That is actually a really cool example. Maybe that will give solace to those that wont cut it. Then on top of that....ANYONE can buy the FCM fare.


They should raise the MQD for all levels...then explore an increase in ancillary fees for those that were elite and are no more and developed a taste for the perks....dieuwer...good for you....u can save 500 bucks

Of course, the calculation depends on whether you check bags and/or pay for upgrades. If you don't, the calculation is even more in favor of Mr. Low-cost.
Then again, some people place a $$$ amount on IRROPS help and the chance at an upgrade.

There is also the rdm bonus.

EC is paying extra money for a better seat. The same could be said about F (plus some food and drinks).

My guess is there would be an uproar if your MQD didn't include the full price paid for F/P/A but only the amount of a corresponding Y fare (same purchase date, similar restrictions, etc.). Not quite an exact comparison, but similar.

I am actually surprised they put a MQD limit for FO. The benefits don't cost that much to provide and I bet it gets a few people to take that last flight of the year on DL (rather than somebody else) to put them over the top. After all, today's FO might be next year's GM and the following year's PM.

GM is where the real benefits start so have a MQD limit there.

Still makes no sense. The fact that one person makes status has zero correlation with another making status. There is no relationship between these two events.

No, it ISN'T about being exclusive. You want exclusive, join Delta Jets.

This is about fairness in offerings. Why do those of us who are not flying on business have to pay more? I know it's easy to say "you only purchase cheap tickets" but there is much more than that. It is about having access to wider seats, because the seat cost for a wider seat is exorbitantly high. The only way to get that is to trade off for flying only on one carrier. It's about being able to keep your bags, instead of getting stuck at the end of the queue and having your bags taken an put in the hold. Its about luggage fees that increase your ticket cost by %10-%20 percent. It is about not being stuck for an extra night in an airport because you can switch your ticket proactively. And the thing that everyone conveniently forgets is that the reason that we buy the lower fare classes is because those are the "undesirable" flights that they have to discount. People aren't paying higher fares for those flights, that is why they have to offer the lower fare. I think we need to get the elite exclusive bit out of this.

It is not about being fair. It has never been about being fair. DL had a program that was designed to earn them more money. Now they are changing the program in a way that they think will earn them even more money. If you are surprised that DL cares about money more than your feelings you are pretty naive.

Does it suck for those who benefited more under the old program than they will under the new program, yes. (That group includes me btw). Should we whine about it for 80 pages, no.

It's not about being exclusive, nor is it about DL being fair. It't about DL maximizing profits. Offering benefits to everyone obviously is not maximizing DL's profits. DL thinks it has figured out how to maximize profits by only offering benefits to those customers for whom it makes financial sense to offer benefits. Fairness is nowhere in that equation. Market data, to which DL is privy and we are not, drives these decisions.

Your emotional arguments are irrelevant. Without the data DL had in making its decisions, you cannot make a rational business argument that DL should offer status to everyone presently enjoying status. You just don't know the facts necessary to state DL is doing the wrong thing here.

Um, how is having one set of rules for everyone unfair?

It's a completely fair system and being rolled out with plenty of advance warning. If you don't like it, you can choose another airline, or alter your travel in whatever way you choose.

But it is FAIR.... everyone has the same thresholds.

You are correct, we do not have the necessary data. However, to be fair, I don't think any of us know the facts necessary to state DL is doing the right thing either.

What I will say is that historically U.S. carriers have not had a very good track record of making the best management decisions. Their thinking has tended to be short-term and has not resulted in very desirable outcomes. The future remains to be seen, however, given the past I would not hedge any bets that management is focused on the long-term interests of the company.

My entirely personal 2 cents worth:

1) I'm happy. I have 400K Skypesos and I earn about 100K a year. I was afraid they'd actually make me fly on DL to use them, something I only do once or twice a year. Thanks, DL, for keeping the gravy train of my various credit-card related schemes intact.

2) I do feel like most people who will make Medallion probably spend $25K on credit cards a year. As is obvious from item #1, I'm one of those people who loves my credit card points (although I've actually started flying again and will make Gold on US this year), and everybody is out there trying their card to be your go-to card. So DL is basically telling people that if you want the benefits of their loyalty program, you can get them by being loyal to their credit card. That doesn't seem so unreasonable.

If the group disagrees with me that spending $25K on an Amex in a year is that high a bar for elite-level flyers, that's a valid point. I do note though that the threshold doesn't vary by elite level. If you had to spend over $50K on a cc to make elite, my attitude would be different.

If you are only going to fly Delta a few times a year, you would have to put a lot more than $25K on a credit card for the MQM's to be above silver level and have a few cards which would rack up quite a bit in annual fees.

Hilton gives away gold status by simply having one of their credit cards and with just $40K a year in spend you get diamond status and on top of that you get two free weekend nights the first few months with a low spend and a free weekend night each year after with a low spend So Delta isn't nearly as bad about rewarding credit card holders as Hilton.

I am surprised Hilton isn't requiring your credit card spend based on status. i.e. waiving the MQD requirement for silver with $25K in spend, requiring $50K in credit card spend for gold and $75 for Plat instead of just $25k for everyone

Who said they made a blunder? Their financial performance has been quite solid. I would offer that the only blunder they could be accused of making is not doing this sooner.

Excellent point.

I think that DL's improved performance has certainly been aided by overall market conditions, but that DL's better-than-peers' performance has been due to better leadership. And I most certainly remember DL's bankruptcy. I also remember that Richard Anderson joined in 2007 and has done an excellent job since. Your continued denial of DL's objectively solid financial performance is just silly.

Exactly

So let me get this straight... If DL has flights that aren't filling up, they should sell fares for below cost and shower benefits on those who purchase the tickets???? It seems to make more sense to cut the flights. That seems to have been the strategy lately; fewer fuller flights.

Maybe, and again, we don't have the actual data, but just maybe DL has figured out selling seats below market price and showering benefits on those who wind up costing them money doesn't make as much business sense as just not flying those flights, or flying those flights using smaller planes.