$5 Telephone Charge and $10 Ticket Office/Airport Ticket Charge
Sep 12, 2004, 10:32 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: DeltaLand, USA
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$5 Phone/ $10 Airport Tckt Charge: What Should Delta Do?
I posted this on another thread as a reply to another poster's comment, but thought the topic needed its own thread.
Northwest imposed the new fees first.
Then AA did.
Then US.
CO followed.
And then UA matched.
In an industry that plays "follow the leader" only time will tell if DL will follow. Today's announcement included this tidbit though:
"Expanding delta.com functionality to include fare search, refund and reissue transactions. Delta's goal is to migrate 50 percent of its customer transactions to delta.com by the end of 2005."
Do you think Delta should match in order to lower distribution costs, or not charge the fee in hopes on earning more $$ from new customers upset with the other 5 airlines?
I am not a sanctioned representative of Delta on these boards, just an interested participant. I'm only here trying to shed light on DL issues brought up on this board and to provide my opinion and/or to try to answer Qs. I do work for Delta, but I don't represent DL's final word when answering a question (in any capacity). Please e-mail Customer Care with your questions to get a corporately-supported reply. www.delta.com/email
Northwest imposed the new fees first.
Then AA did.
Then US.
CO followed.
And then UA matched.
In an industry that plays "follow the leader" only time will tell if DL will follow. Today's announcement included this tidbit though:
"Expanding delta.com functionality to include fare search, refund and reissue transactions. Delta's goal is to migrate 50 percent of its customer transactions to delta.com by the end of 2005."
Do you think Delta should match in order to lower distribution costs, or not charge the fee in hopes on earning more $$ from new customers upset with the other 5 airlines?
I am not a sanctioned representative of Delta on these boards, just an interested participant. I'm only here trying to shed light on DL issues brought up on this board and to provide my opinion and/or to try to answer Qs. I do work for Delta, but I don't represent DL's final word when answering a question (in any capacity). Please e-mail Customer Care with your questions to get a corporately-supported reply. www.delta.com/email
Sep 12, 2004, 10:56 am
#2
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DL is in a unique position here since they've off-shored some of the reservations sales agents' positions. In fact, even NW said part of the reason they need to recoup fees is that they're not outsourcing this function. Seeing that DL has already outsourced some reservations services to India, they are realizing savings, and you can argue they don't need to charge the same fee as everyone else.
It's bad enough having to pay $5 to talk with one of NW's grumpy agents. If you think I'm going to pay $5 to talk to some contract Delta imbecile in India who can't even do the job, let alone understand what I'm saying, you gotta be out of your mind.
It's bad enough having to pay $5 to talk with one of NW's grumpy agents. If you think I'm going to pay $5 to talk to some contract Delta imbecile in India who can't even do the job, let alone understand what I'm saying, you gotta be out of your mind.
Sep 12, 2004, 10:59 am
#3
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"It's bad enough having to pay $5 to talk with one of NW's grumpy agents. If you think I'm going to pay $5 to talk to some contract Delta imbecile in India who can't even do the job, let alone understand what I'm saying, you gotta be out of your mind."
Isn't that the whole point, drive you to just do it yourself on the web?
Isn't that the whole point, drive you to just do it yourself on the web?
Sep 12, 2004, 11:02 am
#4
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Originally Posted by UnofficialDLHelper
Do you think Delta should match in order to lower distribution costs, or not charge the fee in hopes on earning more $$ from new customers upset with the other 5 airlines?
So I say....skip the $5 charge and make it up with new customers who would sell their first born to save a few $$'s on a ticket price.
Sep 12, 2004, 11:09 am
#5
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Originally Posted by channa
some contract Delta imbecile in India
Sep 12, 2004, 11:16 am
#6
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Originally Posted by Cholula
This is one of those bizarre fees that are immensely unpopular with pax. By DL not following the others in lockstep and implementing the fee, it says a lot about their commitment to being customer friendly.
So I say....skip the $5 charge and make it up with new customers who would sell their first born to save a few $$'s on a ticket price.
So I say....skip the $5 charge and make it up with new customers who would sell their first born to save a few $$'s on a ticket price.
Sep 12, 2004, 11:17 am
#7
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Originally Posted by crimguy1976
Nice to see your cultural sensitivity kicking in. As opposed as I am to moving jobs offshore, I wouldn't resort to calling them names.
Gee, I wonder if the Indian call center imb...., er employees, are part of the 6-7K jobs to be cut?????????????
Sep 12, 2004, 11:20 am
#8
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Originally Posted by mikey1003
Gee, I wonder if the Indian call center imb...., er employees, are part of the 6-7K jobs to be cut?????????????
Sep 12, 2004, 12:08 pm
#9
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In rare agreement with crimguy1976
Originally Posted by crimguy1976
Nice to see your cultural sensitivity kicking in. As opposed as I am to moving jobs offshore, I wouldn't resort to calling them names.
.
Sep 12, 2004, 12:10 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Shanwick
Posts: 3,117
I might be prepared to pay $5 if all my calls are processed in SLC. ^
More seriously, I tend to agree with Cholula. If I need an international itinerary that can't be booked on delta.com then charging for the necessity of talking to somebody in reservations seems inappropriate. After all, if I wander off to expedia.com I might find a better deal elsewhere so it is in Delta's interest to encourage me to call them first!
More seriously, I tend to agree with Cholula. If I need an international itinerary that can't be booked on delta.com then charging for the necessity of talking to somebody in reservations seems inappropriate. After all, if I wander off to expedia.com I might find a better deal elsewhere so it is in Delta's interest to encourage me to call them first!
Sep 12, 2004, 12:32 pm
#11
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The 1,000 bonus SkyMiles for every round-trip I book at www.delta.com (500 bonus SkyMiles per one-way trip) was incentive enough for me to rarely ever call for a reservation unless absolutely necessary.
I have been taking advantage of this ongoing bonus since it was first introduced by Delta Air Lines.
Perhaps Delta Air Lines should further investigate temporarily boosting the incentive for a limited time — perhaps 2,000 bonus SkyMiles per round trip booked at www.delta.com — and include it in their advertising to get the word out, as well as use other means of spreading the word, such as on the screens in the kiosks...
Additionally, further improving www.delta.com to include more functions and features would further eliminate the need to call an 800 number.
I have been taking advantage of this ongoing bonus since it was first introduced by Delta Air Lines.
Perhaps Delta Air Lines should further investigate temporarily boosting the incentive for a limited time — perhaps 2,000 bonus SkyMiles per round trip booked at www.delta.com — and include it in their advertising to get the word out, as well as use other means of spreading the word, such as on the screens in the kiosks...
Additionally, further improving www.delta.com to include more functions and features would further eliminate the need to call an 800 number.
Sep 12, 2004, 2:30 pm
#12
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Originally Posted by Canarsie
The 1,000 bonus SkyMiles for every round-trip I book at www.delta.com (500 bonus SkyMiles per one-way trip) was incentive enough for me to rarely ever call for a reservation unless absolutely necessary.
I have been taking advantage of this ongoing bonus since it was first introduced by Delta Air Lines.
Perhaps Delta Air Lines should further investigate temporarily boosting the incentive for a limited time — perhaps 2,000 bonus SkyMiles per round trip booked at www.delta.com — and include it in their advertising to get the word out, as well as use other means of spreading the word, such as on the screens in the kiosks...
I have been taking advantage of this ongoing bonus since it was first introduced by Delta Air Lines.
Perhaps Delta Air Lines should further investigate temporarily boosting the incentive for a limited time — perhaps 2,000 bonus SkyMiles per round trip booked at www.delta.com — and include it in their advertising to get the word out, as well as use other means of spreading the word, such as on the screens in the kiosks...
Sep 12, 2004, 2:34 pm
#13
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Join Date: Dec 2002
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Originally Posted by jimrpa
Along those lines, if I were Delta, rather than instituting new "fees", like the other airlines have done, perhaps Delta can advertise $5-$10 DISCOUNTS for booking on-line. It would achieve the same end result, but "sound" better (everyone likes a discount, but nobody likes paying a fee).
In other words, I agree with your idea.
I just booked an Internet-only fare on www.delta.com and saved more than US$50.00 while also gaining bonus SkyMiles...
Sep 12, 2004, 4:48 pm
#14
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Fee removed?
Originally Posted by UnofficialDLHelper
I posted this on another thread as a reply to another poster's comment, but thought the topic needed its own thread.
Northwest imposed the new fees first.
Then AA did.
Then US.
CO followed.
And then UA matched.
In an industry that plays "follow the leader" only time will tell if DL will follow. Today's announcement included this tidbit though:
"Expanding delta.com functionality to include fare search, refund and reissue transactions. Delta's goal is to migrate 50 percent of its customer transactions to delta.com by the end of 2005."
Do you think Delta should match in order to lower distribution costs, or not charge the fee in hopes on earning more $$ from new customers upset with the other 5 airlines?
I am not a sanctioned representative of Delta on these boards, just an interested participant. I'm only here trying to shed light on DL issues brought up on this board and to provide my opinion and/or to try to answer Qs. I do work for Delta, but I don't represent DL's final word when answering a question (in any capacity). Please e-mail Customer Care with your questions to get a corporately-supported reply. www.delta.com/email
Northwest imposed the new fees first.
Then AA did.
Then US.
CO followed.
And then UA matched.
In an industry that plays "follow the leader" only time will tell if DL will follow. Today's announcement included this tidbit though:
"Expanding delta.com functionality to include fare search, refund and reissue transactions. Delta's goal is to migrate 50 percent of its customer transactions to delta.com by the end of 2005."
Do you think Delta should match in order to lower distribution costs, or not charge the fee in hopes on earning more $$ from new customers upset with the other 5 airlines?
I am not a sanctioned representative of Delta on these boards, just an interested participant. I'm only here trying to shed light on DL issues brought up on this board and to provide my opinion and/or to try to answer Qs. I do work for Delta, but I don't represent DL's final word when answering a question (in any capacity). Please e-mail Customer Care with your questions to get a corporately-supported reply. www.delta.com/email
I do hope that DL does not decide to "monkey-do" on this. I agree with Canarsie on the 1000 SM bonus - I've already received 4 or 5 of these bonuses so far this year (tho they are very slow to post) and expect to book several more.
JavaJunkie
... a true caffiend
Sep 12, 2004, 5:10 pm
#15
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Delta has got to do something to set itself apart from its legacy airline competitors. This would be one good place to do it. I would publicly declare this fee off limits and declare so in my advertising, e.g., At Delta, you'll NEVER pay a fee to talk to one of our agents!
At the same time, however, you aggressively improve your website to the point that it can handle virtually every transaction that is routinely done, then offer either discounts or mileage bonuses to people to use it.
For example, I hate to think how many thousands of hours are spent each year with customers trying to find award seats on international or partner itineraries that can't be booked online. This is a dead waste. This is fixable. Spend the programming time and money needed to add this functionality, and many of us will seldom have to call a res agent again. This would pay for itself in the first month.
If I can go through the Sabre availability tool to look for award seat inventory on South African Airways, then that tells you that Delta could add this functionality to its website, plus the ability to book that itinerary and ticket it. Given that this is a transaction whereby the airline derives no money (i.e., it's an award ticket), this is the very first type of transaction to drive away from res agents and to the internet.
At the same time, however, you aggressively improve your website to the point that it can handle virtually every transaction that is routinely done, then offer either discounts or mileage bonuses to people to use it.
For example, I hate to think how many thousands of hours are spent each year with customers trying to find award seats on international or partner itineraries that can't be booked online. This is a dead waste. This is fixable. Spend the programming time and money needed to add this functionality, and many of us will seldom have to call a res agent again. This would pay for itself in the first month.
If I can go through the Sabre availability tool to look for award seat inventory on South African Airways, then that tells you that Delta could add this functionality to its website, plus the ability to book that itinerary and ticket it. Given that this is a transaction whereby the airline derives no money (i.e., it's an award ticket), this is the very first type of transaction to drive away from res agents and to the internet.
