I get this promotional email from Delta. Transfer miles to another account at a penny a mile and they give the recipient a 20% bonus and waive for you the usual $ 25 transfer fee. Nice I say, and as I get ready to top off my son's account I feel good about helping Delta as it tries to fend off US Air. I have a love-hate relationship with Delta but after 2.5 million lifetime miles I would lie if I did not say I would like to see Delta stay independent.
So I check his account to see what I need to transfer to get him to the next award threshold, and I am shocked - it shows 0 miles. I drill in and 2 days ago the miles were wiped out for lack of activity. Strange I say - you are allowed 3 years of inactivity before they do so.
I call customer service and the agent tells me the rules have changed. Two years of inactivity and your miles go poof. I beg him to reverse it - it's only been 2 days. He cannot do a thing. I ask for a supervisor and tell her I am a 2 million miler, and can she help?. She goes "Thanks for your business. Wish your son did that much with us. Cannot help him." I offer her to transfer miles, to please back date so he gets the activity he needs. No way. No more escalation, she says (at this point I am only at level 1 escalation), Write a letter to corporate. Every question the answer is - write that letter.
I have not written that letter. I sent an email to the on-line customer service. Hopefully some sympathetic soul will find a way to take my money and reverse that two day old entry.
But deep down, I have a feeling I will have to write a paper letter to Atlanta. Hate to bother Gerald Grinstein over such a trivial matter when he is fighting for Delta's life. But if I do, I hope the fact that Delta was my son's first investment and has been his first and primary airline through his early years will stir a sympathetic response. I just wish the employees under him were more empowered to shield him from such trivia.
Update: Happy ending with the CFO (yes!) helping out - see here
