Originally Posted by
Gators300
I think upgrade percentage has gone down more due to Delta doing everything they can to get people to pay or use miles to upgrade to F more than it's been due to too many Diamonds. Outside of Atlanta whenever I see them calling for Diamonds to book it is usually only a handful.
Unfortunately most people routinely flying Delta go through Atlanta and of course there's a ton of DMs there, being the main hub. But even as a PM these last several years I got plenty of upgrades. I probably fly to less visited destinations and at odd hours sometimes, but generally can't really complain about free upgrades when they do, in fact, still happen.
I think it's both: a reduction in inventory available for medallion upgrades, and more-crowded upgrade lists. I suspect the latter will start to ease up within 2-3 years, at least for DMs.
Also, as a tall guy the free upgrades to Comfort is worth it's weight in gold. Plus free drinks. I dunno, people here are always angry about this or that on Delta but compared to other airlines and forms of mass transportation, I'm usually pretty happy with my travel experiences.
Regarding the free DM extensions for 1-2 years - it remains to be seen how this will affect things. I know I've already seen numerous posts from people here saying that they will take the free DM and then fly other airlines now to get status there while not worrying about MQDs for a few years. Theoretically this could offset surges in more DMs as they may only be flying Delta internationally to take advantage of GUCs and then all domestic travel through AA, Alaska, or UA.
I've seen this, too, and I don't understand it. Why bother to get/maintain status that you won't use? But then, there are people who have much different travel patterns than I do.
Who knows. But as long as Delta continues to aggressively push for people to pay into F, I doubt all of this really makes an appreciable difference either way. For me, PM and DM have always been about the CBs, free C+, dedicated phone line, mileage multipliers, and then occasional upgrades.
I'm fairly certain I'll be in your shoes on February 1, 2027: no longer able to attain DM, and very happily living life as a PM, not expending unnecessary effort, focus, or energy to chase status. As I've said elsewhere, just as I expect DM ranks to be thinned considerably in 2-3 years, I similarly expect PM ranks to be thinned in that same time period. So, both DM and PM should have some restored sense of elite-ness.