Frequent fliers react to United's plan to steal Delta's most loyal customers

Frequent fliers react to United's plan to steal Delta's most loyal customers United's latest status-match campaign comes as major US airlines compete for high-value frequent fliers. Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images If you're a loyal Delta flier, you're one of United Airlines' hottest targets right now.United went on the offensive this week, offering eligible elite members of Delta Air Lines and American Airlines a loyalty status match.Some Delta customers have complained online that the company needs to offer better products to retain its frequent fliers, including smoother internet service.United's X account replied to several complaints, encouraging them to consider switching.David Hansson, a programmer and writer, wrote in an X post that he would be convinced to switch from Delta to United because of Starlink access. Delta has opted not to use Starlink on its planes, a decision that has riled Elon Musk and given United an in."I'm a @delta Diamond Medallion flier, and I'm generally happy with the airline, but the one thing that could make me switch to @united is Starlink," Hansson wrote on Wednesday. "It's just so much better. Crazy to deny your customers the best just because you don't like Elon."Others used the moment to poke fun at the airlines' different approaches to onboard WiFi."United is a blue collar airline for knowledge workers who need to work on their laptops even when they're on a plane," another X user wrote on the platform.Josh Kaplan, an investor and startup founder, said on X that he's been a Delta Diamond member for 10 years, but this year will be the last. "I'm sure complaining about Delta will sound like a champagne problem, but oh well. A few things finally broke me," Kaplan wrote, citing difficult upgrades, long lounge lines, unreliable WiFi, chaotic boarding, and steep fares.United isn't alone. American Airlines also launched a status-match promotion on Wednesday. The carrier plans to begin installing Starlink WiFi on more than 500 narrow-body aircraft beginning in the first quarter of 2027, it said in May.The moves underscore how fiercely the biggest US airlines are competing for high-value frequent fliers, whose spending on premium cabins, airline credit cards, and business travel makes them some of the industry's most valuable customers.Status matches are a longstanding tactic airlines use to lure elite travelers from rivals by letting them keep perks.In its latest campaign, United touted its Starlink WiFi rollout as another reason for frequent fliers to switch.Some United loyalists say status should be earnedUnited's offer has drawn pushback from some of its own frequent fliers, who say elite status should be earned through long-term loyalty rather than handed to customers switching from a rival."I am United till I die. I might tease but I'm never leaving them," said Joe Borelli, managing director of the consultancy firm Chartwell Strategy Group told Business Insider. "But the loyalty has to work two ways."Borelli said United has the "best product" — but letting people "skip the line" feels unfair."It's not fair for people like me who have had credit cards going back decades, mileage plus accounts for years, who have chosen United over their competitors, even some low cost competitors," he added.Scott Nations, an investor, market commentator, and author of "The Anxious Investor," concurred. "I don't blame United, but as a United Gold flyer, I'm going to be angry if I have lower status than someone who's never flown the airline," he wrote in an X post.In a statement to Business Insider on Thursday, a Delta spokesperson said the airline offers "more fast, free WiFi than any other airline in the world," with nearly 1,300 aircraft equipped.The spokesperson added that, with transpacific routes coming online soon, Delta will be "the only US airline to provide it across our entire global network."Delta and United did not respond to further requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours. Read next Kelsey Vlamis is a senior reporter for Business Insider, where she covers business and tech news. She also writes business stories about travel, luxury, and culture. Previously, she covered the environment, outdoors, and indigenous issues.Her feature story "Disaster at 18,200 feet" received awards from the New York Press Club and the North American Travel Journalists Association, as well as honorable mention from the Society of American Travel Writers. She has also received an American Journalism Online Award for her coverage on missing and murdered Indigenous people in Wyoming.She's appeared on CBS, NPR, NBC, and other outlets to discuss her reporting. She previously worked on the world news desk at the BBC in London and received a master's in journalism from Northwestern University.She can be reached by email at kvlamis@businessinsider.com or via the encrypted-messaging app Signal at kelseyv.21. Huileng Tan is a senior reporter based in Singapore, covering markets, the global economy, commodities, and investing. Her reporting focuses on how shifts in money, demographics, technology, and policy are reshaping businesses, wealth, and everyday life around the world.Since joining Business Insider in 2021, she has covered everything from commodity booms and investor trends to China's economy, the AI trade, and the forces driving global markets.Before joining Business Insider, she reported for CNBC, Dow Jones, ICIS, and The Wall Street Journal.Reach her at htan@businessinsider.com. Cheryl is the senior news editor for Business Insider’s Asia bureau in Singapore. She and her team cover global business and tech news, including AI, consumer and workplace trends, and military technology. She frequently speaks to international media about top news stories — please email her for bookings.As a writer, Cheryl's interests include the business of nerdworld and K-pop. She covers crews such as Critical Role and Dimension 20, new releases in mobile and video gaming, and the artists, fandoms, and business trends shaping the K-pop industry. Delta Starlink