Does anyone know approximately how many miles or revenue is needed to get to Diamond plus?

It's revenue not miles and my guess would be in excess of US$200,000 per year, but that's just a guess based on the requirement of being in the top few hundred CX spenders and knowing that there are bankers who fly full fare F to New York and back every couple of weeks.

I have heard at least HK$1.5m annually to be even considered...

What are the perks of Diamond Plus?

Nothing too interesting. Might still follow my colleagues and fly other airlines in protest of the end of lifetime membership when I have a choice after reaching 120k

- dedicated MPO call centre
- spouse gets DM card
- buggy on arrival for far gates ^
- at little note on the PIM saying DMP
- escort through airport if needed (a bit too much)
- 15 month trial during this year...hahaha
- first class lounge access in HKIA even if not flying oneworld

....rather trade the DMP for lifetime DM membership anytime!!!!

What was lifetime membership? I only became a DM in the last few years so don't know the history. If someone was award life membership, surely it wasn't taken away from them, or did they?

Life membership was before my days too. It was discussed in some old threads. They were similar to those for AA and UA, but was at the top level. It was changed to Invitation after OW was formed.

US$200K sounds about right.

HKFlyer, sounds like you are a DMP member, right ? mind telling us what's your travel pattern like, and roughly how much you spend each year with CX/KA ? just interested to know if the HKD 1.5M mentioned above is in the right ballpark...thanks.

Hi Tedhl, I don't know how much is spent but my pattern is similar to two other DMPs, so there must be a common theme. We do a fair amount of long-hauls in F and extensive Js around Asia. We rack up about 120k miles in about 3-4 months.

Being HK-based, we have little choice but to fly CX within Asia but:

... on long-hauls, we are all very very wary about the 2 FAs in F for 744A. (Word of advice for CX: we DO have a choice between airlines because we travel with clients often, and we can choose to have the last meeting either in HK or SIN before springboarding to US or Europe).

All of us fly SQ between HKG and SIN when the SQ New Biz Class is available. Even if CX puts the 744A in this sector, SQ wins hands down (even with their quirky flop bed) because there is just much much more room ^

Don't get me wrong, I think CX is a quality airline. But a bit more fine-tuning with the MPO program and inflight services are needed if it wants to keep our loyalty

Thanks for the info. Am debating whether to keep logging miles onto CX for DM+ or should start acrruing on SQ. Sounds like this is only doable if one flys to US or Europe at least once every 2 months in F. I do extensive J throughout Asia and long-haul F to US and Australia as well. But I only make maybe 2 to 3 trips to US and have a tough time seeing how I can rack up US$200k a year.

It's not $200k a year, more like just north of $100k.

This was my first year as Diamond on Cathay and honestly this is the only place the US airlines do better!! No upgrades... First Class lounges are smaller and busier than business class lounges. I have never once received this great cathay greeting that everyone talks about.

Has anyone expierenced the same?
RC

First of all this thread is about Diamond Plus and not plain old Diamond where people get it by having some credit card. Oh and some do fly to qualify. I'm guessing you got it by credit card. If not you would have received their great service starting when you were gold.

Give it a few more tries. DM is another level for CX fliers. I am so spoiled now I don't know how I will do once I travel less.... anyway, if I can't even make CX GO I am definitely going with a US-based airline.

This recent trip I got upgraded, and the Senior Purser obviously took note of my DM and went the extra step to take care of me. Very friendly service, all the food serve come to me first (I'm sitting in row 20) and then to others, and when I'm working mid-flight she would come every 20 or so minutes to see if I needed anything (drinks, snacks, etc.) Even told me if I wanted any caviar from F but I declined, never like that expensive crap anyway. Great! ^