Delta Million Mile- How long do you keep gifted silver status?
Dec 17, 2014, 6:44 pm
#1
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Delta Million Mile- How long do you keep gifted silver status?
So my boss and I are talking airline status tonight (he's a DL guy, I'm an AA one) and we get on the topic of million miler. I know AA's is fairly generous in that once you hit a million you get lifetime gold.
However, Delta's is a bit more confusing to me. From the chart it looks like they do award "annual" elite status at a million miles.
https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...er-status.html
Is this silver status valid just for a year? Or is it annual silver status as long as you've hit the million mile mark?
However, Delta's is a bit more confusing to me. From the chart it looks like they do award "annual" elite status at a million miles.
https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...er-status.html
Is this silver status valid just for a year? Or is it annual silver status as long as you've hit the million mile mark?
Dec 17, 2014, 6:50 pm
#2
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Currently, it's every year indefinitely until you die (or DL does) and you cannot leave it so someone in yur will.. However, DL in principle could change this at any time.
Dec 17, 2014, 6:58 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2013
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I've always read the "annual" silver as DLs way of being able to change the program at will, with a max of 12 months of FO liability to MMs.
Interesting that AA uses the lifetime language. I wonder what the fine print actually says.
Interesting that AA uses the lifetime language. I wonder what the fine print actually says.
Dec 17, 2014, 7:11 pm
#4
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And it should be pointed out to the OP that AA’s “fairly generous” Gold is the same as DL’s Silver, just a different name.
Dec 17, 2014, 7:36 pm
#5
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Of course DL can change this at any time, just like all the other airlines. What this means is nothing is really “lifetime” even if they call it that since anything can change at their whim.
And it should be pointed out to the OP that AA’s “fairly generous” Gold is the same as DL’s Silver, just a different name.
And it should be pointed out to the OP that AA’s “fairly generous” Gold is the same as DL’s Silver, just a different name.
. We were just pointing out how not-so-nice it would be to hit a million miles and have your gift be only Silver for a year. That being said, I'm pretty sure the language in all these member agreements gives carte blanche to the airline to get out of it.
Dec 17, 2014, 8:34 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2004
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The generous airline for MM status is United, which awards gold status (a true equivalent to Delta's gold) for 1MMers. I can't imagine United will hold out much longer but who knows.
Dec 17, 2014, 9:32 pm
#7
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You know, I am going to defend Delta on this one. It has been better than 10 years ago since they changed this. They clearly just wanted to make it a little clearer they could change it even they could have changed it whether or not they changed the words.
Dec 17, 2014, 9:46 pm
#8
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United is quite a bit more restrictive however in that they only count miles flown on United metal and do not count partner metal flying nor bonus miles. While DL counts all MQM earnings towards MM status.
Dec 17, 2014, 9:53 pm
#9
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I think it is likely just backside covering to protect them from getting sued whenever Medallion benefits change. Using the term "lifetime" could imply that you were locked into the benefits at the time you hit your MM level. Even though they have language that allows them to change the terms of the program, United was recently sued when they changed some of the "lifetime" benefits of their MM program.
Dec 18, 2014, 11:36 am
#10
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Plat at 2MM, 1K at 3MM and GS at 4MM on UA are also far, far more generous than DL at those levels.
Only downside is ... flying UA.
Dec 18, 2014, 4:17 pm
#11
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It means that you will be a silver as long as VA Ave sees an advantage to the airline in having you be silver.
While I regretted seeing them do away with the Lifetime designation, after additional reflection, what they used to call Lifetime was likely really only annually renewable anyway.
VA Ave has already demonstrated that they have no qualms about taking away something that they bestowed on an alleged lifetime basis.
Flying Colonels were once lifetime Crown Room members... until VA Ave decided that was a promise that was no longer convenient to keep.
While I regretted seeing them do away with the Lifetime designation, after additional reflection, what they used to call Lifetime was likely really only annually renewable anyway.
VA Ave has already demonstrated that they have no qualms about taking away something that they bestowed on an alleged lifetime basis.
Flying Colonels were once lifetime Crown Room members... until VA Ave decided that was a promise that was no longer convenient to keep.