That is not an apples-to-apples comparison. I can get into virtually any high end restaurant in Atlanta because of my track record and loyalty. I don't expect an upgrade from chicken to steak (actually much of the time, I might prefer chicken). But these restaurants recognize my loyalty in a meaningful way. At any rate, different industry and different standards.

If the airlines, and particularly Delta, don't want to recognize loyalty, that's fine. But I suspect that Delta is on a slippery slope here. I am fiercely loyal to Delta, and will continue to be, but there are tons of folks who, through clever Delta marketing and the tie-in with Amex, have become pretty loyal. Not on my scale, but loyal nonetheless. For their 5-7 trips a year, they look at Delta and no one else. Not sure that continues under this new paradigm. They night do 3 trips on Delta, a couple on AA, one or two on WN, and the international trip on BA.

Perhaps this loyalty pattern will continue. I just don't think so. In the aggregate, this could have a substantial effect on the carrier. Not saying it will, but it might.

I just don't understand why, at a time where the airline is printing money, you take this step. Just seems like changing things for the sake of changing things. It's a total crap shoot IMO.

They increased MQD requirements from 15,000 to 20,000 this year, which is a substantial increase. But that wasn't enough. And with the new rules, hotel stays will count, but the problem is that you don't get hotel program recognition or credits on these Delta-marketed hotel bookings. Not making arrangements with the major hotel brands to count these as full-benefit bookings was a huge mistake IMO. It will be the difference, for me, between making PM and DM going forward under the new rules.

But, then, PM may be the old DM, and DM the old Delta 360 under this program. Just no way, on airline spend alone, that I reach 35,000 MQDs. Won't happen. And I don't have an Amex card of any type.

Either way, you have an admittedly hub-captive fiercely-loyal DL customer here who is less than enamored with the changes. But I will deal with it. I probably bought more front cabin seats in the last year than any year previously. Going forward, some of those might go to competitors if the situation is right. Not going to inconvenience myself, but all else being equal, it will be about value (which is different from being about price, I might add).