mmc

Requalified for Diamond for next year and want to give my wife gold again for 2015. (She sometimes travels separately with the kids and want them to have access to the priority lanes, lounge when international etc)

Tried to do that, but it complains that she already has gold. (ie. it's not smart enough to gift her gold for 2015, rather than immediate).

Opened a case and they say either (a) wait until March 2015 or (b) give it to someone else. I want the global upgrade certs now, so I don't really want to wait. I could I guess give it to one of my sons, but that's not as useful.

Seems like a hole in the system to me as surely people want to keep a spouse/partner with status, has anyone found a way around this other than waiting?

Anyway of asking Delta to change their system slightly to be a "Gift for next Medallion year"?

Leezell

Had the same problem w/ SWUs 2nd year of D status, and was told no choice but to wait till Mar 1......

Tomphot

+1. I've had to wait until March 1 for the past few years before I'm allowed to gift it to my wife again.

MSPeconomist

This seems to be the rule, although in the past I believe that there were reports of the legendary Mr. Pinto helping out by providing a workaround. Note that it also takes a few days after March 1 for the status to become effective, so this can be a problem for someone traveling around then.

It's worse now with GUCs required to be flown, and not just confirmed (as for SWUs), by their expiration dates.

LexPassenger

Waiting is the right workaround. Think about it: she stays gold till next year. No point to re-upping till it's necessary. It's Delta's software that's wonky. Are you surprised? One reason GG (my SO) is happy to be earning Plat on her own after several years as a minimally traveling caregiver, relying on Diamond charity.

Plus I get another second choice.

Just think of it as an undocumented bug.

Good luck!

GG

*Waves!* Um, I didn't think it was necessary to pick all perks at the same time. I may be wrong about that, but I do know that Lex had the same problem (couldn't let me be GM because I already was) couple of years ago, and it was no big deal in the outcome.

Cheers,
GG, 826 miles from PM. ;->

NotHamSarnie

You have to pick both DM perks at the same time. You can hold off picking the PM perks. This means that if you want GUCs and GM gifting you're in trouble unless you can hold off until Mar 1 for the GUCs. I was in the opposite quandary last year. Mr. NotHamSarnie needed to be regifted Gold when I requalified for DM in October 2013 (I had dropped to PM the previous year so he lost status) but I wanted to wait until GUCs were in place in 2014. His needs won, so I had to choose my Gold gifting and SWUs at the same time and I lost out on the GUCs. It's very annoying.

MSPeconomist

In the past, you could pick the PM SWUs before or after the GM gift and DM SWUs. Now the PM RUCs aren't a substitute for DM GUCs.

NotHamSarnie

Exactly. There is no PM equivalent for either GUCs or gifting gold, so no workaround for this dilemma.

MSPeconomist

The PM analogue of gifting GM is gifting FO, but since PMs only get a single choice benefit, timing isn't an issue.

hnewman

I can report this is correct and sadly no one can fill those shoes

NotHamSarnie

Right, and gifting FO is just a waste of time as you get no ST+ benefits (and my SO has an AmEx).

What I was trying to say is that there is no possible way to split the gifts by making the PM and DM selection at different times when you are interested in GUCs and GM gifting. If you're interested in money/miles you can split your selection and still get what you want.

mmc

Doesn't help me get my upgrade certs. I've got a few long economy trips before the end of the year and I'd like to get them now. Not really keen on making one of the kids gold (heck one is almost going to be silver this year).

Just seems like a really dumb problem - the system clearly understands status for next year concepts so it shouldn't be that hard to fix.

Delta's Diamond Desk (DDD!) just said to wait and I asked that they forward the request to fix this problem up the chain. Apparently it has.

If anyone from Delta can help it's case #13811676

g50

Why not open a new skymiles account in her name, gift GM to the new account then combine them.

MSPeconomist

IIRC it's against the rules for someone to have more than one FF account in a single program, especially if doing so enables the person to get additional benefits.

You would then have RDMs, MQMs, MQDs, etc. in multiple accounts.