Delta Air Lines is offering a status match to disaffected Southwest Airlines travelers after the Dallas-based company scrapped its popular “two bags fly free” policy.
The offer is available on Delta’s status match webpage until September 30 and allows Southwest Rapid Rewards A-List and A-List Preferred members to earn a higher status tier with Delta SkyMiles.
A-List members can receive Delta’s Gold Medallion status upon approval, and A-List Preferred members can receive Delta’s Platinum Medallion status.
Southwest axing its popular bag fee policy isn’t the only controversial change. The carrier also announced that it would add nonrefundable basic economy fares, replacing its “Wanna Get Away” fare, which allowed for free changes and same-day standby tickets.
Airlines have been looking to capitalize on the changes at Southwest.
Delta president Glen Hauenstein said during the JPMorgan industrials conference this month that Southwest’s customers are “up for grabs.”
Frontier Airlines released a promo that gives customers free checked bags for flights taking place from May 28 to August 18. The ultra-low-cost carrier said if the deal is popular enough, it would consider making the promo permanent.
“Some airlines are walking away from what travelers love, but we’re running towards it,” Frontier CEO Barry Biffle said in a statement. “Think of this as the ultimate ‘divorce your old airline’ deal. If travelers show us the love, we’ll make these perks permanent.”
American Airlines also offered a status match to Southwest customers.
Speaking at the Wings Club in New York on Thursday, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said the carrier was ready to compete with Southwest for customers in California and Hawaii, two major markets for the airlines.
“This is a hugely competitive industry, and what we try to do is build our business model that can succeed against those tough airlines,” he said at the event.
Airlines Sector Stock Index Performance Year-to-Date
What am I looking at? The performance of airline sector stocks within the ST200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets including network carriers, low-cost carriers, and other related companies.
The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more airlines sector financial performance.
Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200.
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