Originally Posted by
AA_EXP09
The post in question stated that they were getting GM status which requires 50k EQM.
That would mean MPM each way would be at least 25000 (which is not true.)
RDM was not mentioned by the poster, only EQM.
The OP of this thread is about RDM, not MQM/EQM, but tracking back the posts I see what you're talking about.
In any case, the MR forum here is full of all kinds of wacko routings to get extra MQM. Put together a US-Asia trip going TATL with a couple stopovers and a COS bonus, and it isn't out of the realm of possibility to make GM in one trip (plus, that poster may have come in with rollover miles, etc.)
The extreme example aside, though, the core argument remains valid. In the current, distance-based RDM system, it becomes quite easy to accrue tons of RDMs with very little spend, which can then be used to redeem for very expensive flights.
I don't blame anyone for doing this, but by aliging RDMs to spend, DL is moving to a model that is by no means perfect, but does do a better job at rewarding the people that spend lots of money to travel short distances, rather than vice versa.