Originally Posted by wetrat0

I don't think this is true... I did a test on the calculator on the linked web site for a sub-500 mile trip, and the calculator was showing 1000 RDM for general member, 1250 for FO, 2000 for GM and PM, 2250 for DM. So the medallion status bonuses are definitely in there (and the new system would net me more miles for that particular flight). I'm not saying there won't be losers, but to charge that the calculator is misleading seems a bit over the top.

Originally Posted by CJKatl

Not all decisions wind up being correct in hindsight; but that does not mean the decisions aren't informed.

And obviously based on the quality of the information which, of course, none of us, including you, are privy to.

You somehow think corporate travelers are scammers, points hounds, unprofessional and looking for ways to screw the company

Never said or implied that. I only said that corporate travel departments in leaner times will be more careful as the stakes rise. Many already have. They also have to be flexible and creative and, like any bureaucracy, that can take some doing. Case in point: I'm an officer of a major national association (over 300,000 members). We have a lot of weekend meetings. Our old travel policy was to pay for the best deal either via corporate travel department or on your own (with the latter often being cheaper). Meetings were scheduled to allow for fly-in, fly-out on the same day so the general policy was not to reimburse for an overnight hotel stay. That meant we were sometimes paying $800 for a ticket that would have cost as low as $228 flying out the next morning. $228+$100 for hotel is still cheaper than $800 and we finally got the policy changed.


Finally, you miss the point that DL thinks it can run a more profitable airline without raining benefits on cheap seat customers.

Originally Posted by Dick Ginkowski

DL needs both the "high roller" and "cheat seat" customers and therein lies the tension. They cannot fill the planes and meet all of their expenses solely with high rollers. If they could, they would.

Originally Posted by cfabar1

CJKatl, I agree with you. I do wish that the numbers were higher though for multipliers. But, what can you do.

Originally Posted by rylan

Medallion bonus is there, but there isn't a class of service selector so it that part if you have a B or higher ticket, which can be substantial.

Originally Posted by CJKatl

I am a medallion member, and have been for many years. Yes, many times I begged DL to make changes similar to the changes that are being made. Maybe not all medallion members were requesting these changes, but DL is not inaccurate when they claim there was consumer request for this.

It's astounding how many of you don't realize how unfair the previous system was to those of us who spend buckets of money but fly short distances. If you really thought it through, you'd realize how unfairly scr*wed segments qualifiers have been under the old system and how much fairer this system is for everyone. The old system wasn't fair, nor was it something handed down to Moses at Mt. Sinai. The revamp was a long time coming. While you can argue that it is different, and that cheap seat buying medallions are losing the avalanche of SMs that was previously rained upon them, and even that it's needlessly complicated to bifurcate RDM and MQM methodology, you cannot argue that the new system is "disgusting." Please. Words like that are the last resort of those who don't have rational points to make.

Originally Posted by aero0729

How was the old system unfair. It is a frequent flyer program! It should be meant to reward those who make the decision to fly on Delta or whatever airline each and every time and how far you travel with them. The more miles you fly, the more you get. Frequent FLYER.

Originally Posted by aero0729

How was the old system unfair. It is a frequent flyer program! It should be meant to reward those who make the decision to fly on Delta or whatever airline each and every time and how far you travel with them. The more miles you fly, the more you get. Frequent FLYER.

Originally Posted by sweeper20

Just because you fly a lot doesn't always make you profitable customer. It can actually have the opposite effect. This has been beat to death in other threads, but a Diamond that spends $8,000 year because they are able to book in advance, have weekends to do mile runs, etc isn't more valuable a customer than a Platinum that spends $15,000 per year. I'm willing to beat they will take the $15,000 dollar a year Platinum over the cheap fare finding $8,000 year Diamond everyday and twice on Sunday...

Originally Posted by Zeeb

And what happens when they throw the baby out with the bath water and chase away the $15k a year platinum in their attempt to chase away the $8k a year Diamond?

Originally Posted by Zeeb

And what happens when they throw the baby out with the bath water and chase away the $15k a year platinum in their attempt to chase away the $8k a year Diamond?

Originally Posted by tvnwz

This point is lost on a lot of people on this board. Without the Kettles, and mid-level elites, DL could not charge the sky high walk up prices. DL is betting that with the decrease in competition the mid level elites will take a pounding, but elect not to leave.

Originally Posted by Dick Ginkowski

I think the "spend" model could have been worked in such a way as to provide premium rewards but I do have to question the "holier-than-thou" approach of those who say it's a long time coming because I fly a lot of expensive, short-hauls.

First, the achieving medallion status by segments was set up for you.

Second, pitting one group of flyers against another is plain ignorant. The long-haul flyers can just as easily say that we get stuck in narrow seats on crowded planes with no meaningful in-flight service and so on. The argument goes nowhere.

What does concern me, however, are the number of people who seemingly overspend for tickets. If I was your boss I'd be telling you, as my bosses did, that you have to shop for the best deal. If you pay more, then don't feel that you should be somehow rewarded for that. Now, as one COO I know told his employees, we know that sometimes you can get into an airport late at night at there may be only four cars left -- a Hummer, a Lincoln, and SUV and a minivan. You can't avoid it but otherwise we expect you to spend the company's money as if it was your own. If there was a $219 room at a Marriott and a $99 room across the street at a Hilton Garden Inn or a Courtyard, which would you buy? A flight to San Diego for $298 or $698? Maybe it's time more corporate travel managers become more conservative and demand that employees spend as if it was their own money.