2014 SkyMiles Program Changes
#1201
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
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And/or pax trying to use SWUs/GUs but didn't jump through hoops to have them properly coded will likely watch the seats go out empty as well.
#1202
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
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Very unlikely. A $200 voucher costs DL $200 that I would otherwise have had to pay in money. A Tiffany gift costs DL real money to Tiffany. But a Gold Medallion costs what? $2 worth of mailing a plastic card?
#1204
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Minneapolis, originally from Cincinnati
Programs: Diamond with Delta, Hyatt and Hilton. 2 MM and Plat with America (thank you citi:))
Posts: 2,345
I will also be extremely pissed if they eliminate this benefit (my wife even more so since she is the person I gift it to). My wife flies a lot of short haul last minute purchases out of MSP, often on S and M fares and spends more than a lot of people with Gold status, but there routes aren't a lot of miles and she doesn't fly enough MSQ's to qualify for Gold that way.
#1205
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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#1206
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: Delta
Posts: 1
I am grossly disappointed with the 2014 upgrade policy. I'm a 2M miler and PM. My primary route is JFK-SFO. This route loses medallion upgrades. And PMs don't get GUs only RUs. Only RUs can upgrade this route. So, despite my traveling status, basically, I'm now on an airline for which I cannot get upgraded on my primary and more-or-less only route of travel. For this level of service, I can fly on ANY airline. Essentially, my status is useless. I'd love to hear a Delta response to this...
#1207
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 530
I am grossly disappointed with the 2014 upgrade policy. I'm a 2M miler and PM. My primary route is JFK-SFO. This route loses medallion upgrades. And PMs don't get GUs only RUs. Only RUs can upgrade this route. So, despite my traveling status, basically, I'm now on an airline for which I cannot get upgraded on my primary and more-or-less only route of travel. For this level of service, I can fly on ANY airline. Essentially, my status is useless. I'd love to hear a Delta response to this...
#1209
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 73
Quote:
Originally Posted by mspreh
I don't know how true this is, but on my flight this morning from ORD to MSP the guy next to me said that Delta told him that with the new Choice Benefits, the option of gifting status is going away as well.
Very unlikely. A $200 voucher costs DL $200 that I would otherwise have had to pay in money. A Tiffany gift costs DL real money to Tiffany. But a Gold Medallion costs what? $2 worth of mailing a plastic card?
Originally Posted by mspreh
I don't know how true this is, but on my flight this morning from ORD to MSP the guy next to me said that Delta told him that with the new Choice Benefits, the option of gifting status is going away as well.
Very unlikely. A $200 voucher costs DL $200 that I would otherwise have had to pay in money. A Tiffany gift costs DL real money to Tiffany. But a Gold Medallion costs what? $2 worth of mailing a plastic card?
#1210

Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL DM, SPG Gold
Posts: 832
You're also assuming that without the status I would still be buying tickets on DL. Giving status out makes the person I gifted much more likely to buy a revenue ticket on DL vs another airline.
#1211
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Also, if a person has to be gifted status, they're not flying all that much anyway or they'd have earned it on their own.
#1212
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
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#1214
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, MM, NR; HH Diamond, Bonvoy LT Gold, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Diamond, others
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Baggage fees, maybe, but an Amex card would cover most of those.




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