Reacting to sharp criticism from some travelers over Delta Air Lines’ planned overhaul of its SkyMiles loyalty program, CEO Ed Bastian in an on-stage conversation this week promised changes to the airline’s plans.
Delta this month announced it would revamp SkyMiles and set Medallion Qualification Dollars as the sole qualifier for Medallion status, instead of miles and segments, effective Jan. 1. The carrier also planned to restrict access to its Delta Sky Club airport lounges, eliminating some privileges for Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Platinum Business American Express cardholders.
The changed sparked strong, sustained criticism from some travelers, concerned with losing privileges.
Acknowledging that the airline had “received a lot of feedback,” Bastian during an onstage interview Tuesday with Marriott International area general manager Erica Qualls-Battey at the Rotary Club of Atlanta said the carrier was still assessing its plans but “there will be modifications that we will make.”
Bastian added “you’ll hear about it sometime in the next few weeks,” declining specifics.
Bastian said the carrier changes its loyalty program because demand has increased to the point where Delta is concerned about proper service levels. “We had to figure out a way to make certain that we can continue to effectively serve those at the various tiers,” he said.
Still, “we probably went too far in doing that,” Bastian said. “Our team wanted to kind of rip the Band-Aid off.”
Several outlets reported Bastian’s remarks, including The Points Guy and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
