Like last year, I've spent just over $60,000 on tickets and change fees (lots of 'em) in the course of business and have now mangled metal Diamond tags. Yet for all the money I'd be willing to spend DL three weeks ago wouldn't let me make a change on a Biz award ticket when AZ had a long delay, so I was stuck in Rome for 8 hours and lost a day. The status matters until you try using the miles. DL/NW used to treat you the same on miles as revenue tickets, but that day is done. The domestic upgrades are nice, but these miles are dangerous to use. As we're in a DL hub city, we've started buying those deep-discount *A biz tickets when we need a vacation, and I'd recommend you do the same.