A couple of days ago, I wrote a post that most would take as supportive of Delta Air Lines. I noted in the post a few reasons why I think Delta will continue to be successful in spite of changes to its loyalty program. There were some spirited comments back and forth which are worth a read too. The point of my post, and a point I’ve made before, was that a good airline that does the right things well matters. Operational dependability, good people, and a certain level of care. I still believe that.

However, when I see things like Delta’s website pricing award travel at a higher rate if you happen to click “I Am Traveling” as opposed to not clicking it, then I have to wonder….just what the heck is going on? I know a little IT glitch happens from time to time, but seriously. When an airline introduces the level of change that Delta has into the loyalty space, you need to get it right and deliver everything that was promised from day 1. Repairing a website that has a history of mis-pricing award travel would be a good place to start. Further, communication, even if a lot of people don’t agree with what you’re doing is key.

I don’t wear a tin-foil hat, and I don’t think the latest delta.com development is intentional. What I do think is that Delta needs to get its act together on SkyMiles sooner rather than later.

-MJ, February 25, 2015

UPDATE: This post was prepared late on February 24th. As it was going live this morning, I noted that a Delta spokesperson had reached out to View From the Wing. They are “investigating and working to resolve the issue.”