Originally Posted by
Denolloyd
Doesn't Medallion Status Expire at the end of February? If Diamond is introduced on March 1st and expires on February 28, that would indeed be 1 year. I see no for SURE loss in that. Your math simply does not add up*
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*Based upon your 3/1 as the earliest date.
GUWonder explains it well above. Basically it's less than a year because if you hold off and achieve Diamond sometime during 2010, you will be immediately granted status. So, rolling over 45K miles, as soon as you earn 80K in 2010 you will be granted Diamond. Assume I rack up 80K miles by September 30, 2010, I will have only forgone Diamond for 8 months (at most, assuming 3/1 introduction).
To me, it's worth playing the waiting game given the extra benefits are pretty paltry. Plus, by waiting to achieve Diamond for the first time NEXT year I will get a Platinum Benefit in March 2010 and then 2 Diamond benefits as soon as I achieve Diamond (October 2010). Taking Diamond this year screws me out of the platinum benefit.
Originally Posted by
avidflyer
I think you guys are missing the whole point. If you hold off and have a good bit of travel in the first quarter your will have a 50k start to get Diamond next year (potentially before the program even starts) and those people will have the status longer than you. They will have it for the balance of next year as well as the following year through 2/2012. I dont get why you think that NOT holding short is brilliant in these case?
Exactly! Think of it this way. In the Example above, earning Diamond in 2010 gets me status for 17 Months vs. earning it now getting you status for 12 months (again, assuming 3/1/10 to 2/28/11).
The ONLY thing here is that if you are going to fly enough to earn Diamond next year WITHOUT having to rollover miles, it's a moot point. The rollover miles don't really help those that will fly 125k EQM anyhow. That I will concede. However reaching Diamond this year you would still be giving up the Platinum benefit for reasons I described above.