This week, when flying Delta, (the first time since early January) I took notice that the Delta.com upgrade standby priority list is extremely out of sync and broken. I have sent an email to Delta to inform them of this issue, but in the meantime I want readers to know that Delta.com is BROKEN! Just like the award calendar, the award search functions, and other aspects of Delta.com, Delta’s IT team has done a terrible job of fixing bugs and staying on top of the website. Since the merger with NWA.com and divulging NWA.COM, Delta.com has had NOTHING but issues (URG!!).
This week, after a number of cancelled flights and other issues, instead of making it to Maine (as scheduled) I had to turn around and fly back to San Diego. Neither Delta nor any other airline was going able to get me to Maine, so instead of commuting to work, I decided to telecommute (I wish I would have decided this a day earlier!). When Delta rebooked me back from MSP (after spending an unscheduled night here), I was rebooked in my original class of service (M). Per the red coat, after the rebooking, I was #1 on the upgrade list with 3 hours until departure.
I headed to the SkyClub to relax (I have free access thanks to my American Express Platinum Card) and to grab a bit to eat before my 11:30am departure time. After getting some work done in the club I decide to check Delta.com to ensure I was still going to be upgraded. What I saw was disheartening! I had dropped from #1 on the upgrade list to #7 in less than 45 minutes!
I was shocked that as a Delta Platinum booked in M class (for those of you who do not know, full fare economy is Y, followed by B, M, then discounted economy S, H, Q, K and deeply discounted L, U, T, X, V, E, upgrade priority begins with Y class passengers and works its way down to E) I had dropped so low on the list without there being any IRROPS between MSP and SAN. I next whipped out my “FlyDelta” app on my S4 to check the same list. Instead of being #7 on the list, the application was showing me as #1 on the list. Being utterly baffled, I sought out a SkyClub member service agent to assist and confirm my position on the upgrade list. Sure enough, the FlyDelta app was correct and Delta.com was incorrect!
Notice the names don’t even match, and despite these screen shots being taken 2 minutes apart, the delta.com upgrade list was showing eastern time & not central (time zone where flight was departing from)
Therefore, if you’re flying Delta in the coming weeks, DO NOT trust the Delta website if you want to know your upgrade potential. I highly recommend asking a Delta representative or using the FlyDelta application for your smart phone. Because it seems as though Delta.com is having MORE technical difficulties.
“Everyday I ask myself, ‘what can I do to make Delta better?’ That’s the entrepreneurial spirit at work, even at an 80 year old company –it requires thinking differently about our business in ways that always stay true our values and help us to always have our customers’ backs.” – Richard Anderson, SkyMiles Magzine, July 2013
So I pose this question to Richard, when are you going to call back the former NWA.com IT team? It certainly seems as though they were the only ones who knew what they were doing and they had more partner airlines bookable via your website. Can you ask yourself that Richard?
<Sigh> the good old days. Well let me tell ya Richard, I can tell you 1 thing you certainly MUST make better….DELTA.com!
