True, Southwest leads with a revenue spend FF program and Delta trots behind.

I spent about $4K on flights for 20,000 MQMs (spread across a personal and a corporate card) in 2012 (I recently bought up to Silver). It seems very easy to hit the $2,500 spend to meeet FO status for a flyer that takes ~10 flights a year. I don't think this really thins the FO ranks.

Just as you currently don't earn any MQMs for your three-year-old's ticket, you won't earn any MQDs.

No major gripes. Just that they do not disclose how much you earn for codeshare flights.

With DL at least you know that DL flight number = DL mileage earning. The same is largely true for other SkyTeam carriers (assuming the operating carrier is SkyTeam too).

With *A, a UA flight number on Air China (or SK or whomever) earns according to the Air China rules, which would be fine, except that you don't actually know what Air China fare class your UA fare class maps to.

No need for the :rolleyes:, it's a legitimate gripe with *A.

If you book a United codeshare on ANA, you need to follow the booking code on ANA to determine how many RDM/EQMs you'll get, even though it's not as transparent in the booking process since you're booking a United flight.

As opposed to OW (AA) and ST (DL) where booking it as a AA/DL-coded flight means you follow your airline's chart for mileage earning, despite it being flown on BA/CX/KL/AF etc.

I feel sure that the source of the funds used to purchase a ticket is irrelevant.

If you make the MQM's for PM but your MQD's are only for GM you will be GM and rollover anything over 50K MQM

As I read it, accumulate 250,000 MQM but don't make the $5000 MDQ for PM (or the $25K get out jail free Amex spend) and you will be an FO with 225,00 MQM carryover.

Lather, rinse, repeat for 9 or 10 years at FO level until you work off your balance, unless your spending picks up.

Those folks who accumulated vast inventories of MQMs and decided they would coast along as a DM, just flying a few times per year, are taking it on the chin.

Ironically, they were the ones that were most lauding the MQM carry-over program when it was announced.

DL management givith and they taketh away.

Beware folks:
I think the above sentence in Delta's email does foreshadow the other changes they've longed for years to implement:
Slashed MQM earnings on the lower fare classes on Delta metal (not just partner airlines).

I don't think the status game is going to continue to be as easy for some as they think it is now. And don't forget the value of Skymiles has been subject to a death with a thousand cuts sort of strategy over the last few years - and I don't see any sign of that trend slowing down. And those changes they typically don't announce very far ahead of time (or sometimes don't announce at all - with the creative excuse they recently came up with that it is "illegal" for them to do so.)

It is possible that there is more in store, but DL has already updated the earnings with effective dates of March 1, so I lean toward thinking that the published changes are what they are referring to.

Skyteam got skyreamed...

Biggest disappointment for me is the gutting of Skyteam partner MQMs, particularly KE. I'm flying KE in a few minutes, actually, and look forward to my final opportunity to get 100% MQMs...

KE was such a good option given the lack of Japan-based carriers in Skyteam.

Well, I'll gladly stand corrected.

And, now that I know the source, I'll certainly stop using the story. :D

The details are still emerging and we have a whole year to understand the new requirement. It sounds like Delta will implement MQDs on their website ASAP so people can get familiar with it.

I'm almost certain it will work similarly as you would collect MQMs today.
Delta doesn't care who pays for your tickets as long as your check clears.

An ironic juxtaposition.

I don't see these since I learned to turn off the ads.^

Indeed.

I have ....... on every PC except this one - the office firewall blocks all Chrome extension downloads.