tkey75

Me too.

Edited to add: I meant to quote Gargoyle.

GUWonder

This is one way to try to stabilize the number of elites in what is a bad economic environment on course to get significantly worse before it is made to turnaround.

CJKatl

We can look at this as a dilution of the PM level, but think about it from an airline perspective. If they are looking to reward and encourage their most profitable customers, they might be off rewarding a more infrequent long hauler than a very frequent short hauler.

By the numbers: Someone flying 100 segments at, let's assume, $150/segment is going to bring in $15k in revenue annually. Someone flying overseas at, let's assume, $1,700/r/t (ATL-BOM advanced fare), is going to fly 18 segments for the same revenue. That would be over 152k miles. It would only take 5 trips to renew PM, so the lower revenue flyer would be rewarded PM, while the higher revenue would be shut out if not for the number of segments. One could renew PM after only 5 r/t, or $8,500 in revenue.

As a mostly short hauler, I've spent over $30k so far this year with DL. (Easy to pull that up on my expense report software. This does not include tickets purchased last year but used this year, nor the last six weeks.) At 84 segments, that comes to $357/segment. Per mile, obviously I'm paying much more than the person flying to PRG 16 times per year, which is how many trips are needed for PM.

Let's assume DL makes $100 profit from the long hauler who flies ATL-PRG several times a year. ($760/r/t) That comes to a profit of $1,600/year from the PM long hauler. DL would only need to make $16/segment profit from the short hauler to make the short hauler as valuable to the bottom line as the long hauler.

Granted, some of these numbers are assumptions, but it seems to make sense that DL would reward the short haulers and recognize their business is important. At some number of segments - and I'm willing to bet it's well below 100 - the short hauler becomes more profitable overall than the every-other month overseas discount flyer, who will likely renew PM easily.

In other words, the dilution may actually be allowing long haul bargain hunters to get PM level rather than a more profitable short hauler. Dilution caused by miles not earned by having a butt in a seat is an issue, but dilution is not caused by DL recognizing a group of passengers who, because they give DL so much business, are worth rewarding.

The Kevman

I am happy about this. I have 76 segments and I am 400 MQM's shy of Gold for this year. This rewards the people that fly on a regular basis and keep the loyalty to Delta.

SouthsideJAX

This is good news. It will benefit anyone who flys short hauls, such as those that are close to a hub, but still connecting through it. It will also benefit anyone who mostly fly's routes on the East Coast of the country.

I have had a lot of round trips that don't equal 3000 miles on US, even with the 500 minimum in play. Short hauls can cost just as much as longer routes.

One of my biggest hesitations to getting status matched on DL was the lack of segments counting for elite status. Over at US, I never made Gold on miles. Looks like I have no reason to hesitate now. I will get that fax out on Monday morning.

vatraveler

This would make me very happy.

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle.../34899194.html

Gargoyle

If the economy takes a while to recover, people will be flying less and companies will be cutting back on the road warriors. So you have a good point. Everyone is concerned about dilution, too many medallions. Perhaps DL is concerned about too few medallions.

AndyTLe

Ongoing discussion here.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=891625

vatraveler

Oops. I'm usually good about this but didn't see the other thread.

RSSrsvp

Have no fear, your friendly moderator is here.
Threads are merged.

RSSrsvp - Moderator

Traveller

MLB agents are awesome so any flight out of MLB is good. AND I've not had the problems in ATL this year with ASA as I've had in the past; aren't all ASA flights out of ATL now handled by DL employees? OT, I know.

vatraveler

Dilution? Often those who qualify by segments spend much more money than those who qualify via a few transcons or mileage runs.

SOBE ER DOC

Why is it every time something doesn't benefit a poster personally it suddenly becomes a "dilution" of benefits.

Newsflash folks...IT'S NOT ABOUT US!

If DL cannot figure out how to stabilize / increase revenues in the midst of the worst recession the industry has ever seen we'll all be on this board complaining about the route and capacity cuts that deepen. DL has to figure out how to increase loyalty and revenue.

Since we took them out behind the tool shed over Coach Choice and they backed off we need to be willing to compromise on our end a bit. What's it gonna be folks, no available aisle and exit row seats or a bit of an uptick in the number of elites?

jvenneman

As someone who earns PM every year 500 miles at a time, this will be great. It was said above but bears worth repeating that often these flights cost as much if not more than even a lot of international routes. The ATL>India flight mentioned above was at $1,700, yet I have paid $1,600 for ATL>CHS in the past, and I feel it safe to say that they spent a little less on fuel for my 500 mile journey. This will help to reward those passengers that are most profitable for DL. I think I read that PM will be 60 segments, so I should hit that in April!

MikeMpls

No we don't. We need to keep their noses to the grindstone and find more water to power the mill.

But I do think the opposition to segment qualifying is a bit selfish. As with mileage qualifying, there are those who game the system (gee, I wonder who that would be?), but for the most part segment qualifiers are only a small portion elites & pay disproportionately high fares for a very large number of short flights, e.g. someone who spends the year being kicked back & forth between MSP & CHI. Under conventional mileage-qualifying arrangements, the short-haul road warriors really get the shaft.