Delta Increasing Medallion Qualifying Dollar Thresholds in 2015
Nov 17, 2014, 11:28 pm
#601
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: BLR
Posts: 292
Note that MQM earning is not changing and will still be based on miles flown, not spend. As noted above, if you have a BLR address, the MQD requirement does not apply.
However, if you are primarily concerned about redeemable mileage earning, you should check the earnings charts for Flying Blue as the cheaper fares only earn fractional mileage. Here's the chart for AF and DL tickets. Note DL U,T,X,V,E fares only earn 25% mileage.
http://www.flyingblue.com/earn-miles...ir-france.html
http://www.flyingblue.com/earn-miles...air-lines.html
However, if you are primarily concerned about redeemable mileage earning, you should check the earnings charts for Flying Blue as the cheaper fares only earn fractional mileage. Here's the chart for AF and DL tickets. Note DL U,T,X,V,E fares only earn 25% mileage.
http://www.flyingblue.com/earn-miles...ir-france.html
http://www.flyingblue.com/earn-miles...air-lines.html
Given that it is AF that serves BLR, I see 60% of my tickets of AF stock and the remaining on DL stock. Therefore, unlike in 2014, I will not be doing well if I stick with Skymiles. It is a given that I will not be making Platinum for 2016 with the 11x given the same number of trips.
I am hoping to make the Million Miler threshold by early next year. With all the FlyingBlue limitations, it is time to look beyond Skyteam. Unfortunately, it is a similar story across the industry.
Nov 17, 2014, 11:48 pm
#602
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: Delta PE, HHonours Diamond, Turkish Miles & Smiles Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 70
International address waiver
The international address waiver exists so that Delta does not lose its DOJ API exemption. One of their big selling points about teaming up with their TransAtlantic partners was/is that they would operate like one entity with the same benefits, etc to all and all on the same playing field. Already many perks that they offer such as Domestic upgrades mean little or nothing, and they seem unable to come up with a MQD formula for AF/KL and the like. So rather than put it all in jeopardy, they offer a waiver to those who live abroad, however in truth they are still in violation of their exemptions as AF/KL tickets for example do not count for the MQD spend of US based fliers.
Nov 18, 2014, 6:48 am
#603
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MCO
Programs: DL DM/MM, Marriott Plat Premier, HH Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 4,081
Nov 18, 2014, 7:09 am
#604
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,070
I am not thrilled at the prospect of moving to FlyingBlue. I am disappointed at not staying in the game with Skymiles. As soon as the miles post for my last trip, I will be a Platinum for 2015. That means I will get 11x miles for $1 spend in 2015. So, instead of BIS miles, I am looking at 11x miles, correct?
Given that it is AF that serves BLR, I see 60% of my tickets of AF stock and the remaining on DL stock. Therefore, unlike in 2014, I will not be doing well if I stick with Skymiles. It is a given that I will not be making Platinum for 2016 with the 11x given the same number of trips.
I am hoping to make the Million Miler threshold by early next year. With all the FlyingBlue limitations, it is time to look beyond Skyteam. Unfortunately, it is a similar story across the industry.
Given that it is AF that serves BLR, I see 60% of my tickets of AF stock and the remaining on DL stock. Therefore, unlike in 2014, I will not be doing well if I stick with Skymiles. It is a given that I will not be making Platinum for 2016 with the 11x given the same number of trips.
I am hoping to make the Million Miler threshold by early next year. With all the FlyingBlue limitations, it is time to look beyond Skyteam. Unfortunately, it is a similar story across the industry.
Nov 18, 2014, 7:29 am
#605
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Washington DC
Programs: Delta DM, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 129
It could be worse... I just saw United's changes for 2015, especially the highlighted portion:
Interesting... I'd be curious if Delta follows suit to try and make Diamond even more 'exclusive' to customers actually buying tickets and not how much is spent on their AMEX.
Interesting... I'd be curious if Delta follows suit to try and make Diamond even more 'exclusive' to customers actually buying tickets and not how much is spent on their AMEX.
Nov 18, 2014, 8:15 am
#606
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
Nov 18, 2014, 5:40 pm
#607
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: BLR
Posts: 292
Once again, MQM earning will still be based on mileage, NOT spend, next year. It is ONLY redeemable mileage earning that is changing. Platinum's actually will earn 9x redeemable miles next year (not 11x). If keeping your Platinum status is your primary concern, then you shouldn't have to worry about that next year.
You are right - it is 9x for Platinum. I may have to wait and see how this plays out in 2015 but your responses have been reassuring.
If I travel the same (on various Skyteam partners) and earning MQM is not changing, I should be reaching Platinum just like 2014.
What is changing is the redeemable miles I would earn - if I am getting 2x of BIS miles today for my economy tickets, that would drop to 9x for DL tickets and unknown for AF tickets.
Assuming I got it correct, I will go back to reading what others have to say. Thanks once again.
Nov 21, 2014, 5:36 pm
#608
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,353
As I posted before, they will have to keep the MQD foreign address waiver, otherwise they will lose their whole Transatlantic JV API thing that they have, which they do NOT want to do. Furthermore,a s they made it a real chore to change ones address to a foreign locale - up until a year or so ago, one could just go and change it online and use whatever address one wanted - since that time they demand real proof, such as copies of resident permits, government issued ID's, school records, etc, so it is not so easy to do. They were in essence trying to avoid the old BA problem of the "Eurocheat"
So earning status, MQM's, should remain the same, as it is now, especially if talking about Tier One carriers, which "coincidentally" are either those that they have ownership stakes in, or anti-trust immunity to cooperate with. This should not change.
The big question that really remains is: How many RDM's will you earn?? They have not announced what fares on their partners will earn, regarding the new multipliers, and that is the $64000 question.
The only small hope that I have is that maybe, just maybe fares, at least some of them on the tier one carriers will earn the full multipliers, I base this solely one one thing............
The "super secret" e-mail that I received two days ago (like may others) had a spend that was close to twice my actual DL spend in the period that they outlined, however if one were to include my spend with tier one partners (actually anything that I spent on less than tier one partners like Aeroflot and Korean, I put in my Flying Blue account), it was roughly correct.
Harkening back to my earlier post on this thread. I think that the reason that Delta has not published the RDM earning yet is because they are looking at the legal angles. trying to figure a way to lower earning without getting themselves in legal trouble with the justice department, and to be frank I have a feeling that they are going to have to allow earning at the same or similar levels with their Transatlantic partners............
So earning status, MQM's, should remain the same, as it is now, especially if talking about Tier One carriers, which "coincidentally" are either those that they have ownership stakes in, or anti-trust immunity to cooperate with. This should not change.
The big question that really remains is: How many RDM's will you earn?? They have not announced what fares on their partners will earn, regarding the new multipliers, and that is the $64000 question.
The only small hope that I have is that maybe, just maybe fares, at least some of them on the tier one carriers will earn the full multipliers, I base this solely one one thing............
The "super secret" e-mail that I received two days ago (like may others) had a spend that was close to twice my actual DL spend in the period that they outlined, however if one were to include my spend with tier one partners (actually anything that I spent on less than tier one partners like Aeroflot and Korean, I put in my Flying Blue account), it was roughly correct.
Harkening back to my earlier post on this thread. I think that the reason that Delta has not published the RDM earning yet is because they are looking at the legal angles. trying to figure a way to lower earning without getting themselves in legal trouble with the justice department, and to be frank I have a feeling that they are going to have to allow earning at the same or similar levels with their Transatlantic partners............