Originally Posted by
number_6
Delta (DL) has served notice that as of Jan 1, 2014 FF status in their plan will have a variant of the QF 4 sector rule: top tier status will require $12,500 dollar spend on DL. Lowest tier status requires $2,500. This is in addition to the miles/sectors requirement. How long will it take AA and UA etc. to match DL?
In some ways minimum spends
can be fairer than a 4 sector rule, but I can certainly see a downside, especially with a bar of $2.5K for even the lowest tier, if one mainly accrues status via alliance partners. One of the issues with the 4 sector rule (taking the extremes) that someone (who is ignorant to the rule) can spend $15K and not qualify (eg SYD-LHR F return, single flight number each direction), whilst someone else may spend $200 on 4 Jetstar flights with plus bundle included and hit the sector mark.