MilesBuzz! - Cointinental vs. Delta FF?

I'm a Continental silver elite, some years a gold, and I fly mostly Continental but also some Delta. I noticed after a recent Delta flight that Continental only credited me with 50% of the miles flown, probably because of my low class of travel. Had the situation been reversed, however, Delta would have credited me with 100% of the Continental miles.

So my question is , should I switch over to accumulating my miles on Delta because then I will always get at least 100% credit for miles flown on both airlines? What would I give up by making the switch?

Final point, I am a lifetime Delta lounge member, if it makes any difference.

I'm a Continental silver elite, some years a gold, and I fly mostly Continental but also some Delta. I noticed after a recent Delta flight that Continental only credited me with 50% of the miles flown, probably because of my low class of travel. Had the situation been reversed, however, Delta would have credited me with 100% of the Continental miles.

So my question is , should I switch over to accumulating my miles on Delta because then I will always get at least 100% credit for miles flown on both airlines? What would I give up by making the switch?

Final point, I am a lifetime Delta lounge member, if it makes any difference.

The question you have to ask yourself is, do you like riding in the back? :D

If you credit your miles to DL, you will become a DL elite. Flying mostly CO, that won't get you much. It's always better to fly the program where you have status. Could you switch more of your business to DL? That would make a better case for accruing mileage there.

When I fly on CO metal using my NWA WP# I typically only get 50% EQM. Switching to Delta won't get you 100% EQM on those discount fares.

Thanks. I'm sure your are correct. As a long time OnePass member, it bugs me that each year the program declines in quality. I'm looking for an alternative.

This week I enjoyed one of the Song planes flown by Delta with video-on-demand, enjoying "Blood Diamond" and then "Miss Potter". Another flight this week on a Delta 767 with personal video (albeit not on-demand) was fine. When I was Alaska MVP Gold I nearly always was upgraded = A+. Before that I was Gold on NW with upgrades running at 85% = A. On CO I heard the double beeps a time or two last year but now we're in May and I'm at 0%= F. I'm looking forward to learning how it will be on Delta next year;) ... the new Delta.

I noticed after a recent Delta flight that Continental only credited me with 50% of the miles flown, probably because of my low class of travel. Had the situation been reversed, however, Delta would have credited me with 100% of the Continental miles.
This is entirely incorrect.

CO gave you full mileage credit, but only 50% EQMs.

Had the roles been reversed, DL would have done exactly the same thing.

This is entirely incorrect.

CO gave you full mileage credit, but only 50% EQMs.

Had the roles been reversed, DL would have done exactly the same thing.


I was going to comment on this. However, Upgrademe is correct. Certain DL / Co classes of service only receive 50% MQM and full mileage. Check the class of service before you purchase the ticket. I learned this the hard way from DTW-SFO on CO... :mad:

It's a messed up triangle, really. DL and NW will do the 100% EQMs between them on discount fares, but DL and CO, and NW and CO, won't. Though with NW and CO you're in the running for upgrades, whereas with DL and NW you're not even though the EQM situation is more favorable.

Between the two, I'd go with DL if you're about 50/50 CO and DL.

Rationale: The 50% EQM is a Continental rule. If you're earning into CO's program, they apply that rule to every other partner airline on equivalent discount fare classes. You cannot get 100% EQM on discount fares on anybody. For example, all L,U,T fares on DL, all V,L,T,K fares on NW will only get 50% EQM on CO. That's not because of DL or NW being cheap, it's because CO doesn't want to let any deep-discount fares qualify at 100%.

If you're accumulating to DL, then CO's restrictive 50% EQM rule only applies when flying CO. DL still gives you 100% EQMs on discount fares on everyone else.

Delta has its own restriction: lower Elite bonus RDM and no segments. Downside is if you only can make it to Silver Elite/Medallion status, DL only gives 25% Redeemable miles elite bonus, so you only get 125% RDM on any Skyteam airline. Even though CO or DL low-level elites get 50% RDM bonus for 150% RDM on all other Skyteam flights - except for on DL.

If you're accumulating to DL, then DL's restrictive no-segments, only-25% Silver bonus applies to everyone you fly.

Or do what I do and accumulate to NW:
I get segment credit and 50% RDM bonus as Silver on everyone except DL, where DL's more restrictive 25% bonus applies - but only on DL flights.

I get 100% EQM except on CO. I still get the occasional upgrade on CO from my NW status.

Using NW, DL's restrictions only apply to DL flights. CO's restrictions only apply to CO flights. If I accumulated to either DL or CO, I'd be stuck with their restrictions everywhere.

NW is the worst airline by far of the three of them, but NW Worldperks is arguably the best US-based Skyteam program. For reasons like this, and the extremely generous and frequent promotions. I've had at least as good luck with redemptions in NW as I did back when I accumulated to DL or CO.

NW is the worst airline by far of the three of them, but NW Worldperks is arguably the best US-based Skyteam program. For reasons like this, and the extremely generous and frequent promotions. I've had at least as good luck with redemptions in NW as I did back when I accumulated to DL or CO.

If you're comparing apples-apples in FC it's hard not to agree, but with CO a lot of routes are RJs, including many that really shouldn't be. Upgrades are no help there.

Am also no fan of many CO mainliners if you have to fly in back, especially the 737-800 or the 777 with the seat pitches they have and the legroom-stealing video-system boxes. Would prefer the old NW 747s over that anytime.