The real problem with Delta

I say a lot of good stuff about Delta.  Maybe too much.  They do a lot of impressive things, though:

• Unlimited Complimentary Upgrades for all medallion members with no point / certificate / whatever requirements on all F class markets (except Hawaii, waaahh).
• Cool technology like GIDS and the most aggressive in-flight Wifi and IFE programs in the industry.
• A pretty good fleet (OK, the NW birds don't count).  You may not like the models, but they are clean and all leather.
• Excellent lounges.  Free booze.  Who can complain?
• Good partners.  It's no Star Alliance, but it's not oneworld, either.

The real benefit that Delta has, though, is their people.  Delta people are, hands down, the nicest in the industry.  You can argue with me all you want, but you will be wrong - I can promise you that.  Everyone has a bad day every once in a while, but overall, their staff is tops.

That's the problem, though.  When I just said Delta people, I am referring to those on the front line staff.  Their management is terrible.  Just awful.  Maybe it's the infusion of Northwest culture.  Maybe it's the complacency of being the world's largest carrier.  Maybe it's something different or a combination of things.  I don't know, and further, I don't care.

Take Jeff Robertson.  Jeff might be a church-going, community building, family man saint.  But the way he handles work is comparable to the way that the Atlanta Braves handled recruiting and retention in the 1980s: they didn't.  I sent Jeff a letter via overnight delivery a while back, and brought up my issues with international upgrades on routes served with the BusinessElite product.  You would think that you might get a response to that, and I did.  Three months later.  By someone so far down the chain she didn't know what was going on.  Nor did she care.  She promised to follow up with me.  She never did.  Nor did anyone else.  Nice.

Here's another great example:  Not long ago, I called Corporate Communications to invite someone to talk about a number of issues on the podcast.  It took EIGHT calls over three weeks to get one return call.  EIGHT calls.  Not a joke.  I spoke with a guy named Trebor Bandstetter, who honestly, is probably one of the nicest guys I've ever met a Delta.  He expressed a great deal of interest in getting someone from SkyMiles to participate, he said he would listen to the podcast, and he promised to call me back.  A week later, in the nicest way possible, he advised me that he had run the idea "up the chain", and there was no interest in participation.  Keep in mind that CO and UA have offered participation in the past (we've never offered US the opportunity).  Still no interest.

This management problem will be their downfall.  If you want to see the next Pan Am take shape, keep watching.  Nothing hurts a company more than a blatant disregard for everything except for management's twisted vision of "how things should be."