Originally Posted by
sbm12
The PMUs (the DL name for SWUs) require a ticket purchased in one of the top three fare buckets (Y/B/M, I believe) and upgrade into restricted inventory (I, I believe). So they are there but they have some reasonable restrictions on them. I know that my father (DL Plat) has had trouble redeeming them on occasion. Not sure if that is typical or not, but it has happened to him.
The partner MQM earning can be ridiculous, depending on what promos they are running. I believe that in both 2007 and 2008 it was possible to make Gold without ever getting on an airplane.
Right on both accounts with the Delta SWUs; however, I haven't had a problem using them. As with most travel, it involves planning.
It certainly was possible to hit Gold last year without flying. Some people even claimed they hit Platinum without flying. Despite this easy route to elite status, it's still easier to get upgraded on DL than on CO.