It seems that a lot of people were surprised by the news that Delta Air Lines was named America’s best airline by Airfarewatchdog’s annual airline rankings. One of the routine emails I receive from Conde Naste Traveler came with the subject line “You Won’t Believe Which Airline Was Named America’s Best.” Actually, I would.
Image courtesy of Delta Air Lines
Now, maybe I’m biased because I live in Atlanta, and as a result, spend an above average amount of time flying Delta, but here are a few things I’ve noticed over my last 2 years in the ATL.
- I am rarely delayed (seriously)
- In 5 years of somewhat routinely flying Delta I’ve experienced exactly one flight cancellation
- The few issues I have experienced have always been dealt with in an effective manner
- When I check bags, they are nearly always waiting on the carousel when I arrive in Atlanta
- Delta people are almost always courteous
- Inflight crews are almost always above average to excellent
- Wi-fi is pervasive, even on large RJs
I could probably list a lot more things to like than this, but these are what come to mind right now. In short, Delta is an airline that works for me, and obviously others. You’ll likely notice the phrase “they have a great frequent flyer program” is missing. That’s because SkyMiles has its known issues, but even that has worked out OK for me, especially the Medallion program. Color me not the least bit surprised that Delta was named America’s best airline. It’s certainly the best at the things I value most as a frequent business traveler.
-MJ, August 12, 2014
[…] I Have No Trouble Believing Delta is America’s Best Airline […]
I’m captive to a Delta/United regional airport. My company is officially pushing United – got a free status match to 1K. In 6 round trips this year, United has given me exactly 1 upgrade, and 5 delays of 3 hours or more. Delta has had zero delays, and 80%+ upgrades. While UA has hardworking FAs and GAs, they’re completely outclassed by DL’s. My boss happily pays the premium, if any, for me to fly Delta because it gets me where I need to be: “Delta on-time, United…sometime”.
I’ve burned something like 400K SkyMiles in the last year. Not a lack of “trust” on my part, but I certainly will use SkyMiles for trips I wouldn’t think of using another mileage currency for.
They can be the best US airline based on all the things you mentioned above. On the other hand they have the worst FF program and are the most evil airline in terms of trying to take advantage of their customers once they are hooked to their program (terrible redemption rates, ridiculous award availability, devaluation, etc….) I don’t trust Delta for a second so as soon as I have enough miles to redeem “something” with them I do it. Earn and burn!!!!!
I like Delta because of the places it can take me from LGA/JFK. I can be anywhere with a nonstop or one-stop connection. Also, having been a frequent DL flyer, I’ve come to expect and welcome their service each time I board. I flew other US carriers and didn’t even receive a bag of peanuts! Yes, some may argue that I’m mad for mentioning peanuts, but it’s the little things that count, right? Being a Platinum Medallion definitely helps as I’ve received many free upgrades to first/business.
Totally agree. I so often wonder when people won’t even consider Delta a viable airline because of its woeful FF program if they even remember why most people step onto an airplane in the first place. Do I prefer other FF programs? Absolutely. I have their co-branded credit cards and fly them on vacation internationally for free. But when I need to actually fly for business and my time and aggravation level is valued, I fly Delta. In fairness, DL is still the dominant airline here at CVG. But even when I connect I rarely have an issue. The same… Read more »