Ed Bastian travel tips

In an email to consumers Wednesday afternoon, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian shared an update to the drastic changes made to the SkyMiles program last month. They included limiting Sky Club access for many American Express cardmembers to a few times a year and raising the requirements to achieve elite status (while dropping the ability to earn it on segments). Following much speculation, Bastian said that the overwhelming email response of disappointment led to a slight “walk back” of these changes. Taking effect in 2024 for the 2025 Medallion status year, these are some of the anticipated updates for members.

Southwest Airlines will make it easier to earn status on its Rapid Rewards loyalty program for next year and introduce new perks for current status holders.

Heading to Tulum, Mexico just got easier thanks to a new direct flight launching in 2024.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, October 13 (Boo!). Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Delta Air Lines hit a nerve with loyal fliers, arguably its most important customer bases, when it upended elite status qualification in its SkyMiles loyalty program last month. Customers provided the carrier with ample feedback of what CEO Ed Bastian described as a “360 [degree] view” of the controversial changes.

Delta Air Lines will announce tweaks to the overhaul of its SkyMiles frequent flyer program "in the coming days," CEO Ed Bastian said on Thursday.

Delta Air Lines angered a lot of its customers last month when it announced sweeping changes to its SkyMiles loyalty program.

Christopher Nassetta, president and CEO of the hotel giant Hilton Worldwide, last week highlighted his company’s move to display mandatory fees, such as resort fees, upfront when a consumer first searches on the group’s website and app.

Delta Air Lines announced that some of the recent changes to the carrier’s loyalty program would be rolled back after travelers voiced their displeasure.

In what was Delta Air Lines’ first public statement since a September 13 press release presented the Atlanta-based carrier’s revamped SkyMiles loyalty program and lounge access policy, Delta chief executive Ed Bastian this week said the airline plans to make “modifications” to the changes.

Loyalty is strong. But loyalty is fragile.

Delta Air Lines will make “modifications” to its SkyMiles frequent flier program after receiving negative feedback from customers to changes it announced this month, the company’s chief executive, Ed Bastian, said this week.

The head of Delta Air Lines said the carrier is rethinking the changes to its loyalty program for next year, admitting it may have gone “too far.”

Speaking this week in Atlanta, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said the airline would soon revise the changes to the Delta Skymiles loyalty program announced earlier this month. 

In his first public comments since changes to his airline's frequent flyer program outraged scores of loyalists, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian admitted that the airline may have overdone the changes, alienating some customers.

Wheels Up is again turning to Delta Air Lines for C-suite leadership. After appointing the Atlanta-based airline’s CFO Dan Janki as Chairman last month, the New York-based private jet flight provider is tapping Delta Board Member George Mattson as CEO.

Tom Brady is getting back to work. Just not on the gridiron.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, January 6, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian made a call to action for more funding and investment in the U.S. air traffic control system after an outage Wednesday disrupted more than 11,000 flights across the country.

Southwest Airlines will pay a dividend to its shareholders of record as of January 10, 2023. This may not seem like a notable move for a carrier that has paid dividends for most of 50-plus year existence but it is: Southwest will be the first U.S. airline to resume shareholder returns since the pandemic.

Delta Air Lines is finally doing it. The airline will make good on its promise to make in-flight Wi-Fi free to all passengers in February.