Not quite accurate. Non-elites can purchase priority boarding, but that lets you board in zone 1 (same as FOs and people with Delta Amex), right after SkyPriority.

I could see bag fees (but elites don't pay them) but EC should be included in the MQD thresholds. It obviously only matters for lower level elites but I think it generates more bad will than it is worth. Of course, if the IT can't handle it...

The way I do the math, the addition of MQDs emasculates rollovers to such a degree that DL doesn't have to formally abolish them. Just like DL didn't have to get rid of the 25K award; they just created the middle tier and largely eliminated low-tier availability.

[QUOTE=Sez_Who;20081232]As DL has increased profitability, some of those earnings have been returned to stockholders (dividends), ...QUOTE]
Actually, past tense is wrong. But RA told the Wall Street crowd last month that a dividend of some sort is coming, perhaps this year. And this has been part of the post-bankruptcy strategic plan.

Not exactly. WN just handed out new coupons to people who could prove they bought the old ones. There was no cash refund.
I think the exemption of bag fees, EC seat fees, etc. are just another way to make it more difficult for the leisure travelers/kettles, such as myself, to earn status because the upper tier medallions don't have to pay for these perks. As best I can tell, the overseas fuel surcharges count as MQDs. If those had been exempted, the Diamonds and Plats would be rioting in the jetways.

I'm personally 100% on SWUs and can't complain, but I'm surprised to hear you say this. I see people complaining constantly about having to play the W fare lottery and still not being upgraded on TPAC flights. I have no personal experience, but I can't say I've never heard it.

Actually, this is the ONE instance that I do not think that UA is justified in selling a TOD upgrade to someone else under any circumstance: When there is someone who paid a W+ fare on standby. That person already paid UA for a chance to upgrade and UA should honor that (or refund the fare difference if they are going to sell a TOD instead.) This is my only serious complaint with UA's policies.

Huh? How does that make it more difficult for you to earn status? :confused:

No it is Virgin Australia. I was told you can sign up on the phone as a US resident.

http://www.velocityrewards.com.au/content/index.htm

Because those $$$ spent do not count towards his MQDs, meaning he will have to spend more to get to the thresholds

????

EVERYBODY has the same thresholds. Nobody is forcing anyone to pay fees for baggage or EC. One can travel with a backpack and sit wherever and not pay a cent.

I'm really not following.

Of course everybody has the same thresholds, but not everybody has the budget you do.
So, since EC, bag fees, etc, etc do not count towards the threshold, somebody who spends $2500 on DL, will not qualify because these categories are excluded. So, these passengers have to up their spend on qualifying purchases to make silver. The bottom line is that the $2500 threshold is more like a $3000 threshold on all delta related travel expenses. Most people don't care how their $500 ticket is divided up. They just care that they spent $500 on a flight from A-B.

Then they can't afford it, and for the very same reason I'm not driving a Lotus, they aren't elite. It shouldn't be for everybody. It should be exclusive.

So you do follow and understand the concept. Good.

But it really has nothing to do with being elite. It has to do with DL offering what perks to what group of customers to maximize profits.

Example: Free baggage - DL has determined there is money to be made charging for baggage. The company has also determined there is profit to be made not charging frequent customers for baggage as the increased loyalty purchases from this group will lead to even more profit. The company found what they believe to be the sweet spot for maximizing profits for baggage charges versus gaining profit from frequent customer loyalty to be the silver level.

If DL thought it was more profitable to increase ticket prices $10 across the board and give every customer free SC access versus the current system of only giving DM, PM/GM on international itineraries and certain cc holders free access, they would likely do that.

It's not about making some people feel elite over others. It's about DL maximizing profits. It appears DL has determined those who fly buckets of miles but don't spend money are not worth expending the cost of the benefits. The money earned from these customers do not justify the expense and/or there is more money to be made from more profitable customers is access to these benefits is limited to fewer customers.

It seems to me the MQDs threshold for FO status does not make sense. Suppose we have to pax, 1) Mr. FO and 2) Mr. Low-cost.

Mr. FO spends 12 cpm (total cost) on flights, and earns FO status for next year with 25,000 MQMs and $3,000 (total cost). Perhaps to get there, Mr. FO buys slightly higher fares such as Q or K fares. Mr. FO has been lucky and always was able to sit in exit rows for free. No upgrades though due to Diamond, Plat and Gold medallions.

Mr. Low-cost instead only buys LUT fares at 5 cpm (total cost). After flying 25,000 Mr. Low-cost has spend $1,250 (total cost). For each flight, Mr. Low-cost had to pay a bag fee at $25 each. For 10 one-ways this comes to $250.
Now, the total cost is $1,500. Additionally, on all of those flights Mr. Low-cost spends money on EC for $50 average. Now, total cost is $2,000.

Comparing Mr. FO with Mr. Low-cost, Mr. Low-cost comes out ahead as Mr. Low-cost has spend $1000 less than Mr. FO for the same things.

BELIEVE ME....I GET IT. Try explaning that to some people on here who believe they have a legitimate beef because they cant afford the new levels