matthewpmac

I'm very close to achieving Silver for the year and have a chance to purchase my remaining MQM's ($495 for 5,000 miles). Are the perks of Silver worth spending the money? Unfortunately, I fly to so many varied locations that I cannot fly Delta each time.

BobH

Depending on how close your are, buying a SC membership may be a better deal

Bob H

irfan23

Welcome to Flyertalk.

Lots of threads here would indicate that Silver (aka. FO) status is worth less than it used to be, and that you might be better off just getting a DL-branded Amex card which now provides many of the benefits once reserved for Silver. More generally, whether it's worth it or not depends on what you expect your travel plans to be like next year and, perhaps more importantly, what your typical routes and home airport are. Finally, a good rule-of-thumb for me is that if you didn't fly enough to make FO this year, then it's probably not worth your while to pay to get there (though this year was anomalous then that's a separate matter).

Also, I thought the buy MQMs offer expired yesterday, but perhaps I'm wrong about that.

mlad1101

If you are barely making FO, $500 is def. not worth it to obtain it.

exwannabe

I would search out for some of the DL-Amex sign up offers that can get you 5k MQMs for very little.

Silver will get you preferred seating, which is worth a lot to me. Many FFs here forget what life is like as a kettle.

Blueberry13

Exit row seatings and Zone 2 is worth $500 IMO if you expect to fly more than 25k in 2012. Upgrades? more like being #79 on a list of 80 people.

rdlncl

I asked the same question a week ago and everyone said the same things. I ended up springing for it since I will be doing a lot of flying next year (though primarily on AF and KLM). I think the free checked bag, priority seating (was just able to get exit row upper deck on an AF A380 form CDG to DXB now that I'm Elite), etc. are worth it, however it'd be much more worth it for Gold and above.

spidaman

Yup. Cheaper way to get 5000 MQM if you qualify:

https://www304.americanexpress.com/p...vanity=LSM_RDU

Just $150. As a card holder, if you put your Delta tix on it, you will still get 2 free checked bags (FOs w/o the card demoted to one free checked bag). Probably worth it if you will do some flying. You could get the DL Amex Gold card for free (intro price for first year)--but no MQMs. You would only get to check one bag. If you are doing more than a few flights next year on Delta, probably worth it to get the MQMs with preferred seating.

NWA/Deltaflygirl

It's been extended to the 30th of Dec:

Buy MQMs

VolareBene

Not worth $500. Get the CC instead.

NWstu

I'm about 3,600 miles short of Diamond. I would get the AMEX Platinum but for one reason:

No guarantee that I would get the 5,000 MQMs to post by 31 Dec. T&C say that MQMs will post in 2-4 weeks but will apply in the year in which they are posted. If they post 1/1/12, getting the card will have been for naught.

For $495, I can guarantee I will get the MQMs.

It's a crapshoot.

Erin.Norge

Has anyone successfully had AmEX add their miles in the current year by asking? Or must it be done automatically through their system? I am 4,996 miles short of Gold status for next year and activated my card three days ago. I haven't heard back from them when I contacted via their email contact form to ask. Hope to hear of some success from someone else here!

As for achieving Silver Medallion, I think it's worthwhile. I don't fly much domestically in the US but have been upgraded about 25% of the time when I have done. I'm not big on entering the plane first but choosing seats is still important to me (although the new economy comfort seats on the long hauls are not free for silver or gold medallions there is a discount involved i think?)

The Silver status does give some priority in foreign airports through passport control (they don't care about my AmEx) and when flying on foreign carriers and checking luggage (they also understand silver elite but not AmEx) so if that matters to you, do consider it.

JackalCarlos

Not at all worth it for Silver.

Erin.Norge

Just to report back - I received a response from AmEx that I must wait 2-4 weeks for the MQMs to post. That means I may miss my Gold Status if it takes longer than 2 weeks. They don't seem to have any flexibility with this. Any thought that calling rather than emailing might help?

NWA/Deltaflygirl

I think if you REALLY want to make sure that you hit Gold, you're going to either have t do a MR or buy the miles - Neither AMX nor DL (decidedly not Res) can 'push' the miles through - it's too close to the end of the year I would think to 'risk it'.