A tweet we received got us thinking, Which Delta Sky Clubs truly need a remodel or other help?
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Should Delta Passengers Be Allowed to Swap Cabins with a Companion – Inflight?
Say you’re enjoying first class and your companion (significant other, friend, whoever) is back in coach. You’re having so much fun up front — but you’re a nice person and you really want to let your companion experience it, too.
Would you go back and swap seats them during the flight?
The Back (and Forth) Story
FlyerTalk member tomSEA was seated in first class, his family back in Comfort+. He writes that halfway through the flight, he traded spots with his wife. He was “scolded by the (flight attendant) that they can’t allow people going ‘back and forth and back and forth.’”
He told the FA that he and wife would swap seats only once, the beverage he ordered up front was available in Comfort+, and that the first class seat was originally his.
“They dropped it and all was well,” he wrote. From what I gather (and gather from reading some of the responses to his post), no one got out of hand or acted like this guy.
Is Cabin Swapping OK?
I’m always happy to go from coach to first class, so invite me anytime you see me back there! 🙂
Seriously, though, I think tomSEA’s gesture was kind. And it’s not like he took the liberty of reseating his wife into an open first class seat so they could both enjoy the benefits simultaneously.
Personally, if the person sitting next to me is respectful and polite, I really don’t care how they got there. (But this person should never, ever be allowed in first class.)
But I understand Delta’s point of view — and it seems they handled everything just fine in this situation. If everyone were swapping seats, the already crowded aisles would be more jammed. Snacks and beverages might be abused. It’s more chances for people to grab the wrong carryon.
There have been several times when I was upgraded but not my wife. I’m happy giving her the seat — and we decide before boarding who gets it. Same thing when traveling with friends. Or a client that hires me for a job on which we’re traveling…
The only rule my wife and I have about “splitting cabins” is the person in first class has to sneak back Brownie Brittle once during the flight. 🙂
What Do You Think?
Should mid-flight cabin swaps be allowed? Should people even swap a first class with a coach seat anytime before or during the flight? Would you swap seats inflight? Or would you mind being seated next to someone who swapped?
Tell us in the Comment section below! — Chris
Man Dies of Alleged Opioid Overdose on Delta Flight – Plans to Stock NARCAN Onboard
(Photo credit: ©iStock.com/Moussa81)
A Delta passenger died on board a flight Saturday after an alleged drug overdose. An overdose reversal drug could have saved the man — but apparently wasn’t stocked on the flight.
WATCH: Delta Passenger Uses BARE FEET to Navigate IFE Screen
(Alafair Burke/Twitter)
Just when you thought you’d seen it all: a Delta Air Lines first class passenger swiped his in-flight entertainment screen — with his bare feet.
Good News for Delta, Bad News for Medallions: Fewer Upgrades Available. How to Improve Your Chances
During Delta’s quarterly investors’ call this week, mothership brass revealed a surge in premium seat purchases. But more cushy seats sold = fewer seats for Medallions to enjoy complimentary upgrades. Continue reading
Delta Helps Woman Get Home to Say Goodbye to Beloved Pet
Quasar (Photo courtesy of Lynsey Schroeder via Facebook)
During a week some Delta employees and contractors were in the news, this story shows that the airline actually does care.
Delta Receives Its Final Boeing Aircraft
Rookie Wednesday: Don’t Request Missing Delta Partner Credit Too Fast (Plus Other “Don’ts”)
Welcome to a regular feature on the Renés Points blog. This blog series covers in a “rookie” way either a Delta or travel related theme and attempts to break down to a basic level each topic. You can read up on all the previous posts HERE. Now on to this featured topic.
Wait – NOOOO – Not Q fare Delta!
One of the hands down best ways to rack up a boatload of points (and MQDs credit) with Delta is via their partners. However, one great partner AeroMexico, is notorious for sending over the WRONG fare class information to Delta often due to Y-UP fares (#ProTip – Want a custom mileage run from your home airport? We have a team ready to help you).
But take a gander at the screenshot above from the Delta.com page about requesting missing credits. I was waiting for one of this year’s AeroMexico runs to post and wanted to hurry it along. Thankfully, I looked closely and did not take it to the next step. Why? Notice the indicated fare class in the screenshot? Yep – “Q” – when I had flown and paid for “I”. The difference between the two fare classes in earnings is MASSIVE. So I just waited and the correct numbers did post. This is one simple “don’t” but let’s look at some others today.
- Don’t set a simple password on Delta.com. If you use the same password for Delta as other sites you are asking for trouble. Oh, and please make your password REALLY hard and long. There are currently any number of threads on social media about folks’ Delta accounts being hacked and drained to zero!
- Don’t upgrade Delta Amex cards. Over the 8 years while I was full-time blogging I loved answering literally thousands of reader emails – other than one kind – that asked if they should upgrade (or downgrade) a Delta Amex card. NOOOOOOO! Never ever do this as you burn your 1x lifetime shot at a new card bonus. Apply for a new Delta Amex card THEN close the old card if you wish to do so.
- Don’t pay for checked bags! OK if you have a steam trunk you may not be able to get it through the TSA machine but many bags do fit. Why pay Delta when you can take the bag to the gate and then get them to check it for free!
- Don’t board if 1st or C+ seats are open. Let’s face it folks, #TeamBoardLast is the law of the land with Delta. If you are the last one to board, even in an E BASIC fare ticket, you may end up in 1st class or at least a good C+ seat. Learn this – Know this!
- Don’t cancel a Delta Amex card too soon. Please please please never ever cancel an Amex card short of 365 days since you were approved. The reasons why are many. First off, they can claw back the new card bonus. Next, in the case of the Delta Amex Platinum Card (learn more here) or the Delta Amex Reserve card (learn more here) you get a BOGO cert year 2 (and thereafter) of card membership. Once loaded to Delta.com it does not go away even if you cancel the card. So if you are going to cancel wait till it loads in before you close an account.
- Don’t let a Delta Amex BOGO go unspent. With the above in mind, you can book tickets for any two people you want with your BOGO cert and you can pay for the tickets with ANY Amex card (not just the card you got the cert from). So check the fly by expiration date and make sure someone enjoys the savings of a free +1 ticket (free plus tax that is). See post E22 in the Essentials tab for more help with this.
- Don’t ever buy MQMs from Delta in December. I hate, I mean really HATE, when folks do not plan ahead and end up donating money to Delta Air Lines. Please take the time to look now what points you think you will need and plan accordingly. Either buy up to 1st class if the price is right to earn extra points or book a mileage “fun run” somewhere. Do not give free cash to Delta!
- Don’t buy Delta tickets with a Delta Amex card. Wait – what? But I can earn 2x and help reach my spend goals for the year. Yeah, well, you can earn 5x much more valuable Membership Rewards points if you pay with the (non-Delta) Amex Platinum card (learn more here). You can send those instantly to Delta if you wish and you can see that 5x is clearly better than 2x. Find other things to reach spend goals with your Delta Amex cards.
- Don’t assume a flight is not oversold due to open seats in the Fly Delta App. There is so much we do not see plus the day of flight things are always changing. Other flights can cancel and roll to yours and a wide-open flight could be oversold in a moments notice. Always print an extra boarding pass and ask the gate agent if the flight is oversold (and give them the extra paper copy to hold).
- Don’t let extra $100 GOES credits go unused. There are so many high-end travel cards that come with the $100 Global Entry credit (that includes TSA PreCheck) every 4 or 5 years like the Amex Platinum card (learn more here). But what if you already have it and are not 364 days out to renew yours? At the final payment page, you can use your card to pay for anyone you wish and it will trigger the credit. So why not help someone in the family (or a good friend out) and pay for their 5 year travel perk!
These are my major “don’ts” when it comes to being a frequent Delta flyer. I bet I have left a few out and sharp readers can help us out. Are there other Delta don’ts that you always cringe when people do? Please let us know in the comments below! – René
Is Delta Cooking Up Plans with Celebrity Chefs?
(Photo: ©iStock.com/SeventyFour)
Is Delta Air Lines unleashing their inner foodie? Continue reading
Would You Ride the Last Delta CRJ-200 Flight?
Delta continues to plague itself (and passengers) with one phrase: “CRJ-200.”
Notice I worded today’s headline as “Would You Ride…” instead of “Will You Ride…” Because it feels as though Delta will never get rid of Satan’s Chariot. (Which really exemplified its nickname when a CRJ-200 “assaulted” a priest!)
In 2012, ch-aviation reported that SkyWest (a Delta Connection contractor) and Delta “reached an agreement to amend their existing Delta Connection contract allowing Delta to retire its 66 CRJ-100s and CRJ-200s currently operated on its behalf by Skywest either in Delta Connection or Skywest colours. The CRJ-200s will be retired as of (May 2012) with the last of the 66 CRJ-200s to be retired by December 2015.”
Nearly four years later, SkyWest CRJ-200s are still operating Delta Connection flights. (Like this one. And this one. And this one. And another.)
Many #AvGeeks enjoy riding an aircraft model’s final flight with a specific airline. Some even get married during the ride. It’s a bittersweet moment bidding farewell to a plane that hosts so many memories for so many people.
But I personally can’t think of a good memory from a CRJ-200. Can you? If and when Delta finally says “enough!” and retires these birds, would you want to be on the future beer can’s retirement flight?
Why All the CRJ-200 Hate?
For leisure travelers or those who don’t fly often, the Bombardier’s CRJ-200 is the bane of passenger travel.
The seats are tiny.
Hardly anything bigger than a backpack will fit in the overhead bins cubbies. That means checking your rollaboard as you enplane — and then waiting in a hot or cold jet bridge for it after your flight.
Hot or Cold – your pick!
As René noted, their fuel efficiency is practically nil. And they’re used for so many operations (takeoffs and landings) because they fly so many short routes each day. That wears down on a plane.
Simply put: these 50-seaters are well past any prime they enjoyed.
What About the Bigger CRJ Models?
Don’t get me wrong: I like most Bombardier jets. Let’s not forget the brand-spankin’ new A220 was originally designed by Bombardier; Airbus got involved only when Boeing pitched a hissy fit. (And look how well Boeing’s done since…) The CRJ-700 and CRJ-900 aircraft are comfortable — and include first class seating and real C+ product, as opposed to the CRJ-200. While you’re not exactly flying an A350, the -700 and -900 are far better than their little sibling.
When I worked on The Captains, we rode a beautiful Global Express jet from Van Nuys to Toronto to Luton to Teterboro.
Bombardier makes great airplanes. It’s just, y’know, the CRJ-200 that’s kind of a problem.
Any Logical Reasons Why Delta Must Keep Some CRJ-200s?
To be honest, Delta needs to operate some CRJ-200s for the foreseeable future. Some smaller markets simply might not provide enough business for Delta to use the 69-seat CRJ-700 or Embraer ERJ-170? If Delta thought they could make more money with slightly larger planes, don’t you think they’d have either of the larger birds operating those routes?
Perhaps airport limitations may factor in Delta’s reasoning. Some commercial airports are just plain (no pun intended) small. Runway size and other factors may come into play. But all of the destinations in my examples above have mainline service with at least one airline — and their respective 737s and A320s sure don’t have any problems.
How Would Delta Mark the Occasion?
What would be the final flight? SLC to St. George (SkyWest’s headquarters)?
Maybe Delta would do us a favor and make it SBN to DTW 😉
Whatever it is, one thing’s for sure: it’ll be too short to meet Delta’s 250-mile threshold for cabin service!
Like I mentioned in Friday’s post about the Fourth of July themed Delta flight 1776, the mothership throws a great theme party. Whether it’s inaugural flights or Sky Club openings, Delta is great at creating fun celebrations.
What do you think Delta might do when/if they ever retire the CRJ-200?
Maybe Delta would give passengers these Barbie Careers 60th Anniversary Pilot Dolls and Barbie Dreamplane Playset (a nod to the CRJ-200’s “Barbie Jet” moniker)?
I wonder if the plane will receive a water cannon salute?
(Photo: ©iStock.com/Nimdamer)
But the darn things are so tiny that a couple of garden hoses would probably do the job. 😉
Share your ideas with us!
So Would You Make a Special Trip to Ride the Delta’s Last CRJ-200 Flight?
Rene went out of his way (and pocket) to ride the first passenger flights for Delta’s 737-900ER and Airbus A350. Would spend time and money to buy a ticket on Delta’s final CRJ-200 flight? Depending on where the flight departs from and where it arrives, you’d have to spend money on at least one positioning leg. Would you take time off work or other commitments for the “special” occasion?
Tell us in the Comment section below!
–Chris
10 Important Tips About the Amex Offer for Delta Air Lines Flights
During the long, holiday weekend, American Express released an Amex Offer for Delta flights: spend $200, get $40 back. But be wary of almost a dozen disqualifiers.
Click to see terms and conditions.
I received the offer on my Platinum Card from American Express (learn more). My American Express Gold Card (learn more) and Business Platinum Card (learn more) from American Express OPEN did not receive the offer. (Which is fine because my personal Platinum card earns 5x Membership Rewards points on flights purchased directly through Delta!)
So before you buy gift cards, treat seatmates to rounds of cocktails and Flight Fuel on a flight to anywhere, or guest your family into a Sky Club, read these little caveats.
- This is a big one: this Amex Offer for Delta purchases is valid only for flights whose destination is either:
- Boston (BOS)
- Raleigh-Durham (RDU)
- Seattle (SEA).
So if you’re looking for a reason to visit one of those three cities, here’s the perfect opportunity! (And possibly a way to save money on a Delta Medallion status match!)
If your home airport is one of those three, it appears a roundtrip to anywhere someplace than the other two does not qualify. For example, if you fly from Boston, only roundtrips to Seattle or Raleigh-Durham will be eligible for the credit. (Doctor of Credit reports there’s another offer from BOS, RDU or SEA to any airport in the USA.)
What’s up with those three destinations? Delta recently crowned Boston its newest hub. Raleigh-Durham is a Delta “focus city.” And I’m pretty sure Delta just wants to crush Alaska Airlines in Seattle.
However —
- Itineraries with connections are not eligible. People not living somewhere with nonstops to BOS, SEA, or RDU will have to begin a separate trip to a city that does. For example, I can’t go BUR-ATL-RDU. My only close option is LAX-RDU.
- Multi-city and one way flights also are not eligible.
- Only the base fare is eligible toward the Amex Offer. Taxes, other fees, Gogo WiFi, travel insurance, mileage boosters (but you already know not to buy that) don’t apply.
- The terms specifically mention the Amex Offer is good for flights only. Gift cards, Sky Club guest passes, onboard food and beverage, etc., should not credit.
- Reservations must be made directly with Delta: via the Fly Delta app, Delta.com, or main reservation phone number (800-221-2121). I bet reservations made through Medallion phone numbers will work, too. Reservations made through online travel agencies (i.e. Priceline, Kayak, Amex Travel) are not eligible for the credit.
- Nothing in the terms excludes Pay with Miles tickets. Remaining cash balances after applying SkyPennies should qualify for this offer.
- Likewise, the paid fare of a BOGOF companion ticket obtained through a Delta American Express Platinum personal (learn more) or business card (learn) or Delta Reserve Amex personal (learn more) or business card (learn more) should qualify, as well. Remember: you can use any credit card to pay for the cash portion of a companion pass. You’re not obligated to use the Delta Amex Platinum or Reserve card through which you obtained the BOGOF.
- $200 minimum fare(s) must be purchased by September 5. Nothing in the terms says flights must be completed by that date. So this may be a good opportunity to save some money on holiday flights to BOS, SEA, or RDU.
- Delta Private Jets and On Demand Charter services aren’t eligible for this offer. (Oh, how I wish that were a dealbreaker for me.)
We’ll see if there are any good Elite Mileage Runs to any of these three cities. (Because there are so many restrictions to this Amex Offer, consider contacting our friend Adam to customize a trip for you!)
UPDATE
We found a mileage run that appears to work with the Amex Offer restrictions!
Hat tip: Points, Miles, and Martinis. (Which, coincidentally, are three wonderful things!)
Post-Independence Day Thoughts: Being a Travel Loyalty Program “Free Agent”
©iStock.com/Vasyl Dolmatov
While my friends, family, and I enjoyed some Fourth of July festivities Thursday (and rode out an earthquake!) the subject of travel inevitably came up. Continue reading
Gayle King, Delta “Angels” and “Life Savers,” Heathrow’s “Forgotten People” and Smells Like Spirit
What a week!
I hope you’re enjoying the long, holiday weekend. It was a big, busy week for us at Rene’s Points!
René waxed nostalgic about his eight years of blogging, William Shatner tweeted us, Delta is planning to “Wow” Main Cabin customers. Oh, and a passenger tried to breach a Delta cockpit and make “San Juan…disappear.”
All in a week’s work, I guess.
In case you missed anything or want to read a post again, here’s the week that was!
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- PROCRASTINATORS – Last call for the BIGGEST EVER Delta Amex Card Offers! OFFERS HAVE EXPIRED. Please see post for current Welcome Bonuses!
Even though it was a short week for many, the travel news world was still in full force.
There were plenty of Delta happenings this week: (more) new routes added, earnings reports, cargo news, and a few other stories:
Here are some more pieces that caught my eye and I thought would interest you, too:
And, finally, with *ahem* All Apologies to Nirvana, something smells like Spirit…
What are your plans this holiday weekend? Traveling anywhere? What have been your experiences at airports, hotels, and on the road? Please tell us in the Comment section below.
And if there’s a big travel news story I missed, please add it below with a link to the story.
— Chris
Delta Air Lines Celebrates the Spirit of 1776 – on Flight 1776!
(Photo: ©iStock.com/hanohiki)
While many celebrated the Fourth of July yesterday at parties, ballgames, lakes, or maybe watching some YouTube fireworks, a group of lucky Delta Air Lines passengers enjoyed a unique celebration of their own. Continue reading
Delta Employee Gets Married at a Sky Club. Where Would You Get Married (Again)?
(Photo credit: ©iStock.com/razihusin)
Most people don’t want to be at work on their wedding days. But Delta Air Lines employee Sara Lora and her groom were married at the concourse B Sky Club at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) yesterday.
