Delta Air lines Makes Upgrades Even Nicer - Not Necessarily Easier

Fresh off their new website upgrade - Delta is upping the value of the Medallion Program.

There are two major enhancements on the books and in effect immediately.

1. Upgrades on award tickets. I guess this makes higher value award ticket prices theoretically redundant.
2. Upgrades on companion tickets even down to the lowest U,L and T classes.

Delta has done a pretty good job in making its medallion program better and better particularly for the Silver and Gold levels. At the same time they have made the differences for the Platinum and Diamond members a little less special.

Of course the proof of the pudding is in the eating. And here is where the rubber and the road meet.

In the case of the Senior classes - Platinum and Diamond - this will mean that flying Delta will be less special. The changes mean that every domestic flight will be full in the front no matter what.

If I can make one suggestion to Delta - make the international upgrades JUST a little bit easier for the higher grades. The change for the 2010 year resulted in a loss of value for the Platinum members - 4 upgrades down from 6. The system wide upgrades are now of little value except in the case when a full fare passenger can use it for International travel. Its highly convoluted and almost impossible to use.

All in all the Skymiles program is one of the best in the business. What will the other guys do?

We shall see

Cheers