In the battle to retain airline loyalty, Delta Air Lines was the first out of the gate in the USA to extended its frequent flyer status.
Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-400ER departing Dublin – Image, Economy Class and Beyond
Delta is offing its SkyMiles Medallion Member the same loyalty benefits throughout 2021 as they have in 2020. These will be applied automatically over the next few weeks.
In detail:
Medallion Members:
- All Medallion Status for 2020 will be automatically extended for the 2021 Medallion Year.
- All Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) from 2020 are being rolled over to 2021 to qualify for 2022 Medallion Status.
SkyMiles Members:
- If you have one of the following in your SkyMiles profile “My Wallet” that is valid now or has expired since 1st March 2020, we are extending the expiration dates to give you additional time to enjoy your benefits:
- Upgrade Certificates or $200 Travel Vouchers with an original expiration date between 1st March and 30th June 2020, are extended – now, they can be booked and flown by Dec. 31, 2020. And, SkyMiles Members with Upgrade Certificates or $200 Travel Vouchers that expire after June 30, 2020, will receive an additional six months beyond the current expiration date.
- SkyMiles Select members will receive a six-month extension to the Priority Boarding benefit and any unused drink vouchers.
Delta SkyClub
- Both Individual and Executive memberships with an expiration of 1st March 2020, or later will receive six additional months of Delta Sky Club access beyond their expiration date.
Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members will also get extensions to their products too.
In quotes
Sandeep Dube, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Customer Engagement and Loyalty, and CEO of Delta Vacations aid
“On behalf of all of us at Delta, I want to thank our customers for your continued loyalty during these unprecedented times. While our focus is on keeping customers and employees safe and healthy today and always, you are a part of the Delta family and we know how important these benefits are to you,”
“That’s why as coronavirus continues to dramatically impact travel across the globe, you don’t have to worry about your benefits – they’ll be extended so you can enjoy them when you are ready to travel again.”
He added
“We are continuously monitoring how coronavirus impacts travel and will make additional adjustments to support our customers’ needs as the pandemic evolves”.
Opinion: Others have followed in Delta’s path and others need to follow
United Airlines also chose to extend their elite status for their frequent fliers – I’ll be covering that later.
Hopefully, other airlines, including ones in Europe and Asia will take notice and start extending their loyalty programmes to their flyers – as this downturn will take a long time for airlines to pick up from.
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