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Old Jan 17, 2013, 12:20 pm
  #13  
FlyDeltaJets87
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Programs: DL FO/KM, AA PLT
Posts: 2,594
Originally Posted by GYEWorldTraveler
Well Delta appears to be lapping its legacy counterparts posting $1.3-1.6 billion profits the past few years so I think they are fine letting the MR DMs go. Thin out the ranks a bit and let Medallion status actually mean something to the people paying for it. Honestly it doesn't seem that there could be that many DMs getting status spending less than 12.5k unless they are doing MRs. Even if you were flying LHR-USA 12 times a year, fares are often around $1,000 so you would pretty much be right there with MQDs. Seems this is targeted at $400 US-Istanbul fares MRers and the rest of the population won't really have any impact at all from this.
Exactly! This is targeting the Medallions who get status almost entirely through cheap Mileage Runs, and subsequently, take away upgrades and benefits from lower-tier Medallions, even if those lower-tier Medallions spend a heck of a lot more. I don't think Delta cares when people do an MR or two to bump up to the next level, but there are people who make doing MRs for pennies a lifestyle, and ultimately, these people are costing Delta more than they're bringing in. The people in that boat don't like hearing that necessarily, but that's the way it is. The only case those people have is they can argue that by buying cheap fares, they're still forcing others to buy higher fares or "buying a seat that would go unused" but that argument only goes so far. The point of the revenue requirement is to ensure that you're bringing in enough revenue to DL to justify the benefits you're receiving.

Now I'm glad AA is offering status challenges still. I'm planning to do one over the summer when I fly AA in F for my honeymoon so I can have status on two airlines, especially since with government travel, I don't always get a choice in the airline I fly and will be nice to have the status on AA if/when I'm required to fly AA.
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