MSPeconomist

Agree X 1000.

BusTrav8yrs

With FCM it already is revenue based anyway. The most important perk to status for me is already gone because on the routes I fly, if I don't pay for A/P fares I don't get upgraded anyway.

javabytes

But of course.

Deadtail

Please don't interpret my response as a flame, words on a board are one dimensional and don't do a good job of expressing expression.

Your original post is what started the fire. It looked to me as one of many white board outlines that has probably gone through many iterations. On the last page you say changes are coming, you're just not sure what.

Which is it?

MSPeconomist

Ten percent of the roughly ninety million SM members spending in excess of $100K annually would be DL's greatest dream. Even one percent, or about 900,000 spending this much can't possibly be accurate as there are less than 90,000 DMs (not all of whom have high spends and also considering that many who are not DM do spend a lot).

As for me, my ready-to-go backup is already being *Gold through A3, so that I have worldwide lounge access, including for domestic USA flights, when flying *A as well as priority lines and free checked bags, just not the free domestic upgrades or more useable SWUs that I would get as a high level UA/CO elite. I also have Priority Pass and I've never yet used a match or challenge opportunity, although my record would be reasonably attractive in that my usual pattern would clearly earn 1K (even under the rumored spend requirements from last year) or EXP. I could even decide to aim for GS as my normal pattern would be enough to maintain GS under the announced requalification rules. OTOH, I could go freelance and just buy discounted biz or domestic FC, or I could cut back on air travel. If I switch from DL, I would have fewer nonstop flights, but those connections would earn more status and redeemable miles. I would also switch spending back from my DL AmEx Reserve to my regular AmEx Plat, which also gets me into lots of lounges and earns MR points......On balance, I might not be worse off.

randidliyo

I gave up on this thread while I was in the air for two days and felt like I was too far behind to ever catch up, but I did.

Anyway, I think that what it all boils down to is if something is too good to be true then it's probably not true.

For example, I just flew to DOH and banked about 35K miles. At the same time I booked a ticket for my mom to visit after I got home that cost 32.5K miles. So, though not apples to oranges, I essentially got a 'buy an intl ticket, get a dom ticket free'. Of looking at dollars, I spent about $1700 and Delta gave me a $600 ticket in return, or a 35% rebate. That can't make good business sense. That's probably a 'best case' scenario.

Another case, I booked three tickets on KE for a trip to Korea. Tickets are about $1800 so a value of $5400. It cost me 210K miles total, or about 40% of what I banked last year after spending $40K. A $5400 rebate for spending $16000, or a 33% rebate. Maybe I got lucky but I know how to tell that something is too good to be true and I'm not going to pretend that it will last forever.

It seems like it may be coming to an end and so be it. Flying is not what I get paid to do. I should be spending my time trying to do a better job once I get to where I'm going instead of worrying so much about how to get there.

There are all just perks. All of the flights arrived with out any loss of life (99.999%), most of the baggage arrived eventually, etc.

The problems seems to be that Delta has been handing out these miles like free crack and now everyone is hooked and wants their crack. I think that Delta may have brought this on themselves by making everyone feel important even though just a few really are. Haven't we all looked at our mileage banks, or points banks and said, 'Wow, I'm a millionaire. I must be valuable to society'. I'm not saying that you aren't, just don't use SkyMiles, or Priority Club Points, or Hertz points to value your worth. But if you think you're some international jet-setter because you buy groceries with your DL Amex card every month then maybe you should re-think it.

StayingHomeIsBetter

^

I often wonder whether some of the staunchest defenders here aren't investors who are deeply under water on the DL share price.

BTW... who would buy an airline stock?

StayingHomeIsBetter

.... and totally typical of the way DL management does these things/

LedgeT

Infamous phraseology of "terms and conditions subject to change at anytime"....

jsmith50

I'm with you man! My sources at DL are saying exactly the same things and he has historically been pretty accurate (as posted elsewhere in this thread, he says that he is even unsure at this point what the final program changes will look like but they are coming).

The funny thing is that when these program 'enhancements' are announced, the same naysayers in this thread will be the first to begin threads asking why no one warned them that changes were coming. There will be no apologies for the name calling, flaming, questioning, etc.

Until then, I think I'll have a double scotch to match your double whiskey!

AA_EXP09

I think that they will happen, actually.
This thread should serve as a big warning.

rsp

Well, I had to dig deep to recover my password after a very limited number of posts, but have enjoyed this forum over the years. I have ridden out/accepted all of the changes over the years, but this one is the proverbial straw and will finally cause me to re-evaluate my long term loyalty to Delta (exNW). Over 25 years at approximately $40K/Year (net to Delta/NW, approximately 95% on business and 95% domestic), 2.4 BIS miles. If I no can longer reasonably attain DM status, ride up front at a 90% upgrade %, and redeem miles at an approximate 32,500 mile/ticket blended rate, it will be time to look elsewhere.
My business trips have fairly strict ticket cost rules. For these benefits from Delta, I have taken one stops over non-stops, driven up to 100 miles to less expensive airports, and done the redeyes, just to name a few.
But no longer, I will wait for the announcement, analyze it, and then make my decision and if I leave, so be it, and it will be with both feet. I will also be leaving behind my AMEX Platinum card at a $70K annual spend.
I cannot really understand how Delta's revenue analysis leads them to believe that this replacement - as opposed to a 3rd option - (I relaize we are still waiting for the final announcement) will lead to higher revenue.

dundalk

And this elsewhere would be where exactly? In case you hadn't noticed, choices are running out.

GrizShel

I fear I won't make the grade as a valued customer (similar to the way Silvers are already left out of even the onboard "valued customer" welcome announcement). Perhaps they will even tell me "good riddance". It's been many years of being treated so well (overall) as an airline customer. It will be hard to adjust to being more like a kettle.

Will KLM / Air France business awards come back to give us one last shot at value for our miles before this hits? I wonder.

Bozzie4

Reminds me of a guy I bought nuts from in Times Square. A pack of nuts was $3.00. I started to give him $3.00, but then he said, "I tell you what, give me that five-dollar bill and I'll give you two packs of nuts."

Sounds like a great deal until you realize he's selling you nuts.