Sez_Who

Actually you can make an argument that hitting Diamond is easier. With $60K Reserve spend, only need to fly 95K instead of 100K and because of the cc spend waiver, possibly less expensive tickets. Expecting to see the number of UA 1k’s drop next year, not expecting to see the number of DL Diamonds dropping at all.


So what you are saying is you use Hilton/Hyatt credit cards to hit status, then stay at SPG properties to get status there? Since the companies are making money from your cc spend, the only one getting hurt here is yourself.

Again, the only benefit of status is when you use it. Certainly others do this as well but why anyone would use a cc just to get status and then not use those benefits sails over my head.

troyintn

I am curious how the MQDs will play out. I can see a lot of people with a lot of MQDs starting to complain when they are in your situation.

DiverDave

I thought your motto was Want First Buy First.

In fact, here it is:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...l#post20099610

This time you bought a high priced coach fare and flew coach.

Delta has made business decisions about how to qualify for elite levels, and how to control upgrade availability. Those decisions seem to really steam your clams, yet here is Delta being rather profitable the past couple of years. So it seems likely that Delta is largely pleased with the current structure of the program.

If you don't want to use your SkyPesos, I will happily take them off your hands. I'm going to NZ (via Australia) for 150K miles and the US to Australia segments are both in BE.

It's a lot of work to find seats, but as many here have noted, it can be done.

David

GRALISTAIR

Very sweet indeed.

mbwmbw

Damn. Seriously? What dates, I'm going to join.

wetrat0

Really? I would leave DL in an instant if my FO status went away.

I get upgrades at least half the time I fly domestically (hello weekend trips). I got an intl Op Up this year. But UGs are just icing on the cake. For someone who isn't flying every week, FO is still worth it for free EC at check in, free bags, priority check in (I waited in line behind 1 person at CDG versus about 1,000 in the regular check in line), etc.

FOs may not fly as much each as DMs, but there are a heck of a lot more of us... so in the aggregate, I'm sure that the FO program is quite valuable to DL. If DL can keep us loyal just by appending our name to the 105-person UG list, why not?

CabinCaptive

This is the key to DL's thinking. If FO and GM are the bottom of the pyramid, and they all spend enough to keep DL afloat, then those won't get discontinued. If suddenly one could not get that level of status, then those flyers would just go for the cheapest fare on all airlines, or status with someone else.

I, for one, will almost certainly always fly DL. I'm just FO now, but in my profession as I move up the ranks, there is significant Trans-Atlantic, full paid Business travel. I'll fly DL on those flights.

gooselee

I was once on an LGA-ATL Thursday night 757. High-fare FO at the time, and I think I was still in the 130s or 140s after BFUGs had cleared. There were a dozen or so people behind me.

The scrum that happened during SP boarding was quite a sight. With just my briefcase in hand, I waited until Zone 2 and leisurely boarded with the 2 other people left in the gatehouse.

DiverDave

I actually have two itineraries. One departs late October and one departs late January, both going straight into AKL. The October itinerary returns from SYD in November (couldn't get award ticket trans-Tasman), but the January itinerary returns from ZQN in February with a few days in SYD on the way back. A real jewel of an agent put together the January ticket, and she earned some JWD certificates.

The late October one will get cancelled pretty shortly unless a government shutdown results in my company sending us home. I just don't have enough time to get ready for a late October trip (haven't even gotten GE yet), but if I get furloughed then I would have plenty of time.

It's peak season to Oceania, so the transpac flights are on Virgin Australia, though there is some availability into Australia on KE connecting via ICN. Delta BE availability is all medium with a lot of dates showing only high level.

Transpac segments are BE, everything else is coach. It was literally more difficult to find a low level coach award HSV-LAX than to find a BE award LAX-BNE. Everything has to be low, or the system breaks it into multiple tickets and prices accordingly.

David

bubbashow

I would have gladly purchased F if it had been available. I had other segments STLDTW during the week back-and-forth as I was commuting in and out of a seminar. Those other upgrades cleared waaaaay out.

There should be F available for purchase or upgrade to high-fare passengers.

I am sure the way things are going, we will continue to see them become more and more available. DL seems to be making early steps towards narrowing the field.

mnredfox

Impressive, NEVER seen anything over 100. And DL still thinks there aren't enough elites...

johnslloyd

You're forgetting that MBWMBW is a DOUBLE DIAMOND DOUBLE DYKWIA! Delta GAs save an FC BP just in case he should show up on one his FA-chasing MRs. (At least he -thinks- this is how it works!) Kinda like in the old days, when every Hertz counter in the world had an OJ Simpson reservation envelope in plain sight on the board 24/7. (Long before OJ's tragic fall from grace).

motytrah

Not going to happen. DL makes a pretty penny off Amex. I'm sure Amex buys plenty of MQMs for people who never make it past silver and at most cost DL the 25% bonus miles.

What may happen eventually is DL will start restricting the MQD exemption to Reserve and Plat Amex. But not until they have had a couple years of promoting the exemption on the Amex cards to get people in the door in the first place.

Gifting is irrelevant but not entirely because they are at the end of the line. If you get gifted status it doesn't do anything with the MQM accumulators for the next program year. You might be a GM by gift but it doesn't give you a head start on the qualifying for it the next year.

NW had a very sophisticated CRM system that tied heavily into actual revenue and margin. But in all the years I was in the FT forum the complaint was empty seats in F at wheels up, not a huge BF UPG list. It was pretty common to talk about non-status folks on full Y getting a comp UPG.

mnredfox

Starting to believe mass elite inflation is a DL strategy to create feeling of shortage of F seats, leading to WFBF impulsiveness. The classic FCM ploy. Nice try DL, didn't work with me.

indufan

I am pretty sure Delta is still "paying debt" back to AMEX instead of making a pretty penny. Without AMEX, there might not still be a Delta.