(Rant): Delta Stealthily Changes Some Mid/High Tier Award Levels
Delta recently made changes to some of its mid- and high-tier awards without giving its SkyMiles members notice of the alterations. I'll highlight the specific changes to Delta awards below, but let me get something off my chest first... /Rant on
For some reason, the Delta SkyMiles program rarely communicates important changes to their members and that really bothers me. From my perspective, loyalty should go both ways - especially for a program that generates as much revenue as SkyMiles does. However, all too often SkyMiles changes happen with no announcement and savvy members are left to pick up the pieces and figure out whats going on, while Delta remains silent.
We saw this with the drastic increase in price of gift cards in the Delta Medallion Mall, pricing of awards last year, the change in voucher usage policies and the list goes on. Heck, for a long time they never even provided award charts for members that lived outside of the US! I know many of the people on the communications team at SkyMiles and Delta and they are all consummate professionals, so my bet is that the silence on these changes is not incompetence, but more of a direct order from those in leadership positions.
I don't understand this strategy, since eventually people will find out about the changes and word will spread very quickly. People are skeptical of frequent flyer programs to begin with and when you get a reputation for not trusting your members enough to disclose material changes to the program and how they can redeem their miles, you plant seeds of mistrust. You may get away with a couple of them, but as time goes on those seeds begin to grow and smart members begin to re-think their participation in your program.
I struggle with my Delta loyalty. On one hand, domestically I believe they are the best legacy airline with the best elite program. I feel at home on Delta planes and I love knowing that I'll mostly likely get upgraded and will have WiFi on almost every domestic flight. I've been taken care of in bad situations and overall I like front-line Delta employees.
On the other hand, the value of SkyMiles has deteriorated over the years and it is much more difficult to use SkyMiles at low levels than with almost any other airline. Some areas where Delta awards are much worse than their partners like United and American: SkyMiles one-way awards are not priced at half of a roundtrip, you can't book international first-class awards with SkyMiles and Delta levies special fees for originating awards in Europe. Seriously- you tout a global airline and loyalty program, but you'll punish those members who want to start an award trip in Europe?
No airline is perfect, but as I spend more time on other airlines and earn and redeem miles and points with other programs, I've come to realize that my honeymoon with Delta is over. Even though the secret change that prompted this post isn't a huge deal in the scheme of things, it's made me realize that the SkyMiles program is sorely behind its competitors in the most important category: trust. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. /Rant off.
Award Level Changes
Per this Flyertalk thread, Delta randomly increased the price of some mid- & high-level awards between the US and Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico and South America that went into effect September 1, 2012:
Delta's new award chart with the changes highlighted.
Between the US & Europe in coach:
Middle tier: Used to be 45,000 each way, now it is 47,500
Peak tier: Used to be 62,500, now it's 65,000
Between the US & Caribbean in coach:
Middle tier: Used to be 25,000, now it is 27,500
Peak tier: Used to be 35,000, now it is 37,500
Between the US & Mexico in coach:
Middle tier: Used to be 25,000, now it is 27,500
Peak tier: Used to be 35,000, now it is 37,500
Between the US & Southern South America in coach:
Middle tier: Used to be 45,000, now it is 47,500
Peak tier: Used to be 62,500, now it is 65,000
They also decreased the cost of peak awards to Southeast Asia in business:
Peak tier: Used to be a staggering 185,000, now it is 175,000.
Are these major changes? No, but they do affect frequent flyers' overall points-earning and redemption strategy - if you want that roundtrip Europe award, you'll have to find a way to bank another 5,000 miles total, and that's a consideration. I'm not hanging up my Delta Medallion yet, but would it hurt the airline to have let its flyers know these changes were coming ahead of time?
What do you think - will this affect your decision to fly Delta in the future?
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.