Originally Posted by
GRALISTAIR
...you would just need to purchase a couple of paid Firsts to Europe for example every year or Hawaii or wherever. In some ways it makes it easier and saves on the last minute November/Decemeber mileage runs. But you are correct in that 12,500 $ for Diamond, or even 7500$ for Platinum every year is still a big chunk of change to many/most people.
That's the other thing that annoys me. Me being Diamond and wife being Plat works well for us because I can guest her into Skyclubs. Her upgrade percent is almost as good as mine, so no loss there. (We always fly separate PNR's on domestic travel.)
I can just barely do the $25,000 annual amex spend to re-qualify Diamond.
Wife flies enough MQM's for Plat, but only half of the MQD's for Plat ($7,500). No way in hell for BOTH of us to do $25,000 spend on amex.
Annoys me to no end that I might have to buy her a full fare biz-class ticket to Paris just to keep her from dropping to FO. Her upgrade percentage as FO or Gold would be bad enough otherwise to cause marital discord.
(I told her a little white lie that it is strictly forbidden by Delta to swap boarding passes to let her sit up front.)