fsquid

thank you. Hell, I just want to stop paying those baggage fees when traveling with all the kids!

FirstInFlight

I'm looking at a flight that is quite expensive. It's about $900 for two short hops each way on the east coast. Even though it's expensive, it's a low fare class so I'll earn 2000 MQMs round trip. But since the fare is high I will earn about 700 MQDs.

However, because the fare is so high, I can essentially add a mileage run on the return leg - via SEA or SFO - for no additional cost. That allows me to earn almost 7500 MQMs instead of 2000 for the same $900 fare. However, it reduces the MQDs to less than 200.

So - it appears that MQDs and MQMs are opposites. If I increase the MQMs I will decrease the MQDs and vice versa.

Obviously this year we don't have MQDs so I'm collecting MQMs. And I have the Delta AmEx so next year I will be exempt from the MQD requirement based on spend. Might this be a way to start establishing a value ratio that reflects spend per mile? Perhaps everyone else already knows this and I am the last person to have figured out this very clever Delta move.

gooselee

We may both get flamed for this, but depending on how many bags you tend to take and how many kids you have, you might want to consider a DL Amex, even after getting status.

The baggage allowance stacks (so I believe an FO with Amex gets 2 free checked bags per pax), and the 20% discount on inflight food might be handy since I assume you won't be getting UGs as an FO with multiple companions.

And if you go with a Plat/Reserve Amex, you'll have the companion cert and MQM opportunities to help you keep/elevate status, and also the potential MQD waiver.

NapaPatTours

This is correct; 1 bag for FO + 1 for Amex.

sethb

Can you explain how that works? I can see the taxes increasing a little, but not that much. Which components of the fare change with the longer routing?

fsquid

thanks I'll take a look. I'm a cash only guy except when traveling for business.

brocklee9000

So I'm going to have to ask the dumb question here: if FO gets 1 bag plus 1 for Amex, does GM get 2 bags plus 1 for Amex?
Another dumb question, would my non-status companions get all the bags and SP along with me since I'm GM, or would they only get 1 free bag because of my Amex?

NapaPatTours

Q1: Nope. I do see your point though.

Q2: Regardless of the LOWER status of the companion(s), everyone (up to 9, IIRC) on the same PNR with a GM (or FO with Amex waiver) gets 2 bags, and with PM/DM 3 bags.

brocklee9000

Good to know, thanks! So if I were to split to PNR to try to get on the UG list, would they lose the benefits of free baggage, SP, etc?

NapaPatTours

Hmmm... Apologies; You've exceeded the level of my knowledge on baggage fees. ...but someone here likely knows the answer.

FlyDeltaJets87

Worst case an agent at check-in should be able to waive the bag fees as long you're all traveling together and show it (same flights). They'll be able to board with you so priority boarding isn't an issue, even if their boarding passes don't say Zone 1. If you have preferred seats, they could lose them in the event of an equipment swap. If the aircraft is swapped for another type or seating configuration (huge chance if on a 757), when the computer reassigns seats, it may recognize them as not being entitled to preferred seats and boot them to non-preferred seats. if that happens early enough, you can call DL and have a phone agent put them back in preferred seats. If it happens closer to departure, you may be SOL.

One last piece of advice: if you're splitting PNRs to get the UG, give yourself the middle seat or "worst" seat that way if you get UGed and leave the others behind, at least the one(s) left behind still have okay seats.

brocklee9000

When we first made the reservation, I assigned myself to the least-desirable of the 4 seats, in the rare chance I would get the UG. But after checking the seat map once or twice a day over the last few weeks, I might just not split the PNR after all. The 75X only had 2 occupied F seats at the time of booking, but now all but 6 seats have been claimed (only in the span of about 2 weeks), and there is still a little over a month until the travel date. They've all been filling up in pairs, so I'm guessing it's couples splurging on holiday travel for either paid F or award F tickets. I wasn't expecting an UG to ATL anyway, but I'm definitely not even going to hope for it now. And our connecting flight is short, just an MD-88 to MSY. No big deal if I don't get an UG, since we're all on the DE side of the plane, and the flight is short. I'd give the UG to my mother anyway, since my parents are coming with us. But F on an MD-88 is nothing to write home about (a little extra room and a pass at the snack basket). So in light of what you've told me, I think I'll just keep us all on the same PNR for safety and convenience's sake. Thank you for the detailed reply, it was much appreciated.

gooselee

Fair enough.

FYI, you don't have to actually use the Amex for stuff like zone 1 boarding and the checked bag allowance. It just needs to be open and tied to your SM account.

For the discounted SC access and 20% in-flight discount, those items do need to be charged to the card, but it didn't sound like those were that much of a concern to you.

CJKatl

Another option, which I do about once every other month, is to FedEx your stuff. A large FedEx box on a two-day delivery costs less than the baggage fee, and you don't have to worry about lugging your luggage. Don't use a suitcase. FedEx charges out the wazoo for that. Just stuff a large FedEx box and it will be at your hotel or host's house. Include a return label and restuff the box at the end of your trip. If you're at a hotel, just leave it at the front desk. Otherwise, most airports have FedEx boxes in or near the terminal.

A couple weeks ago, I had two weeks of travel and FedExed clothes to two different stops. Unfortunately, the last leg of the trip got canceled (the friend I was meeting in Vegas had a death in the family) but it was easy enough to email a new FedEx label to the hotel. My clothes went to Vegas and came home, even though I didn't.

Even though I get free baggage check, this helps me stay at carry-on size so I can do SB or get on an earlier connecting flight. My carry-on is half full with equipment, and I often wind up in Florida, rural Michigan and Chicago (or similar) in the same week, necessitating different types of clothes, shoes and coats.

If you do this, be sure to put your clothes in plastic bags before putting them in the FedEx box. Sometimes the boxes get wet. But I do this with my luggage, too, in case the bag gets left out for a few minutes on a rainy tarmac.

eternalX

Do you have until the end of Feb to qualify?