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Associated Press

Delta Air Lines is rethinking changes it already announced to its loyalty program, with the airline’s CEO saying it went too far trying to address a surge in the ranks of elite frequent flyers.

Delta said two weeks ago that starting in early 2025 it would base elite status purely on spending, instead of also counting flights, and limit airport club access for holders of Delta credit cards.

“No question we probably went too far in doing that,” CEO Ed Bastian told the Atlanta Rotary Club. “I think we moved too fast, and we are looking at it now.”

Bastian promised “modifications” that the airline will announce “sometime over the next few weeks.” He didn’t give details.

Bastian made the comments Monday, and a recording was released Wednesday.

The changes were roundly criticized on social media, with some Delta frequent flyers vowing to take their business elsewhere. Alaska Airlines and JetBlue Airways jumped in, pitching offers to woo unhappy Delta customers by matching their loyalty status in those carriers’ programs. read more

LAKE BUENA VISTA — Employees at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ tourism oversight district will be getting more money in their paychecks to make up for losing their longtime Disney perks that included coveted theme park tickets.

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District’s board approved a deal Wednesday night that provides a $3,000 annual stipend to employees and many retirees after stripping them of their park passes and Disney discounts.

The stipend will sunset after two budget years unless reauthorized by the board.

Board member Ron Peri said he understood the value of the passes, but the district wanted to offer flexibility.

“We thought it also made sense to provide our employees and retirees who did not use the passes with a new benefit, and that is the freedom to receive the cash value of the passes instead of the passes themselves,” he said.

Talks are ongoing on a proposal to let employees purchase equivalent passes directly from Disney, district administrator Glen Gilzean said.  District officials are also working with unionized employees to ensure they receive the stipend under collective bargaining agreements, he said. read more

By JOSH FUNK (Associated Press)

CVS found the right prescription on Wednesday to keep its stores open in the Kansas City area and avoid a repeat of a work stoppage last week by pharmacists: It promised to boost hiring to ease workloads that sometimes make it hard to take a bathroom break.

But it won’t be easy to resolve the problems that have been growing as pharmacists at CVS and other drug stores in the U.S. took on more duties in recent years and are gearing up to deliver this year’s latest flu and COVID-19 vaccines.

“It all relates to not enough dollars going in to hire the appropriate staff to be able to deliver the services,” said Ron Fitzwater, CEO of the Missouri Pharmacy Association.

Pharmacists in at least a dozen Kansas City-area CVS pharmacies did not show up for work last Thursday and Friday and planned to be out again this Wednesday until the company sent its chief pharmacy officer with promises to fill open positions and increase staffing levels.

It was one of the latest examples nationwide of workers fed up enough to take action. But unlike in the ongoing strikes at the automakers or in Hollywood, the pharmacists weren’t demanding raises or more vacation, but more workers to help them. read more