As a longtime Delta GM unhappy with the trashing of DL's elite program with the rule changes, I am looking to comp to another carrier. I talked to the AF people when I was in Paris recently and tell me they do not comp status. That leaves probably NW as the best option. AA is also possible.

DL's timing of its change has handed me a potential problem. I fly mostly to Europe,
5 to 8 trips a year and at the best fare I can. My last trip was in Q class, but I have also flown K, S, L and U. When DL made its announcement, I had already ticketed 4 trips for 2003 on DL or AF, two of them in L class.

Under no circumstances will I stay with DL.
Among other things, I reguard their changing the rules on tickets already issued as extremely low down and dishonest.

I need to find a way to comp to NW (or possibly AA) that will get me the whole 2004 calendar year to be able to requalify. With the tickets already issued for 2003 on DL or AF, I will not have enough other flying for that year to put on NW to requalify for 2004.

It seems to me that I have heard that if you comp in the middle of the year, they will give you status for the remainder of that year and all of the next year. If so, at what point in the year is that applicable?
Any other aspects I need to consider?

[This message has been edited by Carolinian (edited 01-03-2003).]