Delta makes Southwest customers a generous offer

The fallout from Southwest scrapping its longtime bag policy continues.

Mar 28, 2025 - 23:32

Delta makes Southwest customers a generous offer

With its "two bags fly free" policy once so iconic that the airline registered it as a trademark, Southwest Airlines (LUV) ruffled a lot of feathers by scrapping it for one in which travelers in lower fare classes have to pay to check bags.

Competitors, meanwhile, immediately seized on the opportunity to win over disgruntled passengers.

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Delta to Southwest travelers: 'Now is absolutely time'

"We've always had heart," Frontier Airlines (FRON) CEO Barry Biffle said in a dig at Southwest while announcing an immediately-launched bundle for seat selection and a free carry-on bag.

American Airlines (AAL) also immediately responded with an offer to match any status customers may have had with Southwest. Now, its "big three" competitor Delta Air Lines (DAL) is following suit.

While Delta has already been running its Medallion Status Match Challenge for passengers on competing airlines including Southwest, it has just upped the ante for the travelers from the latter airline specifically. Rapid Rewards A-List members who sign up by Sept. 30 will receive Delta's SkyMiles Gold Medallion status while A-List Preferred members will get Delta's Platinum.

Those statuses, which offer travelers priority boarding and seat selection, would traditionally be equivalent to a respective Silver and Gold instead of Gold and Platinum.

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"If you have travelers that are considering switching from Southwest, now is absolutely the time," Dana Sample, who heads the airline's business-to-business marketing strategy, said during the Delta Business Spring Showcase on March 26.

The promotion offers status holders 90 days of free status and the opportunity to extend it for another three months by spending a certain number with the airline during the first period: $1,250 for Silver, $2,500 for Gold and $3,750 for Platinum.

Want to match your status with Delta? This is what you need to do

Delta's Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) are generally transferred one-to-one but the airline regularly holds offers in which certain purchases count for more points.

"Southwest A-List and A-List Preferred Members can enjoy a higher Medallion Status when they successfully enroll in the Medallion Status Match Challenge — only for a limited time," Delta said in advertising the promotion.

Airlines will periodically make such status match offers in order to pull over flyers from other airlines (and, once they've had a chance to experience the perks, get them to continue spending to extend it.)

Some airlines will offer it year-round but, like Delta, will seize on the marketing opportunity whenever a competing airline's choices lead to many upset travelers.

The most famous example took place in September 2023 when JetBlue (JBLU) and Alaska Airlines (ALK) both swept in with status-matching offers after Delta announced that it was cracking down on lounge access by raising status requirements and placing limits on how many times those who hold it can access the Delta Sky Club.

This is often followed by swipes about how one airline is being "loyal" when another has let its customers down.

"Following a refresh of the TrueBlue program that made earning Mosaic status easier and quicker than ever before," JetBlue said at the time. "JetBlue is happy to offer Medallion members the loyalty that they deserve."