Delta Brings Back Complimentary Upgrades for Frequent Flyers — Business of Loyalty
Photo Credit: A man sleeping in Delta One on an Airbus 330-300. One of the biggest perks for many frequent flyers is the complimentary upgrades that come with elite status. Delta Air Lines
Skift Take
Delta is slowly restoring benefits once-lost to SkyMiles members, but it's more of a competitive move against other carriers than an olive branch for passengers.
One of the biggest perks for many frequent flyers is the complimentary upgrades that come with elite status. At the highest end of privilege, members of legacy airline loyalty programs enjoy space-available, free upgrades to premium cabins in most domestic markets and certificates for the occasional international upgrade.
As loyalty programs have evolved over the last few years, however, those upgrades have been harder to secure. On the availability side, fewer upgrades are now open because airlines are now aggressively pricing premium cabins and actually selling the seats. When the seats do become available for upgrade, the process is also now harder.
Recently, American changed its upgrade policy to prioritize higher-spend travelers when considering two passengers at similar elite tiers. And both Delta and United recently took away complimentary upgrades for frequent flyers on the majority of premium transcontinental routes.
Now, Delta is reversing
