GUWonder

I remember it just as you say above.

While DL SkyMiles management has a history of being customer-unfriendly in various sleazy ways, this is -- as I see it -- far from being an example of sleazy shenanigans from DL SkyMiles management.

I think some people who just had sufficient MQM activity in 2009 to retain DL Platinum for this calendar/membership year just want to squeeze a bit more out of DL -- that kind of pursuit of self-interest is understandable even if the foundation for such pursuit is of a questionable standing.

raehl311

*AND* you started 2010 as Plat *AND* then made diamond.

I agree that the words he used were not clear and could be, with optimism, read the other way. But they could also be read such that only PMs in 2010 who then make DM get 10. And they never clarified that issue when asked, and it's DL, so assuming they meant the optimistic interpretation would have been silly.

raehl311

Except it wasn't promised. I've yet to see anyone show where it was promised. The best is the oft-cited quote that only makes that promise if you ignore the rest of the paragraph where it says "In 2010, ....."

In 2010 is not, by definition, in 2009.

avidflyer

From DL.com. I do not see any qualifier there about what year the miles were earned in. Further, I AM eligible for BOTH Plat and DM in the same year (2010):

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If I am eligible for both Platinum and Diamond Medallion Choice Benefits for the same Medallion year, can I select the same benefit (e.g. bonus miles) from both the Platinum and the Diamond list?
Yes, you can select a benefit once for the Platinum Medallion selection and that same type of benefit again when you are eligible to select from the Diamond Medallion list.

http://www.delta.com/help/faqs/skymi..._faqs.jsp#both

raehl311

Yeah, and the website didn't say it wasn't about the 2005 medallion year either. You are talking about an elite tier/benefit that DID NOT EXIST IN 2009!

And you're NOT eligible for both for 2010, any more than you're eligible to be the King of England. Saying it doesn't make it so.

RunawayNFly

+1

I think many of us on FT who made "DM-in waiting" in 2009 feel that Jeff should come through on his promise. If he made a mistake, let him admit that and STILL come through, since this is "simply good business". Henceforth, after the charter DM year, it can be handled differently. I think that a great deal of "bad will" is being created unnecessarily. Most other businesses would acknowledge that they spoke in error AND then honor what they promised. I feel that Delta needs to 'step up to the plate'!

In addition, it sounds as though Delta IT has a glitch with so some receiving BOTH PM and DM choice benefits this year and this should not be reversed. Again, 'bad will' goes a long way, just like goodwill does. It is a basic business axiom that it is easier to keep a customer than find a new one.

safigan

Maybe I'm not paying attention, but I seem to be getting everything I was promised. When I log into select benefits, I see two lines: one telling me I qualify for 2010 DM benefits, and one telling me I qualify for 2011 PM benefits. (I have 83k MQMs in 2010 so I haven't qualified for 2011 DM yet.) And to answer a previous poster's question, I started the year <75k. This is on top of bonuses already claimed for reaching 100k, 125k, 150k, and 175k in CY2009. Getting 7 bonuses for the same 200k MQMs (because some rolled over to 2011) is pretty good. And I have 10 certs waiting for me to claim, or 12 certs once I achieve 2011 DM. Are you saying I deserve 10+6=16 certs for these two years?

I thought these certs were worthless anyway... apparently not to all!

ADLFO

Well said! I further concur that integrity does indeed matter.

DiverDave

He never promised PM choice, but he did promise up to 10 SWUs. Here is the quote:

For those current Platinum Medallions who earn the new Diamond Medallion status, in addition to the four systemwide upgrades, they will receive two additional choice-benefits including the ability to have six additional systemwide upgrades for a total of 10 systemwide upgrades

By posting this in July 2009, it seems crystal clear to me that "current" PMs were going to get 4 SWUs. If he meant only folks who were achieving PM in 2009, he would have discussed them getting one of the Choice Benefits.

David

raehl311

And I think DL screwed up. I think they ran their software sometime in February, and gave a 2011 PM choice to anyone who was over 75k MQM at that point, whether they were already DM or not, and they were not supposed to do that. I would be that from now on, DMs who pass 75k won't get the PM choice.

It's also possible that DL is terminated the threshold reward program and is going to give all three choices to everyone each year - PM at 75k and DM at 125k, even if you were already DM.

Not that for 2009 flying, if you made 125k, you got the 2 DM rewards *AND* still got the threshold rewards.

raehl311

But you didn't quote the preceding sentence, which said "In 2010,....."

I agree that it can be interpreted both ways - did the first sentence apply to the whole paragraph or not? Either is valid. DL is (as usual) choosing the interpretation most favorable to them.

jenniparks

I'm reading over this thread and the other "oh no" thread on the choice benefits and i don't get the allegations of unfairness. I *do* get that people are mad they thought it might be one way and turns out it is not that way, but that's not the same thing as overall unfairness of the program terms.

My understanding:

previously:
for any calendar year as soon as you hit plat for that year you got an automatic plat benefit of 4 pmus.

for any calendar year when you hit diamond...n/a b/c diamond did not exist.


now under new program:
for any calendar year when you hit plat for that year you get to choose a choice benefit.

for any calendar year when you hit diamond, you get to choose two more choice benefits.

So, someone like myself that made platinum in 2009, got awarded with 4 swus when they were sent their plat package 6 weeks after making plat. Mine came in summer 2009 when i made plat. so far so good. now, since i made diamond in dec 2009, they also should have given me a choice of 2 choice benefits at the time, but since diamond wasn't rolled out yet, they delayed that until this week, which still worked out to be about 6 weeks after i made diamond so its all the same to me. no worries, i still got 3 gifts total for 2009 - my swus, and 2 choice benefits.

in 2010 if i earn enough mqms to be plat, i will again get to choose 1 choice benefit at that time, and if i go on to earn even more to make diamond i will get to choose 2 more.

so no matter how you spin it, if you earn plat in a year you get to choose 1 benefit that year, and if you earn diamond in that same year you get to choose 2 more. for a total of 3 possible.

how is this unfair? what am i missing here?

DiverDave

In a post dated July 2009, one sentence starts with "In 2010" and the next one says "current".

I don't believe that "current" in a July 2009 post means "current in 2010".

In any case, SMI has had ample opportunity in this http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...till-plan.html thread to clarify the issue. He has not done so.

In fact, he has posted this:

Diamond Medallion status begins on March 1. Members that met the criteria of the new Diamond tier in advance of March 1 receive Choice Benefit options associated with that tier. After March 1, Medallion members who reach Platinum (1 choice which could include 4 SWUs) will have the ability to select Choice Benefits associated with that tier and then, if they continue to Diamond status (2 more choices which could include 6 SWUs), will be able to select the Choice Benefits associated with the Diamond tier for a total potential selection of up to 10 SWUs.

Even with your reading of Jeff's post, Jeff said 4 SWUs and SMI says one Choice Benefit.

In any event, some who were PM entering into 2009 and who qualified for DM are being offered PM and DM benefits for 2010. (Could be just another bad case of Delta IT I suppose.)

The threads are open and ready for Jeff or SMI to explain. If I misread what Jeff said, it's time to step out front and say so.

In the meantime, my kool-aid has been poured down the drain.

David

DiverDave

Well, you earned PM in 2009 and you got your 2009 PM benefits. Since you earned DM you are getting 2010 PM and DM benefits.

I entered 2009 as a PM and was mailed PM benefits in Feb of 2009. I earned DM and I only get 2010 DM benefits.

So we both got 2009 PM benefit packages, but you get to choose a 2010 PM benefit and many of us do not.

It's not the end of the world, but it is a disparity and it is not what Jeff said.

David

StayingHomeIsBetter

This might just be a programming error. If so, after it is corrected, those believing they were promised 10 SWUs would get their 10 SWUs.

An interesting aspect of this for me is that many, who routinely heap praise on DL, are not assuming the best case outcome.

The very tone of this thread implies that many who go the length to support and defend DL apparently do not trust DL management enough to envision a satisfactory outcome to be the most likely outcome.

I find this fascinating.

DL management should find this frightening.