SkyMiles Medallion Program Updates and latest improvements at Delta.com

Platinum System-wide Upgrades now eligible on Northwest flights

Platinum Medallion® members can now redeem their System-wide upgrade on Northwest Airlines® operated flights. Members should continue to contact Delta for their upgrade request.

Direct Ticketing Charge Exemption changes

Effective October 1, 2009 Platinum Medallion and Gold Medallion members will no longer be charged the Direct Ticketing Charge when purchasing tickets or redeeming a travel award.

Details: SkyMiles Medallion Program Updates and latest improvements at Delta.com

Delta Connection carriers, AirTran in back of on-time pack | ajc.com

Delta Connection carriers Comair and Atlantic Southeast Airlines, along with AirTran Airways, occupied the three bottom spots in on-time rankings for July, according to the latest federal monthly report. Full story: ajc.com:

DOT Secretary Blames Delta Unit for Flight Delay - WSJ.com

"U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Friday blamed an employee at Delta Air Lines Inc. for exacerbating a delay that left passengers stuck on a rival's jet at a Minnesota airport for almost six hours. However, the chief executive of Mesaba Airlines, the Delta regional airline unit targeted by the secretary, said he disagreed with the DOT's initial findings.

Mr. LaHood said the initial probe into the incident revealed that an employee at Mesaba had been the only person at the airport in a position to help [and] ... had 'improperly refused' a request from the plane's captain to allow passengers into the terminal. The employee mistakenly believed that the Transportation Security Administration had to clear the late-night disembarkation, said Mr. LaHood. 'There was really a complete lack of common sense here,' he added. 'The Aviation Enforcement Office is considering appropriate action to take against Mesaba as it completes the investigation, which it expects to conclude within a few weeks,' added Mr. LaHood, noting that senior staff at Continental and ExpressJet should have got involved earlier."

Full article: DOT Secretary Blames Delta Unit for Flight Delay - WSJ.com:

Lousy Delta ticket counter experience in Portland, ME

Coming back from Portland, ME yesterday afternoon it was pretty obvious that the Delta counter isn't the best-run operation in the world. Of their 6 kiosks, 1 was down and another was stuck on an NWA page. It took close to 15 minutes to wait for machine and check in (these machines just cannot find my itinerary 5 times out of 10 until I type the destination and time) and at least anothe r 15 to check bags (which we then got to haul over to TSA).

The kicker was the woman in front of me. She got upgraded and didn't want it--she wanted to fly with her husband. I also got upgraded and asked her if she wouldn't mind swapping boarding passes with my wife if the agent could get the two coach seats together for her and her husband. The agent (male, blonde) then in a snotty voice said that swapping boarding passes was a violation of Federal law. That was his most helpful utterance to anyone that I heard. Long story short, he handled it in such a way that the woman ended up with a seat request card - no assigned seat at all - and never apologized. I'm sure she ended up in a rear center seat and probably not next to her husband.

Poor maintenance on kiosks, understaffed counter, snotty agent--geez Delta!

Free wi-fi coming to Hartsfield, but not yet | ajc.com

"Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport hopes to laulnch free wireless Internet access next year, though it will also continue to offer fee-based wi-fi for those who need or prefer it." Read the full story at ajc.com - which perhaps explains why some people need or prefer for it.