Originally Posted by
gaucho25
Thanks! Yeah it does seem like there are more perks to Gold. But have people actually noticed more of a difference .e. in terms of service and upgrades. Also I ws confused as the unlimited rollover...does this mean that if I just make it to 40 or 45,000 this year that I can roll over those extra miles and try the next year and those MQMS will count? Thanks!
In terms of rollover, once you reach silver via 25,000 MQM, then any excess MQM above whatever level you finish this year with will be rolled over. So if you finish with 45,000 MQM, you will have achieved Silver plus roll over 20,000 MQM for next year. If you instead finish with 52,000 MQM, you will have achieved gold and roll over only 2,000 MQM into the next year.
The choice is entirely based on which benefits you find most important and what your usage is likely to be the next few years. I've personally maintained Silver on segments with mostly intra-Midwest business and occasional holiday travel. Thanks to a few longer trips this year, I'm over 45,000 MQM for Silver and would be in a position to do a quick mileage run for Gold. However, given an anticipated decrease in travel next year and my preference of benefits, I'm choosing to hold short so that I can roll over 20,000 MQM and ensure Silver again in 2012 rather than reaching Gold for 2011 and probably failing to be elite at all in 2012.
I find upgrades pretty common as a Silver flying out of STL - especially as the number of FC seats in STL has really grown with Delta's recent focus. This is especially true if I am careful about choosing my routes and travel times. As a result, I don't think the jump up to Gold would significantly impact my upgrade percentage. You would need to analyze your particular travel routes to see whether or not this is true for you.