Why Starwood Platinums Will Always Be Eligible for Complimentary Upgrades on Delta Air Lines

We all know that a lot of people in the frequent flyer community will be shunning away from Delta Air Lines next year. Yesterday, Brian at The Points Guy wrote the Top 10 Reasons Why I Dumped Delta. Brian stated that he doesn’t want to be friends with Delta anymore. In fact, Brian will always be friends with Delta (whether he chooses to fly them or not) because of his Starwood Platinum affiliation.

Last year, Starwood announced Crossover Rewards which lets Delta Platinum and Diamond members essentially get faux “SPG Gold” status benefits at Starwood Hotels. It’s basically stripped down SPG Gold status that just gives Delta Plats and Diamonds 4pm late checkout, ‘preferred’ room upgrades, and free internet.

Conversely, the new Crossover Rewards allows Starwood Platinum members to receive Priority Check-In, Priority Boarding, Unlimited Complimentary Upgrades and a free first checked bag. Essentially, it’s a faux Delta “Silver Medallion” status but a much stripped down version. The best part is the Unlimited Complimentary Upgrades which you will be given priority behind Medallions, Medallion Companion, and KLM, Air France, and Alaska elite upgrades.

To register for Crossover Rewards, click here. The FAQ’s are listed here.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Starwood Platinums got upgraded on domestic Delta flights. Surely there are routes that are not elite heavy. It’s better than no upgrade. The point of this post is that Delta will still be in the mind of Starwood Platinums whether they like it or not.