Johnny Rocket

I just received a "generous sounding" offer from Delta.

If I take ONE business elite flight over the next two months, they will give me GOLD until January 2016 plus 50,000 SkyMiles.

Is it worth it?

Would the 50K miles pretty much cancel out any spend on a Business Elite ticket?

Very interested in people's opinions on this.

Also - is any fare that is booked in Business, a Business Elite fare? E.g. JFK to LHR or MEX?

The T&C's list state the following:
In order to extend your Gold Medallion status after the two months, you'll need to purchase and fly one qualifying, paid BusinessElite® fare (fare classes J/C/D/I/Z) on a flight offering BusinessElite service within two months after enrolling. BusinessElite service is limited to the following long-haul international and transcontinental flights: (a) transatlantic, (b) transpacific, (c) transcontinental flights between John F. Kennedy/JFK and Los Angeles/LAX and San Francisco/SFO, and (d) between the U.S. and Brasilia/BSB, Buenos Aires/EZE, Lima/LIM, Rio de Janeiro/GIG, Santiago, Chile/SCL and Sao Paulo/GRU.

************************************************** *****
You're an elite traveler and it's time you were treated like one.

This exclusive program is only being offered to a handful of flyers, and you're one of them.

You’re very close to enjoying an elevated experience. Register before October 15, 2014, to receive two months of complimentary Gold Medallion® status.

To help you hold onto the perks that you richly deserve, all you have to do is book one BusinessElite® ticket and fly within two months of registration, and you’ll earn:
• Gold Medallion status through January 31, 2016.
• 50,000 bonus miles.

javabytes

JFK-SEA can be had for as little as $712 one way in BE. If you look at it purely as buying miles, that's a rate of about 1.4 cents each. I'd be a buyer of DL miles somewhere in that neighborhood; despite how hard they are to use I've usually been able to extract more than that in value. Gold Medallion status on top of that, well... depends how much you fly DL.

yohanson

If you have a lot of sky miles and a sky miles AMEX, you can use the pay with miles option and buy down a BE fare and still get credit for the MQMs. I don't know if that works with your promo or not but it does IRL with DL. 50K redeemable will knock $500 off the price.

I'm glad to see DL is still doing there damndest to thin the herd! They are only giving these offers to those that richly deserve it.

javabytes

Interesting... with the T&Cs OP edited in, JFK-SEA is not considered a BusinessElite route... I know they have the plain old domestic birds serving that route half the time, but that's never stopped them from calling it BE or charging BE prices before.

Bowgie

Right now, SEA/LAX-MAD is bookable in BE on Delta for about $2100.

Perhaps OP can fly to the left coast and then BE from there.

SuperG1955

The cheapest I found, staying within the T&C's is JFK-LAX for $1619 throughout the next 2 months, 0 or 1 day turn.

I value RDM's at a minimum of $.02 and can usually get $.03 or better (Low J Eur $.03 - $.04). Depending on how you value them you can get GM for 1 day MR and net $120 cost.

Your decision as to whether GM through 1/16 is worth it to you.

Throw Down Your Leavy Screens

Look at it on a return-on-investment basis. For roughly $2000 and as little as 6000 physical miles, you'd be attaining a status that would otherwise cost you 50,000 miles on a plane* and either $5000 with Delta or $25,000 with Amex. You're a Silver with Delta, so you fly them "enough" already that I think the benefits you'd gain by being Gold would more than justify the expense.

* not including any bonus MQM's for class of service, promotions out of SEA, etc.

No. You need both the fare and the physical service. That means flying on a J fare ATL-LAX on the 77L won't qualify. Even though it has BE equipment, it only has domestic F service. The domestic portions of international flights (such as ATL-LAX-SYD) are coded as business even though the service is regular domestic F.

hoosiereph

It looks like from the T&Cs that OP posted that he would only need to do BE one-way, and could book the return in Y, or on another carrier (or even use miles for a one-way on another carrier), so he could do it for less than $1000.

AANYC1981

I just got this mailed to be in a pretty big envelope. Quite impressed and I will probably take advantage of this. Just one BE ticket and Gold through 2016, plus 50K miles? Seems pretty generous. I have some free weekends coming up so will just find the cheapest BE fare I can.

MSPeconomist

I'd check this very carefully before purchasing only a one way BE ticket since others are getting offers based on RTs. If DL later claims that a RT ticket was meant, it could be a fight to get the status despite what the T&C seem to clearly state.

Johnny Rocket

The T&C's are pretty clear. Literally in black and white.

One BE fare. Does not have to be round-trip.

dd1612

Agreed. The OP should take up the offer!

Approx $2000 + 6000 physical miles, gains the OP GM status that normally costs 50,000 MQMs on a plane + either $5000 MQDs Spend with Delta or $25,000 with Amex.

I believe the benefits gained as GM would more than justify the expense.

WestSideBilly

GM, the new FO!


Great deal, seems like a plus value offer.

HongKonger

Once again, the take-home message: LOL @ anyone who thinks DL wants to "thin the herd" and provide a "more elite medallion experience."

BigOrangeTerp

While you are right, let's not forget that BE fares are still pretty pricey for the average joe.