RooseveltL

I think we need to be clear here -
A 'leisure' traveler flies SouthWest, Spirit and/or JetBlue because they only travel 2-3x a year. They don't care for loyalty and only care about price & baggage.

The folks in disagreement with this leak are:
hybrid business or status seeking travelers who want the perks of Gold,PL or DM without paying the full fare. This use to be manageable before merging airlines and credit cards/hotel bonuses/perks from all over the place.

If DL wants to eliminate 'Silver type' members (not a bad idea if they don't make the spend as DL probably loses the revenue in free baggage fees).
Next level - GM/PM - probably the majority of their program for whatever reason and they can weed out the low-revenue and make status translate to something when flying out of a hub. Sucks, if you are on a business trip w/business attire skipped up for UPG and walking on a plane and see a 3rd world couple from AsiaPac in first class with a plastic bag because they visit their grandkids 3x a year. Also, eliminate those located in crappy airports which require 3 segments to get anywhere also ahead of you on the UPG list even though they have lower rt airfare vs. your ticket (because you embark at a hub).

I can easily see a management consulting firm encouraging these changes (to match the SW, Jetblue or Virgin America) and selling it but excluding one con:
DL also makes money with full planes as last minute travelers have to buy tkts whatever the cost so airline doesn't lose money on MRs (which is why you rarely see JFK-LAX or JFK-SFO via MRs). If DL pushes away even 15% of loyal customers which translates into less full plane I would argue they lose more revenue as can't charge $1300 EWR<>ATL or DTW last minute if the plane has 18 empty seats.

Seats which previously would've been occupied by folks in this thread who are researching AA/US program or the very very congested MileagePlus.

A guy flying first class constantly could care less about this.

Finally, consultants spend tons of hours on a plan or solution to a problem and NO time how to circumvent their solution. Implement this program and easily - Puerto Rico, Hawaii, or USVI will get an influx of tourism and PO Box rentals. Wait, one can even rent one online. It is a non issue how it is currently drawn out.

As we know DL mgmt. consultants or executive management is reading this forum - guys fix your website first!

adam1080

Can this be for real????

$12,500 for Diamond??

I have spent at least $13k-$18k for the last three years and FINALLY hit Platinum for the first time this October. Everyone in my company will hit PM if not DM, and currently I am one of the highest Delta status folks here beside the President. This would bode well for me, but in my experience, this would make tons of people Diamond.

Builderman

It would be both the spend and miles requirements, not either or.

DL2SXM

but you will need both, the DM mqm amount of 125K miles AND the sqm. The sqm and anything under 125K miles does not get you DM

Denolloyd

How so? You would still need to hit 125k mqms

RooseveltL

I think this is what DL wants. You don't travel much but heavy spend when you do. You don't clutter the system vs. guy flying from Omaha, NE or New Orleans which requires 2-3 connections to anywhere and low airfare so they have higher status but spend nothing. You do need miles to make your status but the two combine should give you GM but eliminate others ahead of you who don't spend $5k per year.

StayingHomeIsBetter

As the speculation continues (after the pull back of the web details and the not likely to be ended silence from the social ambassadors), this has the potential to become a nasty dog-eat-dog debate of "I want the rules that best benefit me and to hell with you. I am the most deserving. I want the rules customized so that I am the only Diamond in the system. Plus, I want to be a Double Super-Duper Diamond."

In other words, par for the course on FT.

So...

bubbashow

Indeed. Great post. I'm sooooo glad DL is doing something to make "elite" NOT so inclusive. When the SkyPriority lane at security at DTW is longer than the peeon lane, there is an undeniable problem.

HDQDD

If that's the case, DL will screw those of us DM's who have high spend, but low mileage. I've spent over 25K each of the last three years, but never had more than 105,000MQM. (I have had over 150 MQS each year). I hope that is not the case, cause I'll be out the door.

However, I'll wait til it's published before I worry.

canndlewic

As a solely leisure traveler, I don't like this at all. Although my mileage and spend were in line with Delta's expectations this year, it won't always be.

Long term, this program is flawed. The math is easy now with a 10 to $1 ratio but given inflation, the value per mile will be continually changing. Lifetime status and annual re-qualification will be moving targets.

Also, with a specific cost attached to status, FFs will begin to evaluate if the benefits/product they receive for that status is worth the cost. This is something that Delta probably doesn't want to get people to start thinking about.

GUWonder

Popcorn indeed useful to pass the time, since the show and its actors were so predictable from even before this thread got started.

yolo1966

With companies cutting travel budgets and our uncertain economy, even those who have employer paid travel will be feeling the pain as diamonds start dropping to silver when they can't justify trying to game their employer into approving higher fares to meet spend.

In the long run the new strategy to replace the MR's will be trying to manufacture spend on Amex through various well known schemes as cheaply as possible to hit the $25k requirement. Even with the annual fee it's still a better deal.

StayingHomeIsBetter

250 posts in 5.5 hours.

What is the record for most posts in the first 12 hours of a thread?

mooper

This is great news; essentially a non-event. If you earn PM/DM without spending $10K/$12.5K+, you're likely acquiring MQMs via credit card spending. These new rules provide a waiver for those people. I doubt this will change the game for many. Will just reward the highest-fare travel more... good thing. I suspect any changes to RDMs will be similarly appealing. We'll see.

Sez_Who

IIRC, it went up to either $8K or $10K for their 1k's. Don't recall if it was only UA metal but do remember that it did not include taxes. Pretty sure it included extra fees like baggage, etc. UA floated the idea, then dropped it.

Personally not opposed to a minimum spend and DL's figures seem to be in a reasonable ballpark. Certainly understand this from a rev perspective but still puzzled why DL feels it is in their best interest to thin their Medallion ranks. Seems to me it will make their marginal (former) Medallions even more price conscious and seek lower fares at every opportunity. Perhaps there is some DL/AmEx plan to make up for some of this.

Lots of kinks in this proposal, and lots of questions.