Does anyone know if Delta has a buy up program? Other Airlines let you buy up to Diamond status...Does Delta? Seems that even being Gold--I'm never getting the upgrades.

Sure.

It's called the partnership with American Express cards.

Delta is the only airline with Diamond status. It takes 25,000 more miles than any other US airlines top status. As far as I know they do not but if they did the price would be ridiculous. For Plats on UA (only if they came within 5000 miles) They could buy up to 1K for $2500. Crazy.

If you are gold you could "buy up" to Platnium if you got the Am Ex reserve card and charged $60K. Or if you have at least 55K miles as a gold, get the platnium and charge $50K.

I basically am able to go from gold to PM with $50K spending on my Platnium Delta Am Ex which is only $150 a year. I figure my paid SC status is being diluted thanks to the Plat. am ex so I don't feel bad getitng a higher status with my delta am ex.

A simple search of buy-up status yielded the following from just three months ago:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...=buy-up+status

The Elite Medallion pool (Diamond, Platinum, Gold and Silver) is enormous right now because of all of 2010 promotions.

This should shrink after March 1, 2012 as Delta did not do as many promos in 2011.

Now if only DL can get it back to BIS Miles/ segments, then we would really see some good numbers for upgrades.

Personally I dislike "Buy-Up' ... rather prefer that DL rules just makes folks do MRs, to attain the next higher level status.

Yes. For $50,000 you can get the Jet card and get instant Diamond status and then have 2 years to spend the deposit on Delta flights!

http://www.deltaprivatejets.com/

Granted an expensive buy up but you can do it!

Seeing what Delta/Am EX has done to the SC's I don't see that happening. I would love to see the SC's be for PAID MEMBERS only and eliminate all the promotions, am ex free entries, etc.

^

This is from someone now that only gets in because of the Reserve card. I canceled my paid membership because of the deplorable overcrowding of the clubs. This year, I'm canceling my Amex card.

The SCs have been cheapened by DL through the Groupon sales program.
It is a shame .... that some of us paid $5000 or so for couple (husband+wife) Life-Time membership, that is now being offered for $19 a visit!

At least with AMEX DL Reserve ... the fees for the card are $450 per year, that includes SC membership, and not everyone can get an AMEX DL Reserve card!

But anyone and everyone can buy SC Entry Passes through Groupon.

Although I am flying AA much more than DL now, I still plan to retain Gold Medallion status on DL. That said, I did cancel my Sky Club membership as I found they were too overcrowded and they removed the workstations/cubicles. It just wasn't a work friendly enviroment anymore. That said, the Admiral's Club (although not as good on free snacks/drinks) has a MUCH better work enviroment, much like the old Crown Room. Until DL stops the Groupon sales and giving out passes to anyone who ever dreamed of having an Amex card, I will not be renewing my SC membership.

I can imiagine the fustration that hte people that paid for a lifetime membership feel, paying that kind of money and expecting the same service and benefits they had at the time of purchasing the membership. I actually liked the old NW WC's and it's reaely sad to say the ONLY improvement Delta has made is offering coke products instead of pepsi and offering actual baileys instead of the cheap irish cream they had in some WC's and replacing the vodka with Sky.

Even though someone is paying $450 a year for the Delta reserve or the Am Ex platnium, it still is contributing to overcrowding problem. If I knew they would continue with the groupon punch cards every year, I would just start buying a couple of those instead of renewing and not going to the SC every airport visit. Would be a lot cheaper in the end and I would not lose any of the benefits. It's my understanding that at the AA clubs, only paid members have free wifi. I wish Delta would do that at the SC, it might speed up connections and might free up outlets.

+1 ^^^

Not with FCM... as long as that is around upgrade percentages will never be as good as they used to be.

I notice OP comes from US, where you can buy up to top tier status (99,999 EQMs costs only $2,999). DL has no such program. There are scattered promos where you can buy a small amount of MQMs, and of course the Delta-branded American Express cards give you an MQM boost if you spend enough, but that's the extent of it.