Retired NFL Star Tom Brady joined the Delta Air Lines team as a “strategic advisor” just a week before changes to the SkyMiles program and Sky Club lounge access were announced. Now some are blaming Brady for the recent changes. Jokes aside, you do have to wonder how much Delta is paying him and what exactly he is doing.
Tom Brady Blamed For Negative Changes To Delta SkyMiles Program, Sky Club Access
First, let’s take a sampling of Twitter to demonstrate my contention that Brady is being blamed:
Tom Brady redefines what it means to be 'Elite' at Delta pic.twitter.com/svsR3H8zO4
— Stocktwits (@Stocktwits) September 13, 2023
these Delta medallion status requirements have gotten weird since Tom Brady started consulting wtf pic.twitter.com/dNQ4gLEGcH
— Stephen Wiley (@stephenwiley_) September 8, 2023
Hey @Delta maybe dedicate the money you're using to pay known millionaire @TomBrady to walk back the embarrassingly bad #skymiles changes you're trying to roll out https://t.co/BCzC6xLma5
— tootalltraveler (@TooTallTraveler) September 14, 2023
What was @TomBrady’s advice to @Delta?! He was probably like, “Who needs a sky club?! When I fly, I show up to the plane and just tell the pilot I want to leave and we go!!” pic.twitter.com/6YMLlVSkHM
— Jared Freid (@jtrain56) September 14, 2023
Tom Brady starts a partnership with Delta and Skymiles goes to sh*t — who’s to blame here
— Sasha Fierce (@sashaazze) September 14, 2023
I guess Delta Airlines decided to pay Tom Brady out of the decades of trust from its most loyal SkyMilers! 🤦🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/4tF9JH2KDo
— Shaun McKnight (@ShaunMcKnight) September 16, 2023
I’ve outlined the program changes here. For most travelers they are negative. We don’t need to rehash that today.
And while it is somewhat humorous to note the coincidence of Bradys’ appointment to Delta and these changes, such changes have been in the far longer than anything Brady has had influence over.
I mean, Brady’s dripping praise for Delta CEO Ed Bastian sounds like he will join the echo chamber as an honorary yes-man:
“Growing up with a mother as a flight attendant, I have always admired the people that make seamless air transportation possible. Throughout my career, my teammates and I flew Delta countless times, spending hours traveling for some of the most important games of our lives, even celebrating Super Bowl wins on the plane. Those championship teams were built off of great leadership and a commitment to excellence, and Delta certainly shares those qualities. Now, alongside Ed and the Delta team, I look forward to playing my part to continue the company’s success.”
Instead of consulting on SkyMiles, Brady will work with employees, passengers, and communities as a Delta brand advocate:
- Employees: Brady will partner with Delta to develop and advise on strategic training and teamwork tools for the airline’s more than 90,000 employees.
- Customers: Leaning into Delta’s “Keep Climbing” ethos, Brady will support the company’s brand identity in select elements of Delta’s marketing and customer engagement.
- Communities: Brady will support Delta’s work to positively impact communities where employees live and work, inspiring the next generation of Delta community leaders.
I think it is fair to ask what if Delta redirected the money it is spending on Brady into the SkyMiles program…
CONCLUSION
No, let’s not blame Brady for the SkyMiles changes…those were in play far before his arrival. I do think it is reasonable to question the cost/benefit analysis of paying his consulting fee versus using that money for other purposes…like more lounges…instead.
image: Delta/CNBC
Brady is DL’s new goat-their scapegoat.
Jokes aside, it’s really funny how DL’s program benefits everyone else with STE+ except DL Skymiles members. Had they limited credit card access to Skyclubs in the first place, they wouldn’t have had the issues about overcrowding in the first place. Honestly, I benefit more as a STE+ with as a FB Plat for life when flying DL than actual DL medallions.
I am still waiting a blogger to digest the implications for Amex in all this. Haven’t seen one yet but I cannot imagine there is anything positive for Amex on these changes and I wonder how they met this happen. All my Amex cards became useless at the same time. That cannot be good.
By Amex, do you mean co-branded cards or bog-standard cards? If it hurts signups on the standard unaffiliated cards, that’s no good. But if Amex has to pay Delta less each year to buy miles, then that’s probably netting out.
What would anyone keep a Amex card either Delta or Platinum? They became useless.
Exactly! Cancelling all Amex and will be using both my chase and c1 which I applied for last week & got. For now keeping my Reserve card as it just renewed in July and I need to spend all my miles (using the 15%). Once those award are booked early Jan (after I convert MQMs to miles), the card is getting cancelled.
The Amex Green is still really useful. My favorite aspect is 3X on hotels in places like Mexico, Brazil, Colombia where they’re pretty aggressive in trying to hit you with DCC, but can’t with Amex.
I am talking Amex Platinum and Delta Amex. The reason for me to have them was benefits with Delta. Those are gone. It will be a fun conversation when I call them to cancel. It reminds me when I called Waste Management to tell them I was switching to a cheaper trash collection company. The person on their end tried really hard to convince me they were more expensive but their service was superior. How can you have a superior service if all you are doing is to show up at my driveway and collecting my trash once a week? That’s where Amex is to me now. An expensive commodity credit card that has absolutely no extra value over cheaper ones.
I still get some good benefits from my Platinum and I’m United hub captive. I’ve gotten good benefits from FHR hotels and MR redemptions. Plus the combo with the gold card means I can redeem decently well.
For all the grief you guys give AA, it’s almost never hard to get into their lounges.
I know, some of you have high expectations for the “quality” of crummy buffet style food they serve. Face it, it’s all garbage regardless of the airline.
And I’m shocked this group would be upset some lowly credit card holders who don’t fly much will have it harder trying to get into these mass feeders.
Meanwhile you are missing the point on Brady, he was hired to get the average fan to consider Delta. They are marketing to the Allegiant/Spirit/Frontier crowd, and if it gets more regular Joe’s to consider them on their next flight, it’s money we’ll spent.
I’ve had some unusually excellent meals in Delta lounges — lamb, barbecue ribs, etc.
I do however love the fresh guac stand in some AA lounges. You get to pick your ingredients and someone with a pestle and mortar smashes it together for you. The chips they toss in are great too.
As an airline I’m not a fan of AA but as a sky lounge service they’ve pleased me.
“Meanwhile you are missing the point on Brady, he was hired to get the average fan to consider Delta. They are marketing to the Allegiant/Spirit/Frontier crowd, and if it gets more regular Joe’s to consider them on their next flight, it’s money we’ll spent.”
Except I’d bet the majority of hardcore football fans outside Boston and Tampa hate Tom Brady. I know I do.
“Except I’d bet the majority of hardcore football fans outside Boston and Tampa hate Tom Brady. I know I do.”
What’s even funnier 28-3 Falcons.
Nope, I don’t believe that once he’s retired. Even if he beat your team, most respected him for his talents and career.
A YouGov survey has him as the most popular current or former NFL player and 7th most popular sports figure in the world with only 19% of the public disliking him.
Although I can see how celebrities will help get better viewer attention for a commercial or even message, I don’t see how that necessarily makes a brand more desirable but then again, I’m not the typical American consumer I suppose. I will buy something based upon value it gains for me rather than feeling cozy because I’m putting money into a brand that supports some athlete I liked to watch. There are folks who spend hundreds, even thousands, on “gear” with their favorite team’s name on it.
That being said, I doubt that the average sport’s fan is going to blow $50,000/year on travel just to get into an elite tier because Brady endorses it. But hey, if I knew-it-all I suppose I could just fly on private jets. 🙂
I became a Patriots fan in 1994 só way before Tom Brady. I cannot thank him enough for all the amazing years he gave to Pats fans like me. He will always be the GOAT to me.
Vanity PR moves are always a bad sign. It’s one thing for ceo to bring along someone to meetings that charge up the troops. It’s quite another thing to turn it into a press announcement “embrassadorship”.
What continues to crack me up is how many of the mileage run bloggers keep pushing fares that can increase your MQM’s next year – as if anyone cares about MQM’s any longer.
Delta taking its marketing playbook from…checks notes…Hertz
I can see why he was hired. Brady is somewhat popular and putting him in from of the cameras may allow Delta to leech some of his popularity. That would be especially useful to them after they give a big middle finger to their loyalists. He’s not actually advising on anything. He’s just a celebrity spokesman.
Of course this is a joke, everyone knows it’s Secretary Pete’s fault.
ROTFL
I have been getting the blow-by-blow from some friends at the Delta General Office (HDQ). The other day they took Tom through the dispatch/OCC and had to have minders rush ahead of the group to take down all of the Tom Brady photos and memes people have printed and put everywhere, including one taped up next to CE Woolman’s picture on the wall. Someone made an image of Tom with a halo around like a saint and is taping them to every men’s room stall door repeatedly.
Maybe now that they closed a road between buildings to put in a pickleball court for people to play during work (not to exceed a 1 hour play time) they’ll put in some turf and let people go play with Tom.
Tom Brady is not a good choice. I remember him as a cheater (deflates footballs). Does Delta want Skymiles to have the reputation of cheating?