Giving Up
 

I made the decision this year after 25 years as a FF to stop chasing miles and status. It just isn't worth the effort anymore, the benefits keep dropping and the costs both in $ and time keep going up.

From now on it's cheapest direct flight. Maybe that is what the majors want in any event it makes my decisions quite easy. I may never be in F again but lately getting in F is getting less and less likely anyway. If I don't get an overhead they can check my bag, the 15-20m to wait for the bag is less than I've been waiting flying indirect routes to maintaine status.

Bye guys enjoy your travels.

Sad to see you go - but FWIW, I think you should always be booking the cheapest non-stop anyway. If you need extra miles, do a MR, but inconveniencing yourself every time you travel is a waste of time, energy and patience!

If you are flying enough to reach PM (even if that does involve longer routings for extra miles etc..), you should still be able to make FO/silver pretty easily, assuming that Delta is cheapest for some of your travel.

I've been doing this, and base my ticket purchases on price and (sometimes) schedule, with airline or alliance as a tiebreaker. Even still, I've managed to get silver on UA, and might be able to get silver on AS this year.

You're not alone, my friend. I'm starting to come around to your line of thinking as well.

I am trying to figure out how this is true. In my 15 years of flying, I have only noticed marginal increase in fares. Requirements for PM status have dropped. Yes, DM is higher but it offers more than the old PM did. It is actually easier to get MQMs than old status miles.

I have been 100K on UA, they are now a mess. I have been EP on AA but couldn't deal with MIA all of the time. Last I was Platinum with Delta. It was not bad enough to have to put up with 1-2hr layovers in ATL but now to get a reasonable fare they want me to take the 5:30a out and get back at 11:30p the next day. When I can get a direct flight on FL leaving 11:55a and back at 5:50p the next day for $100 less. This use to happen once in awhile now it happens all of the time.

Figure I am retiring from FF

SDC not an option?

The new MQD rules and lower partner mileage earnings made me reassess my loyalty as well.
I am no longer willing to pay a hefty premium to just fly DL. Case in point, for an upcoming trip to China I can fly DL for $2000 or AC for $1500. Even UA is cheaper than DL at $1600. I have not yet bought the fare and hold out for DL to come down. But when time is there to buy the fare and all things equal, I probably buy the UA fare (not sure about AC quality).

Sure, but I'm Gold now and competition into FLL is pretty tight especially during snowbird season.

Really I think the point is I am just burnt out on trying to manage my routes to stay on Delta. I've got an AMEX Platinum so I can do the club if I fly them but I've moved all my purchasing to Chase Sapphire and I'll burn my 300K pesos left at DL this year.

Air Canada? Their service is excellent, I'd pick them in a heartbeat over United. If you meant CA (Air China) they're also fine in an industrial Communist way. Usually they fly newer Boeing planes to the US. You have your choice of fish rice or pork noodles. Service is not bad, not particularly friendly but usually a lot nicer than the Old Battle Axe FAs on UA or DL.

Obviously, corporate Delta is attempting to shamelessly squeeze more and more $$$ from pax while providing less and less.

Unlimited rollover is what inflated ranks to the point there's really nothing "elite" about DM's being 12 of 28 on UG lists.

Of course, the SMT's (skymiles toys) shill like no tomorrow about how MQD's will thin ranks and all will be good when the riff raff is gone. Yeah, right! What else are they gonna say?

I'm done with it too. Loyalty, schmoyalty.... Sick of reduced benefits, insults and increased $$$ required to play "their" game. I'll play my own, thank you very much....

Good for OP seeing the light as to what corp suits are up to!

Do you know if they offer something like Y+ or EC?

And the reality is it is somewhat of a game. When I was younger I enjoyed the game but then flights were not full and I had a paper ticket I could take to any counter and switch flights to any airline. ET was the start of the demise of my enjoying business travel and now being older the game and it's benefits are no longer worth my time.

MQD will make it very tough for me as well. I made PM on miles in 2012, but my MQD would not have been enough for even Gold. My travel is on my own dime and by being flexible I can maximize the value and still get some benefits as PM. But MQD will probably force me to abandon all hope of loyalty and just fly whoever is cheapest. The occasional upgrades are nice, but not worth a premium price to me.

I made the same decision last year. After years of being a loyal Delta flyer, many of those years at PM and DM level, I discovered that for my international routings I could get lower fares and better service on other airlines. I used to buy M fares and use SWUs or miles to upgrade, but have been able to buy business class fares on other airlines at prices at least $500 lower than DL's M fares. And some of these fares included airport hotel accommodations for long layovers and car service to/from the airport.


My loyalty is no longer to any airline; it is to my bank account.