pbjag

In a pretty similar situation - Platinum with 42K to rollover and think I have only missed 1 or 2 upgrades this year. Already have Skyclub access through my AmEx Platinum and my Delta Reserve card. But - one of the reasons I have only missed a few upgrades is because I actively work it - choosing flights with more open FC seats, usually buying K or higher fares and using miles or PMUs to upgrade on my West Coast trips.

The main reasons I am thinking about Diamond are a) my perception that a lot of people are elevating their status via the DL transfer MQM bonus and the donation MQM offer, b) I could dump the DL reserve card and save $450 a year and c) the new wrinkle that Diamonds will even get upgrades on award tickets before Platinums.

The question is - which would I be more likely to regret? Remaining Platinum and possibly receiving fewer upgrades or not having a rollover? My travel will continue at a similar pace but I have flown about 30K on other airlines this year when the schedules (nonstop) have been significantly better. To guarantee Diamond again next year would need to concentrate all my domestic flying on DL.

ChazDawg

This is almost literally word for word what I was planning on adding to this thread...Except the only upgrades I don't get are in and out of MKE to DTW or MSP.

ChazDawg

RobertS975

My wife is sitting right now at 124,978 MQMs. Again, the dilemma exists because of the relative similarity between PM and DM status. I could make her a DM tonight with a $250 donation to one of the DL favored charities. But a 49,000 MQM rollover would be nice as well.

I don't know if there is a right answer to this.

pbjag

Since you are DM and she is PM, have you noticed any major differences in your experiences with upgrades, IRROP handling, etc. ?

Sez_Who

My wife and I talked about this because she was PM, that is until the AmEx MR promo. Biggest difference was UG's on elite-heavy routes like JFK-LAX/SFO and flts through ATL.

On one IAH-ATL flt, she said the FA announced there were 10 DM's onboard. Obviously all did not get the UG so she sat in the back with most of them. All she could score was an exit row middle seat.

But really other than that, PM's are treated pretty well by DL. Unless someone knows they will be flying a lot, I am not sure there is otherwise a great difference between the two, especially if you already have SC access with AmEx.

RobertS975

Not really. And I was a PM until late August... and essentially experienced close to 100% upgrades.

As for my wife, a 49,000+ rollover makes regaining PM status a certainty, and with some credit card MQM bonuses, she will have a shot at getting DM sometime in 2011 which would be good through 2/2013. Getting DM status this year would leave no rollover and make for a close call just to make PM again next year.

smalldog

Greetings everyone. I'm a long-time lurking member but have never posted. The information here is outstanding, and I owe all of you a big debt of gratitude.

I completely agree with Roberts975. I have been a PM for years, and GM prior to that for many more. There is a very noticeable difference between those two, both for V and Z ups internationally. PM is fine; GM, not so much anymore.

For the same reason that Robert has stated so eloquently, I had made the decision to hold at PM and roll over 45K next year, which would allow me to cruise easily to PM again. Due to an unplanned trip last week, I am in the unenviable position of having hit DM with 125,900 miles this year. I'm kicking myself about not flying another airline for that last trip. Robert is right - the DM benes just aren't that great. I've been well-upgraded this year, I have an AMEX Reserve for SC access, and I fly overseas 1-2 times/year, so the PM systemwides are fine.

So what do I get for DM? Well, for one, a much longer and tougher slog to get to PM next year. And as for the 125% bonus v. 100% - combined with the Amex Reserve card, isn't that like winning a pie-eating contest where the first prize is more pie?

Thanks again for all of the great information over the years - I'll try to give a little back from time to time.

jbcarioca

I'm happy you're posting smalldog. Even though I had not intended to make Diamond this year I did, and I'll carry over more than 20,000 miles. Frankly the only serious additional benefits I can see are the choice benefits. Six more SWU's will save me $25,000 or more because I nearly always buy business fares, and there's usually inventory available to use the swu's. That is a huge deal to me. The extra 25% mileage accrual is better than chopped liver too. Diamond benefits aren't spectacular but the SWU's do it for me. I'm glad I did it even though I had not intended to. Anyway that makes me top elite in all three alliances, something that means nothing to anybody other than my fellow FT fanatics.

jbwatson2

"Some suggestions: ...more liberal fare basis for international SWU usage"


I had never heard this - this is important to me - how does having Diamond help on the international SWU??

Thanks in advance.

exwannabe

It doesn't.

The poster meant this as a suggestion to DL.

DeltaJoe

I stopped my flying at 121,300 to intentionally fall short of DM. Not too sure of my travel next year and while a year of DM would be great, it would be far worse to drop from DM to FO or GM the next year, depending on the economy.

Having 46,000 rollover miles for the next year before I even set foot on a flight will sure be a nice safety net and I know I'll fly 29,000 miles to maintain PM. And since I have a Lifetime SkyClub (DL honored by Lifetime WorldClub I purchased 10 years ago for $3,500) I don't need that benefit.

It all depends on what you want. I would far prefer a soft landing after next year rather than a crash and burn. Peace of mind means a lot. I am also looking at reaching 2MM and Lifetime Gold in two years as I'm now only 81,000 miles shy of that. With 8 yrs to retirement it will be nice never having to make a MR again to get some basic perks. Gold ain't what it used to be (I still have my Gold Royal Medallion card from 25 yrs ago when it really meant something) but it's still better than Silver if you are nearing retirement.

dsldog400

So DL doesn't have soft landings? I never had any reason to wonder until this morning. Due slight difference in calculating miles, I now have 124,981 miles, just 19 short of DM, which I expected to reach with 125,022. After following this thread, I'm having second thoughts, and maybe just should let 44,981 roll over and stay Platinum.

LGA

This made me laugh aloud... It's nice seeing a big, fat mileage balance right now, but I know that those EQM/MQM counters will reset 1 January... Ugg. So tired... And still another 3 legs to fly this year!

DeltaJoe

It appears that DL-awarded soft landings went away with awarding rollover miles. My soft landing will be of my own making...the 46,000 miles or so I'll carry over that I can use to pad my next round of PM. Your greatest fear being so close to DM is that DL will bump you up as a courtesy, but that seems less likely also with the rollover feature. It used to be fairly common, but not guaranteed.

I could have made one more trip this year during the DMQM MR from BNA but the best value for my dollar would have put me 500 miles from DM. Didn't want to take that chance. For me, it would have been my worst nightmare to have lost those many rollover miles to a courtesy DM upgrade. The are some gifts you just can't afford to accept. :-)

To each his/her own.

finny52

I will be sitting at about 115,000 MQMs for the year without a lot of travel plans for the rest of the year.

I am planning an upcoming trip and unsure if I want to go over the top and collect diamond benefits or to rollover 40,000 MQM to next year. I'm not really sure what the additional benefits are since I almost always get upgraded.

Thoughts?