Are Delta Skymiles worth anything any more?

by Grant Martin on

The ire of Delta Skymiles members continues to grow stronger and more vocal.

To summarize, many loyal Delta passengers are miffed at the recent poor value of the airline’s frequent flyer miles, or Skymiles. It’s true that on the surface the airline claims to offer mileage redemptions for the same price as their competitors — but when one actually goes to search for available tickets, those cheap seats are almost nowhere to be found.

The Cranky Flier sums up the problems pretty well over at his blog, where he simply states:

One thing I’ve found… is that Delta SkyMiles are really not easy to burn and when you do, they end up costing a lot more than on other airlines in terms of miles and dollars. As a loyalty program, SkyMiles is hard for me to love as a non-elite.

One can see from the rocking comment section beneath the post that there is unanimous agreement from the ranks. Want more insight? Head over to the Delta thread on Flyertalk where frustrated passengers have been venting for months.

For Delta’s part they acknowledge the difficulties with their award calendar but don’t seem really interested in finding immediate solutions. Blaming IT integration issues, they hope to have things ironed out by summer.

And until then? Diversify your mileage portfolio.

RELATED: Where did all the bargain fares to Europe go?

Sixteen-hour LAX to JFK “flightmare” fueled by four Pringles

by Laurel Miller on

Virgin America flight 404, bound from LAX to JFK, took a bit of a detour Saturday, reaching its destination in sixteen hours, instead of the usual six.

Due to 60-mph winds in New York, the plane was forced to circle JFK before it was diverted 90 miles north, to Stewart Airport in Newburgh. The plane then sat on the tarmac for approximately seven hours (until midnight), according to irate passengers.

Things got really ugly when frazzled, snappish flight attendants were forced to ration food and drink; each passenger was allotted a half-cup of water and four Pringles. The angry mob threw cookies and cursed the “flight from hell.” One passenger had to be escorted off the plane by police, due to a panic attack.

A mutiny was averted when rival airline JetBlue — who have facilities at Stewart Airport — arranged for buses to take the passengers to JFK, two hours away. The “flightmare” ended at 3am.

One of the passengers, the CEO of a social marketing firm, kept the world updated on the situation via deadpan Twitter posts and videos of the ordeal.

Virgin America issued a statement apologizing for the debacle: “After reviewing the particular circumstances of this diversion, we agreed that we needed to have done a better job with communicating a difficult situation to our guests.”

Big Brother may not be watching, but there’s no hiding from social media.

Galley Gossip: 3 reasons flight attendants won’t allow passengers to switch seats in flight

by Heather Poole on

Dear Heather,

What is the proper etiquette for switching to an open seat? Should I ask the flight attendant first? Is it okay to switch to another row if only one person is occupying the row?

Thanks,

Rich

Dear Rich,

Go for it! Switch seats. You don’t have to ask. But you might want to wait until everyone is on board before making your move. Worst case scenario a flight attendant might ask you to return to your original seat. Big deal, so what if you have to move back? Most of the time the open seat is yours for the taking – as long as it’s in the same cabin as your ticketed seat. Which brings me to the first class stowaway…

“Whenever I travel I always wear a nice suit and board last,” said the passenger seated beside me on a flight years ago. I don’t remember where we were going, but I wasn’t working so he had no idea what I did for a living. “As I’m passing through the first class cabin I’ll slide into an open seat. If the flight attendants say anything I’ll quietly offer fifty bucks.””And that works?” I asked, not sure what to make of the guy.

“Sometimes,” he laughed.

I told him what I did for a living. Then I added, “the money wouldn’t make a difference to me. I’d still send you back to coach.”

He looked perplexed. “Seriously? What if I gave you two-hundred dollars?”

I just smiled.

“Three hundred?”

Hey, I don’t blame the guy for trying. Just remember that if you do try to pull a fast one, we will find you, and we will send you back to where you belong.

Oh I know those first and business class seats are calling you. And yes, it is a shame when they go out unoccupied. But since flight attendants do not upgrade passengers once they’re on board a flight, don’t even bother asking. We’ll just tell you to speak to an agent. It’s the gate agent who has the upgrading power. This is because the agent is the one who has access to a computer in order to input frequent flier miles or credit card numbers that are needed to purchase a seat.

Every so often a passenger will actually score their own row. What that passenger may not realize is that they do not own the row. So if you would like to sit in an open seat beside one of these lucky passengers, be my guest. If the passenger complains or does not allow you to sit down, let the flight attendants know and we will inform the problem passenger that unless they purchased all three seats, the open seats are not theirs to keep.

Here are three reasons a flight attendant may ask you to return to your seat:

A PASSENGER PURCHASED TWO SEATS: While it doesn’t happen often, it does happen. I’ve seen it. Once. A single passenger boarded my flight carrying two boarding passes. Both of them were in his name. I didn’t even ask to see them, but he showed them to me anyway, in case any issues came up in flight. And he was a regular sized passenger.

A DISPLACED FAMILY IS ON BOARD: Flight attendants may need to use an open seat in order to move passengers around so that they can accommodate families who are not seated together. It’s not fair for singles, I know, but do you really want a kid screaming for his mother the entire flight?

BLOCKED SEATS: A seat can be blocked for all kinds of reasons. Missing seat belts and oxygen masks are two of the most common reasons. It doesn’t matter if the seat belt sign is off or how fast you think can run back to your seat in case of a decompression, the seat is blocked. Case closed. Go back to your seat!

Hope that helps, Rich. And here’s wishing you lots of open seats on your next flight!

Heather

UPDATE: Is has been brought to my attention by several flight attendants that not all airlines are created equal. Regional carriers dealing weight and balance issues do not allow customers to switch seats so freely. Also, flight attendants working for airlines with economy plus sections offering more room in coach, do recommend checking with a flight attendant first before moving to another seat, since certain sections are off limits to passengers in coach who did not purchase the extra space. And now with airlines charging for exit rows, bulkheads and aisle seats, switching to just any seat in your ticketed cabin may not be possible.

(Got a question? Email Skydoll123@yahoo.com )

Photo courtesy of Kathy Stewart and Waketheman

Be sure to check out Episode 5 of Travel Talk TV, which features a Santa Cruz beach adventure; explains why Scottish money is no good; shows how to cook brats the German way; and offers international dating tips!


Corporate travel comeback expected

by Tom Johansmeyer on

When you look at the woes experienced by the airlines through this recession, it’s hard to escape the fact that there’s only one solution: the business traveler. Recreational travelers may be important, but that’s not where the real money comes from. Airlines salivate over the M&A banker who books a last-minute flight every week. As businesses were laying off and cutting costs, corporate travel suffered, dragging the airlines down with it. With a turn for the better expected this year, airlines are now looking for ways to attract these valuable passengers and the budgets the command. Bed-like seats are starting to pop up, and first class service is finding its way onto regional carriers.

According to airline consultant Bob Harrell, “The business traveler is the most profitable part of the traveler segment.” As much as these folks can be a pain in the ass (and I sure was back in my day), they are probably the most important passengers the airline has. Harrell adds, in USA Today, that even in coach, the smallest domestic refundable fare paid by the business traveler tends to be five times higher than the rock-bottom price paid for a comparable ticket by a leisure traveler.

So, to bring the valuable customers in the door, airlines are rolling out the perks. Luxury lounges, in-flight gourmet meals and other amenities, the airlines hope, will put the corporate traveler back in their seats. The airlines are even paying handsomely for the business traveler: Delta, for example, is pumping $1 billion into enhanced up-market services through 2013.Business travelers represent a unique opportunity for airlines, in that they command travel budgets that are quite large relative to their incomes. They travel frequently and often have some degree of choice in the airlines they use. Further, business need may render price effectively moot. This is the sort of passenger that any business would love, and the airlines are no different.

Cash, it seems, is the universal language.

Click here to gain more business traveler insights in my weekly “White Collar Travel.”

Take your shoes off, but keep your feet clean – Airplane tip

by Gadling Staff on

Removing your shoes to pass through security doesn’t mean you have to pick up dirt, germs, and everything else left behind by fellow travelers. In a plastic baggie in an exterior pocket of your carry-on, store a bag of hand wipes along with an old pair of socks, or disposable slip-on booties like hospital workers wear.

Slide those on when you slip your shoes off, and after passing through security, peel off those germy socks or booties and return them to their resealable bag for your return trip, while putting clean feet in your shoes.

Use the hand wipes and you’re good to go — germ-free!