7 ways that American AAdvantage beats Delta’s revamped SkyMiles program

Ever suspected if a viral airplane video you're watching is just too dramatic to be real?

If you’re already thinking ahead to next summer, you’re not alone. Recently, Delta announced a slew of new, returning, and expanded flight routes, many from its Atlanta hub to popular destinations in the American West, slated to kick off in summer 2024.

In efforts to restrict overcrowding in Delta Sky Club airport lounges, Delta Air Lines has just announced some major changes that will be rolled out over the next few years.

The top trending travel topic on X (formerly Twitter) on September 14 was Delta Airlines, with more than 40,000 tweets. Did Delta announce a new route? A new partner airline? Continue their ambitious billion-dollar terminal modernization project?

From thunderstorms and limited visibility to scorching temperatures and turbulence, the weather dictates when and where planes can fly. Severe weather is the leading cause of air travel disruptions in the United States.

It's been a year and a half since American Airlines launched Loyalty Points, an entirely different way to qualify for AAdvantage elite status. Instead of solely crediting status based on flight activity, American flyers can also earn status through non-flight activities such as staying at hotels, spending on cobranded credit cards and using the airline's shopping portal.

I typically refrain from commenting on ebbs and flows of loyalty and frequent flyer programs. Why? It’s somewhat uninteresting. My perspective is there will be a never-ending shift towards optimization, goosing revenue, and a focus on quarterly results by travel companies.

Life was simple in 1979 when the first loyalty program of an American airline was launched. How much you flew was the number of “miles” you earned, a currency for a free seat with the airline you were being “loyal” to. 

While many travelers are planning fall getaways or holiday season travels, Delta Air Lines is looking ahead even further with new destinations for next summer’s travel season.  

Delta and Southwest sought to reassure investors Thursday, following negative commentary from several airlines earlier in the week. All of them are confronting a spike in fuel prices, with labor and other costs up as well. And that’s going to hit the bottom line – though some will be impacted more than others.

Two years ago, I took a daytrip from Boston to Los Angeles to hit AAdvantage Platinum Pro frequent flyer status on American Airlines. The status I earned on that trip went along with two other airline elite status levels I also held at the time: Delta Air Lines Platinum Medallion and United Airlines Premier Gold (I hit the higher Premier Platinum tier the following year).

As the temperatures dip in the transition to fall from summer, airfare prices are also cooling down with deals available within the United States and around the world.  Travel booking site Hopper recently shared its “Fall Shoulder Season Report,” providing insight into discounts as we head into fall. Domestic flights to New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Orlando all average under $200. Each city is seeing prices at least 24 percent lower than the same ticket over the summer.