Delta Diamond elite members will now have to wait longer to board
Diamonds to the back. At least a little bit.
Delta Air Lines is changing its boarding process for domestic and international flights. The airline updated its website on Thursday with the new boarding process.
While most things remain the same, Diamond Medallion members — the top published tier in Delta's SkyMiles frequent flyer program — will now board after Delta One or First Class.
Diamonds will still board before premium economy passengers and all other elites, aside from members of Delta 360, the airline's invite-only tier. Previously, Diamonds boarded with the premium cabin regardless of where they were seated.
A spokesperson for Delta confirmed the changes to TPG, citing two main reasons. By having the front cabin board first without anyone from the coach cabin, aside from pre-boarders like people with mobility issues or travelers with small children, the on-board flight crew gets an extra few minutes to clean and prep the main cabin.
Additionally, the change is meant to help manage congestion at the boarding gate early on during boarding that can slow the whole process down. This is particularly noticeable on heavy business travel routes where there can be a lot of top-tier elite members.
The good seats: The ultimate guide to Delta One Suites
In a statement, Delta characterized the change as a minor one.
"As customers continue to return to travel in high numbers, Delta is implementing a minor boarding update across the system on August 3 that will simplify and better meter the current boarding process. This adjustment will shift the boarding order for a small group of premium customers while still offering them a preferential boarding experience."
Travel demand has surged in recent months to near pre-pandemic levels, despite airlines operating less capacity than in 2019. With more demand and fewer flights has come more crowds, with many flights operating with full loads. Delays and cancellations, along with other operational issues across the industry, have worsened the crowds at airports.
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month