Today I saw a thread of FlyerTalk.com letting us know that a new program was coming, and it looks great!
Delta has just announced a new Sky Priority program. They’re adding a new program to help make the at-airport experience better for “their most valuable” customers. Passengers eligible for the program are Diamond, Platinum, and Gold Medallion members, as well as anybody that buys a First or Business Class ticket.
Different aspects of the program will affect different travelers differently, but for me the highlights are:
- Coupons – when you use online check-in and weren’t able to get a complimentary upgrade to first class, you’ll be given a coupon that can be used for a cocktail or snack. This is great! As Medallion Members, we’re already given a handful of drink coupons each year, and I typically don’t used them all. But I’m stoked about the option to get a better snack than the mini bag of peanuts of pretzels. Delta has some nicer snack assortments that they charge $5 for, and I’m looking forward to trying one.
- Boarding Priority – till now Delta loaded first class folks first, then all Medallion Members. I’ve been on many flights where 2/3 of the plane were Medallion Members, so it’s a ZOO when they call Zone 2. To ease that a bit they’re going to board First Class along with Diamond, Platinum, and Gold members first, then move to Silver in Zone 2, followed by everyone else in Zones 3 & 4. I think this is a bad move. Now Zone 1 will be huge, with Zone 2 smaller. I think those who pay for 1st Class seats should be able to board without coach passengers trying to get past them. [I edited this post when I realized that I was wrong about boarding priority. I thought it was just 1st/DM/PM in Zone 1. Adding Gold means Zone 1 will now be the zoo instead of Zone 2.]
- Priority Baggage Handling – for a long time Platinum flyers got a Priority tag on their luggage for international flights. This means that your bags come off the plane first. When you’re talking about a flight to Tokyo with 500 other folks, it’s really a big deal to get your bag first! With Sky Priority, Delta is going to extend that service to domestic flights. This is GREAT! I may actually start checking a bag again. Right now I only check a bag if I’m staying somewhere more than 5 days. On shorter trips I can fit everything in my standard roll-aboard bag. Since getting your bag could take 30 minutes or more, I simply wasn’t willing to give-up that much time on every flight. Some years that could literally add up to DAYS of my life spent waiting for a bag. But if I can be sure my bag is going to be amongst the first on the conveyor…maybe I’ll check my bag and stop stressing over finding space in the overheads. We’ll have to see how that one plays out.
During the Delta/Northwest merger, the SkyMiles programs took a hit. Recent changes to SkyMiles also raised the cost to book “award” tickets significantly. The “value” of giving all your business to one carrier has been on the decline. So it’s great to see Delta doing something to bring value back to the program again. Thanks, Delta. But to be honest, the only change I’ll see based on my current flying patterns is a better snack in coach. I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I don’t think it’s worth all this fuss.
Tags: benefits, Delta, Medallion, Sky Priority