Delta Fliers: We’ve Been Loyal, What About You?
Beginning Jan. 1, Delta will require fliers to annually spend $5,000 to reach Silver status, $10,000 for Gold status, $15,000 for Platinum status and $28,000 for Diamond status.
Bastian’s conciliatory overtures, though, didn’t placate many Delta fliers, including branding and customer-loyalty expert Deb Gabor.
“In the case of Delta's revamped Sky Miles program, it's evident that the primary beneficiaries of these changes are not customers but Delta,” says Gabor, the author of two books, Branding is Sex and Irrational Loyalty. “Instead of rewarding their most loyal fliers, Delta's new program prioritizes big spenders. By shifting the focus to spending rather than actual air travel on Delta, the airline positions itself to benefit from the entire travel ecosystem, from ground transportation to accommodation and everything in between. From a business perspective, I get it. From a branding perspective, not so much.”