards program will only recognize money spent rather than miles flown.
Starting early next year, customers will have to spend $35,000 annually on airfare (up from $15,000 last year) to secure Delta’s prized Diamond Medallion status.
Alternatively, they could spend at least $350,000 with the branded credit cards it offers in partnership with American Express.
The airline disappeared from social media for 14 days after angry reactions from frequent flyers who accused it of betraying their loyalty.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian (left) with new brand ambassador Tom Brady, who some blame for the changes
The airline hopes to put an end to crowds in its Sky Lounges, such as this one in Fort Lauderdale
The airline insisted the changes ‘resonated with customers’, but thousands disagreed
But some have welcomed the move which appears to free up space in the exclusive Sky Club Lounges and reduce the number of upgrades available to lower budget passengers.
“I’m fine with it,” company boss Mike Kirkpatrick told the Wall Street Journal.
‘It makes the higher levels more exclusive, as they should be in the first place.
“If the number of people keep their word and jump ship – which I doubt they will – then flight prices could drop and I could get more value from my miles.”
The move appears likely to also drive customers to the branded credit cards it manages in partnership with American Express, which will earn the airline $5.5 billion in 2022, almost a third of its annual profit.
Figures from the Federal Reserve earlier this month showed the nation’s credit card debt rose by a record $43 billion in the second quarter of the year, pushing the total to $1.2 trillion. $10,170 for the average household.
And the amount of money spent on Delta brand credit cards now exceeds $268 billion a year, CEO Ed Bastian revealed in June, equivalent to 1% of U.S. GDP.
“These are crazy big numbers when you think about it,” Bastian said.
“Some of you are big spenders.”
Engineer Rene Aldrich, 43, of Nashville, Tennessee, uses credit cards in addition to first-class tickets to maintain her diamond status.
She, too, is looking forward to more space in the lounges and better service after a depressing experience in Atlanta earlier this month, where “there was absolutely no food on the buffet and barely any place to sit.”
The airline had already started rationing time in its lounges in June, blaming an increasing number of passengers using them as remote offices, and expects these numbers to decline further.
“It’s nice to be on their top list of people to care for,” Aldrich said.
Back in the interim, the airline made headlines earlier this month when a flight had to return to Atlanta after a passenger suffered a bout of diarrhea so severe it “ran all the way down the plane.”
A biohazard was declared and emergency vehicles met the plane on the runway, while shocked passengers posted images on social media before disembarking.
It took five hours of intensive cleaning and carpet replacement before they could resume their trip to Barcelona.
The company emphasized that changes to its rewards program “resonated with customers” when it announced them on September 13.
But thousands of customers insisted that wasn’t the case and some discovered the hand of seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, who had been appointed a “strategic advisor” a week earlier with the promise that “magic will happen.”
“Tom Brady is redefining what it means to be ‘Elite’ at Delta,” one account wrote, referencing his status as perhaps the greatest football player of all time.
“Hey @Delta, maybe spend the money you’re using paying celebrity millionaire @TomBrady to roll back the embarrassingly bad #skymiles changes you’re trying to implement,” another added.