Delta has quietly begun offering complimentary upgrades to its high-level Medallion members on transcontinental flights to/from New York-JFK after yanking them away last March. Pulling those cherished upgrades on these five-hour flights resulted a prolonged rash of bitter complaints from Delta’s best customers on its most lucrative routes.
This is not an “official” policy change, but Delta is now offering occasional comp upgrades to its specially outfitted and serviced Business Elite cabins flying between New York JFK and Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.
“Delta is handling this on a case by base basis,” Delta spokesperson Anthony Black told TravelSkills. “While the policy has not changed, we have now begun to award our top medallion customers upgrades on those flights during slower travel periods or as the operation permits.” Which means the horror and frustration of being seated in coach when there are empty seats up front is now less likely. But not completely UN-likely.
Recent: The 6 most irritating actions of infrequent flyers
Why is Delta backing down from it’s tough stance? My guess is that JetBlue’s well-publicized entry into the premium transcontinental airline market with its new MINT class is raising the bar for everyone as other airlines react in hopes of protecting market share.
Please join the 25,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email per day updates!
What do you think? Have you been turned down for an upgrade that you felt you deserved? Have you been lucky enough to get a comp upgrade on a transcon yet? Tell us about it below!
TravelSkills readers are our eyes and ears out there, so please, when you see something like GS saw, email us, and we’ll do our best to get to the bottom of it!
+++
P.S. Facebook is taking its time merging our previous pages into the new TravelSkills Facebook page. If you like to stay in touch and get breaking news/deals updates that way, please visit the page and LIKE it. Thanks!
Would you rather get TravelSkills Weekly instead of Daily? No probs! click here to sign up for TravelSkills Weekly.
Check out these popular recent TravelSkills posts:
6 most irritating actions of infrequent flyers
Newer, lighter Emirates A380s coming to SFO, IAH
Trip Report: SAS business class SFO-Copenhagen (PHOTOS)
Mood lights on at new Virgin America site
First look: The newest United Club (PHOTOS)
Beer price index helps gauge cost of trips abroad
United’s new copy & paste MileagePlus program
Marriott’s M Club lounge experiment
5 key questions to ask at hotel check in