Delta changed its frequent flyer program — and customers are truly furious

18.09.2023 - 18:25 / thepointsguy.com / Delta Skymiles / Delta

Travelers are used to airline frequent flyer programs changing the rules of the game and moving the ball a la Charlie Brown and Lucy Van Pelt — and just like with Charlie Brown, the moves made are usually not to the advantage of most travelers.

But this time, on the heels of significant changes coming to the Delta Air Lines frequent flyer program, instead of just adjusting to their new life down in the dust (where it's harder to earn and retain elite status in the program than it was before), travelers are upset in a way we don't usually see. It's a reaction that could almost be described as visceral.

And while it's been less than a week since Delta's lounge access and program changes were announced, in a world of 24/7 news cycles where one outrage is often replaced with another within 48 hours, this one already feels different.

Related: Delta's SkyMiles changes have convinced me to stop chasing airline status, and that's liberating

For much of the last decade, Delta Air Lines has had an apparent advantage over its competitors in terms of on-time performance and customer service. The airline leveraged that advantage to build strong relationships with its most loyal customers. But the changes announced for the SkyMiles loyalty program and Sky Club access that those same customers have come to appreciate and count on may very well test the strength of those bonds.

Will the outrage from travelers lead to a change in their behavior and a shift to other airlines — or will the dust eventually settle and travelers adjust to their new reality?

Here's what we are seeing and hearing from Delta travelers and industry experts.

To better understand if the reactions to the announced changes really are as strong as they appear on social media, we reached out to TPG readers and community members found on the TPG Lounge on Facebook and elsewhere. We also reached out to travel industry experts to get a better sense of consumer sentiment in regard to Delta's actions.

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Damon Jacobs, a TPG Lounge member who lives in New York City, works in health care education. Along with a 21-year tenure as a Delta SkyMiles member, he's also achieved Platinum Medallion status for the previous eight years. He has strong feelings about the changes.

"Delta may encourage us to 'connect the world,' but their recent decisions are instructing us to disconnect from their airline," he said. "They have dismembered their loyalty program in a way that makes affiliation essentially useless. No longer will our flight miles be counted toward rewards, and they will only count 1 point for every $20 spent on other purchases. That renders their tier system, and my 21