I fly Delta all the time and have NEVER had an equipment swap. In regards to the industry “normalizing” equipment swaps think about this: Imagine if you went to the store and ordered and paid for Lobster, but the store said sorry we were out, so we’re giving you hamburger instead, and BTW, we won’t compensate you for the difference in these products. This would NEVER be allowed, so why is it that this type of customer treatment is allowed by the FAA/Airline rights folks? Please don’t give me the line that they only are contracted to get you from one place to the other–tired of being sold that story.

That’s true, any airline can change the aircraft last-minute. They can do it whether you pay with cash or miles — just an inherent risk, I guess. Sorry to hear about your ordeals. I TOTALLY agree about Polaris lounges, I was genuinely livid that it was closed four our trip, as well. The regular Club lounge was open, so not sure what made the difference.