U.S. Airlines Battle for Customer Loyalty: Delta, Alaska, and JetBlue Offer Enticing Perks

In the fiercely competitive airline industry, carriers are constantly vying for the loyalty of passengers. When challenges arise for one, competitors swiftly seize opportunities to attract travelers.

Delta Air Lines faced a turbulent situation in September when it announced alterations to its SkyMiles loyalty program. Among the most contentious changes was the reduction in access to SkyClub airport lounges, including the withdrawal of lounge privileges for SkyMiles Platinum American Express Cardholders.

The decision prompted an immediate and widespread backlash, with objections surfacing both in the news and on social media. Responding to the outcry, Delta CEO Ed Bastian revealed on September 25 that “modifications and changes” were in the pipeline regarding the new policies.

Alaska Airlines wasted no time capitalizing on this situation by offering SkyMiles customers a status match one level higher than their current status. Brett Catlin, Alaska Airlines’ Vice President of Loyalty, emphasized their approach: “We’ve always believed that loyalty extends beyond revenue, and achieving elite status shouldn’t resemble taking out a second mortgage. Our Mileage Plan is designed to reward loyalty in all its forms, providing guests with the quickest route to elite status without any spending requirements,” as stated in a press release.

JetBlue also entered the fray, extending benefits to Delta elites, including coveted business class upgrades. However, JetBlue took its pursuit of Delta’s customers to a new level by personally reaching out to those who received status matches via phone calls.

Twitter user @PointsToPointB expressed their surprise at receiving one of these calls, highlighting JetBlue’s determination: “Wow, Delta status match to JetBlue came with a phone call from a Mosaic agent welcoming me to the status and asking if I had any questions. B6 is serious about poaching customers!”

“B6” refers to JetBlue’s airline code.

Another user, Richard Kerr, shared a transcript of a voicemail from JetBlue customer support, congratulating him on a status match. Kerr’s response speaks volumes: “Wow. Now that’s impressive.”

Gary Leff, in his View From the Wing article, delves into the effectiveness of these status match efforts, emphasizing the importance of making customers feel welcome and valued during a critical moment when they might be considering shifting their loyalty due to feeling unwelcome and undervalued by their current airline.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, msn.com, eturbonews.com, abcnews.go.com