Delta Air Lines announced changes to the changes to its SkyMiles rewards program.
Delta Air Lines scales back changes to SkyMiles rewards program after backlash
Chief Executive Ed Bastian offered several adjustments to mid-September's changes that had made gaining status more difficult, expensive and exclusive.
October 18, 2023 at 9:42PM
In the span of a little more than a month, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport's dominant carrier debuted ramped-up requirements for obtaining elite status and all its perks, fielded a siege of customer outrage, admitted it "probably went too far" and ultimately scaled back the alterations.
In a Wednesday email to SkyMiles members, Delta Chief Executive Ed Bastian offered several adjustments to mid-September's program changes that had made gaining status more difficult, expensive and exclusive.
"I have read hundreds of your emails, and what's been most clear to me is how much you love Delta and the disappointment many of you felt by the significance of the changes," Bastian wrote.
About two weeks after the initial changes, Bastian publicly discussed the backlash and explained the airline erred in its pursuit of balancing the growth of the program's membership during the pandemic with the company's need to deliver premium service experiences.
The plans announced in September aimed to base status solely on the amount of money flyers spend with the carrier or via their SkyMiles American Express credit cards rather than miles flown. Delta had also confirmed it planned to cap the number of entries to its Sky Club lounges starting Feb. 1, 2025, for premium card holders.
Now, though, Delta will decrease the number of "Medallion Qualification Dollars" (MQDs) required to achieve 2025 status, further enhance the Million Miler program to reward long-term loyalty, increase Delta Sky Club access for holders of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card and enhance options for rollover medallion qualification miles.
For example, here's how the MQD requirements have changed for each tier in the past month:
- Diamond Medallion Status: $28,000 MQDs (down from $35,000 but up from original $20,000);
- Platinum Medallion Status: $15,000 MQDs (down from $18,000, up from $12,000);
- Gold Medallion Status: $10,000 MQDs (down from $12,000, up from $8,000);
- Silver Medallion Status: $5,000 MQDs (down from $6,000, up from $3,000).
When Delta announced the initial changes, it was the latest example of the airline's broader move toward reserving its most desired benefits for an increasingly exclusive group of cardholders and flyers.
As a result of the changes, SkyMiles members would need to spend more on Delta travel and/or charge much more to their Delta credit cards to earn perks such as first-class upgrades, complimentary airport club access and more.
That outraged many who've been loyal to the carrier for years and forced the chief executive to reverse course.
"Our investment in your experience will always be at the heart of everything we do," Bastian told customers Wednesday. "Our goal is to do our best to ensure we deliver the service and benefits your loyalty deserves."
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