Well this might mark the end of my time with DL. Even though I've been a FO by MQMs and often MQS four years running, I don't think I make $2,500 in spend. Off the top of my head for last year to reach 25,979 MQMs and 30 MQSs I'd guess I spent $1,800, maybe only $1,700. One of the reasons I love Delta is because they are consistently the cheapest carrier out of RDU. We'll see how the year goes, but I think I'm already happy I selected AA over DL for an upcoming NY trip next month.

You played by the rules and it worked for this year. You weren't punished. You'll have Gold for 2013. There are NO changes for this year and the way you earned status flying last year for this year will not be impacted. But DL is announcing that it will be changing the rules affective next year, and giving you time to plan ahead. You will be "punished" (or rather unable) in the future playing the game the way you did, but DL has not taken anything away from you that you've earned; only saying in the future you'll have to earn it differently.

As for Hawaii: Hawaii doesn't get complimentary upgrades. That's why it's showing up as "Upgrade Ineligible". Complimentary Upgrades are only in the continental US, I think Alaska, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and certain South American countries that don't receive a Business Elite product.

I've been contemplating something similar, but both domestically and to Europe. If it's not a MR but a real vacation, I'm willing to pay $0.11-$0.17/MQM depending on the distance and the seat (domestic F vs. AF PE vs. cradle KL 747 style "old J" vs. lie flat). If that tips me over from FO to Gold, then there's also a bonus of an extra 18k RDM the next year if I just barely requalify for FO again.

Delta management did not think this through clearly at all. This decision was made completely inside the room without any regard to the drop in revenue they will experience in 2015 and beyond. It is unlikely I will continue flying Delta at all after 1/1/14. I can only wait and see what adjustments they make to this policy change before then because it simply won't work for the majority of frequent fliers who currently do business with them.

With this program, there is really zero incentive to have any sort of rollover. Might as well stop flying as soon as you've hit your threshold, since the MQMs would be worthless without spend in the qualifying year.

Oh. I didnt read the fine print yet. Thanks. So much for that idea. I would imagine full F/J prices hover in the $7K to $8K range?

Well good thing I submitted my vote this morning... for UA and AA as the best domestic airline programs.

Except for those of us with Amex cards, for whom rollover miles will remain equally valuable.

In the US, non-taxable because the IRS said it doesn't want to open that can of worms. It has nothing to do with miles vs. dollars. (Hotel programs are very much dollar-based and also non-taxable.)

I don't know how foreign countries handle it.

No, for that person qualification is purely MQD.

And this from somebody who flies United. (Former UA 1K here.)

It occurs to me that one of the unintended (intended) consequences of the migration to a revenue based system is that it frees managements' hands with respect to discount fares ,i.e. there is no FFer tail.

So hypothetically there could be a lot more $199.00 JFK -LAX promo fares (for instance) with $100-$200 FC buy-ups targeted at kettles. These fares won't be used as much by elites/runners 'cause of the low spend.

So rejoice not at the prospect of elite ranks thinning, your FC seat/the seat next to you may be filled by a kettle.

Unfortunately not much choice now, is there? 3 airlines to choose from that are full service and fly to all markets. DL, UA, and AA/US. So much for marketplace competition. Now, anything other than discount travel is unobtainable except for corporate flyers who can afford the higher fare classes, and as soon as the public figures out that frequent flyers must have gotten there by always buying higher class airfares and not shopping for cheaper fare classes, companies are not going to want their employees traveling on FF programs for fear of looking like they are wasting money. Welcome to more complaints about us oversize passengers who now have no way of doing anything but traveling in coach, say hi to more and more frustration from passengers fighting over overhead bin space, upset passengers stranded without bags, messy connections because suddenly frequent fliers cant be proactive about rearranging their flights.

Merger Mania was a bad thing. WE will get one or two bad storms this season, United is in dissaray, Delta is overloaded, and US and AA have cut back too far. Lawsuits are going to start flying, profits and stock prices are going to drop like rocks, and I bet these big airlines get broken up and forced to actually compete. I give it two years. Unfortunately two long, messy, hurtful years.

You can bet there will be lots of threads toward the end of next year saying they met their MQM requirement but are short on MQD/AmEx spend. What to do? Maybe DL will provide some relief/purchase opportunity, maybe not.

Status might not be affected until March 2015, but we'll definitely be feeling the effects well before that. For travel beginning Jan 1 2014, people will need to start factoring in MQD's into the equation when going for status. That's going to play a large part in international ticket purchases, where tickets are purchased from, fare classes, etc. Also people might take a long look at their travel+spend and decide that it's not worth it to stick with DL. So status earned for 2014 might not even be taken advantage of if 2014 flying gets shifted to another airline.

Love or hate the changes, everyone has to be pretty happy that DL gave such advance notice on this. We basically have this full year to take a look at things while being able to earn/keep status through March 2015 using the old while things get sorted out. And if people want to jump ship now, it's still early in the year and plenty of time to get status on another airline.

Wow, really?

I fly lax-nyc often. I buy a ticket when I know I need a ticket. I do not shop for prices, I shop for schedule. In other words, I do not cancel a trip because of price. I do, however, buy the lowest fare that fits my needs. As any rational person does with any product. Apparently, that makes me a low rent cheapskate gaming the system :rolleyes:

I do not set the prices, Delta does. I have seen prices anywhere from under $300 to $700+, and have paid that entire range. Typically, it is in the 450 range. Is it somehow my fault that Delta has a published fare of say, $300 that fits my schedule? Should I be saying oh that is way to low, I am going to change my schedule or wait just so I can pay more for a ticket? Or are you suggesting that people should buy a more expensive ticket, just because it gives them a higher sense of self worth?

Sorry if this post comes across as harsh. But the seeming elitism of a lot of people on here, who I suspect aren't even buying their tickets out of pocket, is grating to me.

Will this really thin the herds? I see the Delta AmEx card exemption for the MOD's more as a ploy for people to use the card more.