Delta Air Lines scales back changes to its loyalty program after backlash

abcnews.go.com:

Delta Air Lines will move more slowly in tweaking its frequent-flyer program after customers complained loudly about changes the airline announced back in September

Delta Air Lines is backtracking slightly on changes it previously announced in its frequent-flyer program, but it still plans to reshape SkyMiles to favor big spenders over customers who take the most flights.

Delta outlined the revisions in an email from CEO Ed Bastian to SkyMiles members on Wednesday.

“I have read hundreds of your emails, and what’s been most clear to me is how much you love Delta and the disappointment many of you felt by the significance of the changes,” Bastian wrote.

The objections focused on the difficulty of achieving elite status and new restrictions on entering airport lounges.

Delta announced the changes in mid-September, saying they were needed to address overcrowding at the lounges and a surge in elite-status customers that was making it harder to score upgrades.

The airline proposed to make spending with Delta the only way to reach elite status — no longer counting flights taken or miles flown. In simplifying the path to status, Delta sharply raised spending requirements for each SkyMiles level.

According to Bastian's email, flights and miles still won't count toward elite status, and spending requirements will go up from current levels — just not as much as they would have under the September changes.

For example, it will take 5,000 “Medallion qualifying dollars” for Silver, the lowest of four levels, down from 6,000 in September. Currently, customers can reach Silver with as few as 3,000 qualifying dollars or points if they take enough Delta flights, and no points if they accumulate enough miles.

The Diamond top tier will