Originally Posted by
wschild
What a joke to essentially receive a penny per mile to redeem. You might as well get a cash-back card!
This has been said a few times, and I disagree. While I also think the devaluation sucks, Delta RDMs are still better than cash back cards when you do the math.
People with no status earn 5 RDM per MQD. Assuming that your MQD is about 80% of actual cash outlay, that's 4 RDM per dollar spent.
Even at a PWM rate of $0.01, that's a 4% rebate on your airfare, and you continue earning MQM on the "award" flights. As a PM with a DL Amex, I'm getting around 8% just using PWM, which is the current floor for redemption value.
Of course, DL could change the PWM structure, too. But until then, it's still a better return than any cash back cards, especially if you will continue flying DL due to better schedules, product, and service, which are the primary decision factors for most people not on FT.