javabytes

No. The 2015 program year is from 1/1/2015 to 12/31/2015.

LarkSFO

Just like at UA, I am sure this will be happening at DL too CMK10!

MSPeconomist

I thought program years started on March 1 (soon to be February 1).

DeltaWings

2014 qualification grants 2015 status. 2015 Skymiles program grants 2016 status.

VegasJosh

just curious why everyone here is so convinced that AA will go this way also. I baddle in the casino business and a while back all the casino's started going to hitting soft 17 (A+6) in double deck blackjack. There was a big uproar from players with the people that switched and slowly all the major casino's changed except MGM properties. Everyone said it was only a matter of time till they did cause it was more profitable. A little while back I asked one of the Presidents why they had not done so yet. The answer was basically, yes they would be more profitable but in not switching they have picked up so many customers and continue to pick them up its working out better to not change. So yes they make less on the game but the volume of bigger players that have moved to them more then offsets that. So I am wondering even though DL and UA might make more off the change to milage based programs is it possible AA thinks they might pick up enough 5-15k customers that it is worth it for them to differentiate themselves from the competition and keep things the same???

javabytes

Guess it depends how you squint at it. The time to earn 2015 Medallion status is 1/1/2015 to 12/31/2015, while that status is good through 1/31/2017. In my mind, since we're talking about qualification requirements, that makes the 2015 year 1/1/2015 to 12/31/2015.

LarkSFO

We can only hope. AA stays the course, succeeds brilliantly, forces UA and DL to reconsider.

DeltaWings

I hope so, because I'll definitely challenge/match if they keep everything the same at AA with RDMs. That'll be the draw for me.

StayingHomeIsBetter

Some thoughts... FOs bring little business to DL, otherwise they would have already risen above the FO level. Keeping a bunch of FOs on the books incurs administrative costs that could otherwise be avoided. FOs inflate the length of UG lists on the GIDS, adding to the perception that UGs must be hard to get... etc... etc. FO is just the "entry-level drug hit" to the FF program. If someone does not move beyond FO, then they offer no real value to the airline. [Not my opinion, just a suggested management attitude.]

Why not trim the PM and DM ranks? Beyond the obvious concept that they bring enough business to the airline (and to AMEX) to stay PM or DM, inflating the PM and DM ranks may be perceived as a way to incentivize us to compete more foolishly for the available benefits. As the benefit per capita ratio goes down (due to both decreased benefits and increased capita) folks will engage in behaviors that management prefers... like buying FCM tickets on routes where there might be anxiety about complementary UG chances.

Yes, DMs get free SkyClub membership, but Virginia Ave is doing their best to reduce the cost of whatever we can utilize per visit. And, eventually when the DM ranks are sufficiently inflated, the free DM membership will be taken away "to relieve overcrowding." Just as the Flying Colonel "lifetime" memberships were taken away to relieve overcrowding... and the free PM memberships were taken away to relieve overcrowding and to save costs that were to be turned around to "improve the clubs."

OHDL1

I've also seen the above....I can vouch for the validity.

OhDoctor

making it harder to get FO in the first place means i'll never have the chance to get "hooked", to use your analogy. the right approach there would be to make it much easier to reach FO, then much harder to rise through the ranks.

StayingHomeIsBetter

And your point is ... what?

Did you expect anything different from the management philosophies that brought us:

"Here is your Flying Colonel Crown Room membership. It's yours for life."

"Old miles will always stay old miles."

"The 3-tier award system will not reduce the availability of saver awards."

"The 3-tier award system will provide last-seat availability on all flights."

"The award calendar is not working like we and you want it to, and we are going to fix it."

"The T-72 rule will improve last minute award availability."

"We are making this benefit change because you, our customers, asked us to do so."

"Here is the FC ticket you asked to purchase... [later, when fertilizer has hit the fan]... No, that's not a FC ticket, that's a coach ticket with an automatic upgrade."

"No, your flight wasn't delayed by MX, it was really WX... or maybe ATC ... one or the other of those... or maybe something else... but, definitely not MX."

And, last but not least:

"We have your back."

StayingHomeIsBetter

Hence the "fly two flights and we'll give you FO for next year" promos.

Your point is well taken. But I suspect that they still want the threshold high enough so that, if someone strives to make it the first year but doesn't move on upward, they won't be cluttering up the system in subsequent years.

355F1

::raises hand::



I have flown 139,000 BIS Miles this year so far and I'm at $6,310 MQDs. (I have soent over the $25k already on my AMEX DL Reserve).

With the additional MRs I have planned I will have 265,000 BIS MQMs flown this year.

My goal is 300k MQMs by Dec 31....and with the flights already purchased plus what I have now....plus the 30k MQMs for reaching $60k in spend on my AMEX...plus the 18k rollover....I will be at 320,000 MQMs by Dec. 31.

Haha. I need a new hobby.

Renes Points

I am almost the same numbers but I do NOT need a new hobby!

I should end year with about 7500MQD spend and about 275,000 MQMs.