Originally Posted by
SEA-Flyer
The big benefit for gold is lounge access on international travel.
Originally Posted by
wxman22
I get lounge access thru my Amex Plat and PP.
But for me going from FO to GM is a big deal since on all of Delta's Partners, Elite Plus and Sky Priority is really nice.
Originally Posted by
gooselee
Slightly OT, but the difference from FO to GM can be quite substantial if you have reason to value SkyPriority and STE+. And lots of us find SDC quite useful, indeed.
All about personal situations, of course.
Yup - the value of each benefit totally depends on your flying habits.
Not to derail this thread too far (there's usually a Silver vs Gold or Gold vs Plat thread in December of each year anyway). Each year I weigh the pros/cons of one last mileage run (or the end of year status buy-up if offered). If the OP is like me, the resulting analysis usually says that the roll-over + the cost of a mileage run is worth more than the jump in status.
95% of my flying is domestic, and the 5% that's international are F/J awards, so STE+ is meh.