Originally Posted by GatorBlues

You nailed it. I spend a lot of money with Delta and put $60K on my Reserve card because the better % of upgrades as a PM (and hopefully this year as a DM) are worth it to me. When I travel for leisure, I buy the cheapest fares far in advance. I usually get upgraded on those weekend flights. Those upgrades are a big part of why I usually overpay for Delta flights, for both business and leisure travel, versus cheaper ones on Airtran/SW out of Atlanta. (Interestingly, I get far fewer upgrades on my business trips, no doubt because more DM and PM road warriors fly during the week.)

If Delta wants me to downgrade my AMEX to the minimum required for free bags, not spend a dime on that AMEX, and start buying every ticket based solely on price, all they have to do is make upgrades only for K and above. I'll pour my credit card spend into a better rewards program than Delta Skypesos.