Skymiles Change Rumor?
Mar 21, 2012, 9:34 am
#616
Join Date: May 2003
Location: ATL/MUC/SAF/SRQ
Posts: 448
Notes from a parallel universe
There is much the same discussion going on right now on the Lufthansa Miles and More Forum regarding changes on tap by LH management.
Bait:
2nd Tier status has a REDUCED Mileage requirement. Earning Top Tier miles within two calendar years will in future be rewarded with two eVouchers for upgrades to the next highest service class.
Switch:
Only First and Business class tickets will be counted towards Top tier status
No mileage or voucher upgrades from discounted business fares. Lower credited mileage for discounted business fares.
How would this forum react if only Business fares counted towards Diamond and Platinum qualification with lower earnings even when flying in business?
Outrage?
Lufthansa is putting it into action. Status based on spending. They are not raising redemption levels as we speculate Delta will, however the earning possibilities are being reduced.
Delta may (will) follow, so I think this is the direction for all airlines. Which companies will stay with the classic format? I can see the advertisments “we reward your LOYALTY!”
BURN YOUR MILES!
Is Goldman Sachs an airline consultant?
Bait:
2nd Tier status has a REDUCED Mileage requirement. Earning Top Tier miles within two calendar years will in future be rewarded with two eVouchers for upgrades to the next highest service class.
Switch:
Only First and Business class tickets will be counted towards Top tier status
No mileage or voucher upgrades from discounted business fares. Lower credited mileage for discounted business fares.
How would this forum react if only Business fares counted towards Diamond and Platinum qualification with lower earnings even when flying in business?
Outrage?
Lufthansa is putting it into action. Status based on spending. They are not raising redemption levels as we speculate Delta will, however the earning possibilities are being reduced.
Delta may (will) follow, so I think this is the direction for all airlines. Which companies will stay with the classic format? I can see the advertisments “we reward your LOYALTY!”
BURN YOUR MILES!
Is Goldman Sachs an airline consultant?
Last edited by elsie; Mar 21, 2012 at 9:41 am
Mar 21, 2012, 9:45 am
#617
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: DM
Posts: 1,067
I flew yesterday from JFK-ATL and happened to be sitting next to someone who some of us may be familiar with. I told him about the thread and mentioned how it's implications are growing by the hour.
This board is not monitored regularly.
There are not wholesale changes coming to the program.
Delta is working hard to gain corporate travel share.
I couldn't get an answer about bringing back EXP or a similar program. Which led me to believe if anything the smoke is related to an additional HVC program or corporate travel program on top of sky miles.
Everyone take a breath.
This board is not monitored regularly.
There are not wholesale changes coming to the program.
Delta is working hard to gain corporate travel share.
I couldn't get an answer about bringing back EXP or a similar program. Which led me to believe if anything the smoke is related to an additional HVC program or corporate travel program on top of sky miles.
Everyone take a breath.
Mar 21, 2012, 9:51 am
#618
Join Date: Oct 2007
Programs: Now just a lowly DL PM/1MM. This industry needs some competition. It's just not enjoyable anymore.
Posts: 3,543
Mar 21, 2012, 9:56 am
#619
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: ATL - DL DM/3MM - HH Lifetime Diamond - Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 3,117
Mar 21, 2012, 9:59 am
#620
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,369
Someone else that it could have been always emphasizes that he travels in coach too, usually a middle seat. He claims he's not high enough in the food chain to be allowed to reserve FC for business travel.
Mar 21, 2012, 10:01 am
#621
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Phoenix
Programs: DL Million Miler, Skymiles GM, Marriott Lifetime Platinum Elite
Posts: 677
It must have been Kevin Pinto who as we all know is the only trustworthy and reliable source of information at the Virginia Ave offices. :-)
Mar 21, 2012, 10:08 am
#622
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Twin Cities
Programs: Delta DM MM, IHG Plat, Hilton DM, Marriott SE, Emerald EE, Oakdale Gun Club, NRA & GOA Life Member
Posts: 3,870
I'm not sure if I'm a fake Diamond or not. I just ran the numbers YTD for my Delta travel and the results are:
Business travel- $3933.03, 14,816 MQMs, 20 MQS, $0.27/MQM
Leisure travel- $1070.89, 25,044 MQMs, 8 MQS, $0.04/MQM
I guess if you were to extrapolate, My spending should be about $20K at the end of the year at the current rate.
Business travel- $3933.03, 14,816 MQMs, 20 MQS, $0.27/MQM
Leisure travel- $1070.89, 25,044 MQMs, 8 MQS, $0.04/MQM
I guess if you were to extrapolate, My spending should be about $20K at the end of the year at the current rate.
Mar 21, 2012, 10:13 am
#623
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
Posts: 7,204
I think that is where a major change to the system is fatally flawed... Delta needs both types of flyers... the high ticket spend and also the lower ticket but always picks DL even when they cost more. That reliably fills seats and DL gets some extra margin from loyal pax deciding to stick with them even when it costs more. Destroy the program (which is already in progress with FCM and upgrades percentages going down the crapper) then they loose the 'guaranteed' repeat flyer and instead are fighting for the pax who pick solely on price. Sure the high fare buyer may still be there, but you need the rest to fill in and absorb the fixed cost overhead.
Seems that DL doesn't realize that "you can't make a ham sandwich without the ham" (the ham being the majority of the current 'gamer' Medallions), nor that needing to fill the remainder of the seats with Joe Blow flyers will inevitably end up devaluating the program and the experience for HVCs, who are not bound to feel good seeing that the pax next to them paid many fold less than they did, as DL had to drop the price (more than before, as it has few loyal pax left) to fill the empty seats closer in.
Mar 21, 2012, 10:14 am
#624
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Formaldehyde Medallion DL DieMiles
Posts: 12,646
I flew yesterday from JFK-ATL and happened to be sitting next to someone who some of us may be familiar with. I told him about the thread and mentioned how it's implications are growing by the hour.
This board is not monitored regularly.
There are not wholesale changes coming to the program.
Delta is working hard to gain corporate travel share.
I couldn't get an answer about bringing back EXP or a similar program. Which led me to believe if anything the smoke is related to an additional HVC program or corporate travel program on top of sky miles.
Everyone take a breath.
This board is not monitored regularly.
There are not wholesale changes coming to the program.
Delta is working hard to gain corporate travel share.
I couldn't get an answer about bringing back EXP or a similar program. Which led me to believe if anything the smoke is related to an additional HVC program or corporate travel program on top of sky miles.
Everyone take a breath.
I guess that should not be a surprise, considering the typical lack of green in the Currently Active Users box.
Although (don tinfoil hat) they could be coming in under aliases.
Mar 21, 2012, 10:16 am
#625
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Bye Delta
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Plat, Nat'l Exec Elite, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 16,264
I flew yesterday from JFK-ATL and happened to be sitting next to someone who some of us may be familiar with. I told him about the thread and mentioned how it's implications are growing by the hour.
This board is not monitored regularly.
There are not wholesale changes coming to the program.
Delta is working hard to gain corporate travel share.
I couldn't get an answer about bringing back EXP or a similar program. Which led me to believe if anything the smoke is related to an additional HVC program or corporate travel program on top of sky miles.
Everyone take a breath.
This board is not monitored regularly.
There are not wholesale changes coming to the program.
Delta is working hard to gain corporate travel share.
I couldn't get an answer about bringing back EXP or a similar program. Which led me to believe if anything the smoke is related to an additional HVC program or corporate travel program on top of sky miles.
Everyone take a breath.
Mar 21, 2012, 10:20 am
#626
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Plat, 1 MM; SPG LT Plat (RIP); Marriott LT Titanium; Fairmont Plat (RIP), DL Kryptonium Medallion
Posts: 1,791
I flew yesterday from JFK-ATL and happened to be sitting next to someone who some of us may be familiar with. I told him about the thread and mentioned how it's implications are growing by the hour.
This board is not monitored regularly.
There are not wholesale changes coming to the program.
Delta is working hard to gain corporate travel share.
I couldn't get an answer about bringing back EXP or a similar program. Which led me to believe if anything the smoke is related to an additional HVC program or corporate travel program on top of sky miles.
Everyone take a breath.
This board is not monitored regularly.
There are not wholesale changes coming to the program.
Delta is working hard to gain corporate travel share.
I couldn't get an answer about bringing back EXP or a similar program. Which led me to believe if anything the smoke is related to an additional HVC program or corporate travel program on top of sky miles.
Everyone take a breath.
Without an explanation for that, this so-called denial from "someone" is completely meaningless.
Mar 21, 2012, 10:22 am
#627
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: MCO
Programs: DL-DM/1MM, HILTON-DIA, .HYATT-DIA/GLOB , IHG-PLT,HERTZ 5*, NATIONAL ES
Posts: 8,691
Actually, that statement would be directly contrary to what was said at the DO in ATL. At that time, it was stated that DL in fact scrapes this site on a daily basis and that the threads are reviewed for whatever purpose....
Mar 21, 2012, 10:30 am
#628
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold, NEXUS, GE, ABTC/APEC, South Korea SES, eIACS, PP, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 16,046
And, I haven't stepped foot on DL metal in 8 months.
Mar 21, 2012, 10:40 am
#629
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: DM
Posts: 1,067
I took it that no one is actively monitoring the site in order to provide us or management feedback. It was pretty clear by our conversation that many people look at the site.
Mar 21, 2012, 10:41 am
#630
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: DM
Posts: 1,067
I was in a middle seat in coach. I SDC'd to an already full flight.