They have already posted these changes. All the tables (DL/ST and partners) have both pre and post 3/13 columns.

I like the changes...will hopefully thin the ranks of Diamonds.

Time to look for a new program. Their last in awards availability as it stands and now to maintain gold I must spend at least $5,000 on tickets.

Any suggestions for BOS based non-business 50,000 + yearly flyer??

Cruiseguy

Sorry - they're last ........

My observation is credit cards show the flight data at time of purchase and do not typically get updated when things get changed at the airport. It seems more likely to me they process the E-tickets as flown and use the fare calculations associated with the E-Ticket to determine class of service and spend. Example, reticketing sometimes results in a PAX getting full Y Miles and MQM.

That being said airlines get paid when they push you onto their metal by using the monies associated with the original ticket. (See NW B.U.M.P. program thread for interesting details). I would assume the fare calculation on an at airport reissue will net zero after consuming the original E-Ticket. I don't see DL IT being sophisticated enough to drill back to the original purchase, but the reissued ticket should be functionally similar to determine spend so long as the ticket stock is honored.

But what happens when you are forced outside the alliance? Example: You MX as DM or PM in NRT and they accommodate you on a JL or NH rather than have you stay overnight. Right now you have to contact DL to get original routing credit. What about the spending credit? I think we'll have to learn the phase Original Spending Credit now.

I think this will thin the ranks dramatically. You have PMs and DMs on here achieving status for your spend.

That said, it is VERY easy to hit the 2500 spend. If you don't, there is nothing even remotely-"elite" about your spending patterns.

You can still fly them with full MQMs, just need DL coded flights.

Obviously it depends upon where you travel, but B6 is the obvious choice if you value nonstops.

For international travel, AA would be a good fall-back option with nonstops to Europe and Asia on OneWorld carriers.

Let's face it, they have gotten a lot shiftier in ATL.
Most of us can remember the uproar when DL tried to slash the MQM credit on the insULT fares to 50 percent and ultimately backed off. Adding a spend threshold largely accomplishes the same thing but without directly denigrating an existing standard.

I don't mind the spend value metric being introduced, but I wish it was without that clause of having to be Delta marketed, 006 ticketed, or whatever.

Typically I'd book AF travel (for example) through their website as I simply don't trust Delta to do me any favors with their website being a middleman in the deal.

*edit - Oh, and count me in as one of those with a Corporate AMEX that is locked in and cannot use towards it. I should be ok on spend relative to miles at least though.

That's VERY easy to say if you're not doing it on your own dime.

I missed gold this last year by less than 400 MQMs, and I was happy to just reach Silver and carry the 24,600 miles to this year.

Reaching the $2,500 was easy, actually, I spent more than the Gold qualification requirements.

This is going to affect those high end Medallions that do the mileage runs LAX-SYD-HKG-IAD-ATL-ELP-MOON-ATL-MSP-LAX for $50

I don't see it happening. You still have MQMs from Amex spend. You still have the ability to buy MQMs. Someone can still do Silver or Gold BIS and get DM.

This targets MR folks (i.e. a good chunk of FTers)
This targets Folks who put their credit card spend into SPG or MemRewards.
This creates new avenues for DL to push people into additional Affinity revenue.

I haven't had an issue with anything I've seen in the announcement so far today as I spent $22k with Delta last year and over $70k on Delta Reserve AMEX. But this would be a game changer for me as my company only allows the purchase of LUT fares. No sense in worrying about it though.

Sometimes booking via DL is better though. Got a discount biz ticket on AZ via DL.com for $3k less than what AZ had on their site. (AZ site updated to full J from the discounted S before I could buy. DL still had it)