The question is how much can Delta afford to lose because its FFs will shop around before buying tickets.

In December, I flew TLV-JFK-ATL-LAS on a B fare, upgraded with SWUs, and paid $3100 for my ticket. I could have bought the exact same itinerary for $300 less by making it an M fare, and possibly reduced it even further by eliminating the ATL connection and flying directly from JFK to LAS.

I chose the more expensive way because it gave me just enough MQMs to make Gold Medallion. I certainly will not do that again in the future. Moreover, I looked only at Delta -- I may well have been able to find a considerably less expensive itinerary on another airline.

I am not going to start boycotting Delta or its SkyTeam partners, but by the same token they will no longer be able to depend on my loyalty as a factor in my choice of airlines.

I will buy the least expensive tickets that I can find which meet my requirements as far as cabin, routing, and schedule are concerned.

If, say, 10,000 other Medallion members come to the same decision as I do, and it results in each spending only $1000 per year less at Delta (both, I feel, are conservative estimates) that will mean $10 million less in revenue.