They just screwed up less than the other airlines.
I fly Delta a lot and its no fun.
I fly Delta 100 times a year, because of the routes, but they are in a race to the bottom and continue to remove perks and benefits. Not impressed.
Call it the “best of the worst” award. With consolidation, the “big three” U.S. airlines are essentially the same and offer mediocre service on their best days.
I was on Delta three times in the past two weeks and was unimpressed. I did get upgrades to first class on two flights, but on short hops (less than 90 minutes), you don’t gain much by sitting in the first class section, except more leg room.
Really hoping the recently re-launched “People Express” can make a go of it. They’re trying to fill some of the markets previously served by AirTran (and abandoned by Southwest after their merger). Strictly no frills, but their fares are way below what the big three are charging. My wife and I paid almost $900 for two coach tickets from Virginia to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and we booked three weeks in advance. People Express will start service from Virginia to New Orleans later this month, with base fares of $124. Even with bag fees and other incidentals, we could have flown to the same area for about 1/3 of what we paid on Delta.