Changes to Delta's SkyMiles qualifications are making travelers furious

One customer tweet reads, "Delta execs, call your PR team. You have a crisis on your hands."

Sep 15, 2023 - 06:30

0 22

Changes to Delta's SkyMiles qualifications are making travelers furious

Major changes to Delta Air Lines's (DAL) - Get Free Report SkyMiles Program have the airline trending on X, the platform formally known as Twitter. Nearly 35,000 people are sharing their thoughts about the airline’s newest update – and they aren’t exactly singing the praises of Delta and its credit card partner, American Express (AXP) - Get Free Report.

“Beginning Feb. 1, 2025, Delta is[…] changing who gets access to its network of Sky Club lounges,” wrote The Points Guy in a series of Tweets. “One big change is that when this is in effect, Delta Platinum cardholders will no longer be granted access to the Sky Clubs.”

The strict cutback of the number of Delta customers who will have access to the Sky Club lounge has, in particular, received a massive wave of angry responses.

So Delta don’t want nobody in the Sky Club. pic.twitter.com/cg6xPLmFQJ— Kevín (@KevOnStage) September 14, 2023

More stories from TheStreet:

Many responses claimed to be from long-time Delta customers who had been SkyMiles members for many years — sometimes even decades.

I’ve been SkyMiles member since 1988 (Mom signed me up). No company I’ve been more loyal to for my entire life than @Delta, every work trip, vacation, I’d drive 2-3 hours just to fly Delta. Sadly, this marks the end this journey and will be canceling my Amex Plat card.— Derek Stanek (@DerekStanek) September 14, 2023

Several customers had stories to tell about their use of Delta's SkyMiles program and expressed a feeling of loss due to the policy changes. And many of them indicated they thought it was no longer worthwhile to fly Delta or use their SkyMiles-affiliated American Express cards.

One person wrote, "So incredibly disappointed with these drastic changes in the SkyMiles program. Delta has been our airline of first choice, due in large part to the rewards program. No great incentives for us anymore."

Another said that, "I'm about 100K miles away from Million Miler Status on Delta, but I might not get there... starting next year I'm going to break my decade+ long diehard loyalty to the airline bc of changes to earning Medallion status."

Each flyer lamented the years of spending power put into their status, only to have a new points accrual system make it more difficult to earn rewards.

With a platinum card, I need to spend $4,000 on Delta flights and $40,000 on my card just to get Silver Status.

With the purple reserve card, I need to spend $4,000 on Delta flights and $20,000 on my card just to get Silver Status.— Erik Gray (@ErikGray) September 14, 2023

But because it's the internet, some folks are just following the topic for the show. Time will tell if Delta feels the heat brought on by consumers with the latest policy change.