Dec 3, 2014, 5:57 am
Last edit by: rwoman
BUY MQMS. EARN MQDS.
Still hoping to reach Diamond, Platinum, Gold, or Silver Medallion® status for 2015? Good news—now through December 31, 2014, you can buy between 2,500 and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) that will post to your 2014 MQM balance and apply toward your 2015 status.
Even better, dollars spent toward purchasing MQMs will also be credited as Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs – U.S.-based members only), which will be posted to your 2014 MQD balance and will also apply toward your 2015 status.
Want to learn what it means to travel for an entire year with Medallion status? Discover the benefits.
MQMs and MQDs will post to your SkyMiles® account within 24 hours of purchase.
And don’t forget:
T&C
FAQ
Still hoping to reach Diamond, Platinum, Gold, or Silver Medallion® status for 2015? Good news—now through December 31, 2014, you can buy between 2,500 and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) that will post to your 2014 MQM balance and apply toward your 2015 status.
Even better, dollars spent toward purchasing MQMs will also be credited as Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs – U.S.-based members only), which will be posted to your 2014 MQD balance and will also apply toward your 2015 status.
Want to learn what it means to travel for an entire year with Medallion status? Discover the benefits.
MQMs and MQDs will post to your SkyMiles® account within 24 hours of purchase.
And don’t forget:
- MQMs purchased will be deposited to your 2014 MQM balance
- MQMs purchased through this offer are non-refundable
- Dollars spent toward MQM purchase will apply to your 2014 MQD balance
- The maximum MQMs that may be purchased for one SkyMiles account for the 2015 Medallion year is 10,000
T&C
FAQ
Any Word on MQM Purchase this year?
Nov 30, 2014, 1:48 am
#31
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA | CLT, formerly LHR & AMS (with just a bit of PSP)
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, BonVoy Titanium, (soon former) Caesars7*, (former) Wynn Black, HR "Icon"
Posts: 8,172
Anyway, back to the point... I won't be shopping for flights based on other airline CEO salaries, or because I *hate* Richard Anderson, or because Delta mistreat their employess (I dont think they do), or because Delta take 'bad' positions on social issues (I don't think they do). Rather I'll shop for what works best for me without worrying about 'status' on a given carrier.
Most of my flying is overseas, where there seems to be a bit more competition, and 'll use 'third party' agents to find the best seat on the most acceptable route at the best price. Who knows, that may even mean I'll occasionally be sitting in a DL seat! Gasp.
Most of my flying is overseas, where there seems to be a bit more competition, and 'll use 'third party' agents to find the best seat on the most acceptable route at the best price. Who knows, that may even mean I'll occasionally be sitting in a DL seat! Gasp.
I had to cancel a trip worth several thousand MQMs. Because of this, I will be 900 MQMs short for Platinum this year. Has anyone heard if DL is going to offer their MQM purchase option again?
I understand, when someone says "should I leave Delta?" "is Platinum Medallion worth it?" -- but, in this case CrazyCelt, I do not believe the OP was looking for advice on how they should "book away" from Delta. Perhaps, I'm crazy, I just don't see the point of the "Delta-hating" being interjected into a thread that doesn't really question the OPs desire to travel on Delta. That is all.
Nov 30, 2014, 5:11 am
#32
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NYC, MSY
Programs: DL DM, 1.5MM, NEXUS, Sky Club Lifetime, Admirals Club Lifetime, LowValueCustomer everywhere
Posts: 6,447
SO - your got a minimum cash value of $450 and your out of pocket cost was $195 which means that you made a profit of $255. Therefore your MQM's are free.
The spend does give you the MQD waiver though.
Last edited by SuperG1955; Nov 30, 2014 at 5:22 am
Nov 30, 2014, 5:23 am
#33
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
Naw, you spent $25K to purchase things that you (hopefully) needed. You may have accelerated the timing of when you purchased them but your real cost was the $195 for the card less the value of any bonuses. At a minimum you'll get 25,000 RDM's from your spend, 10,000 RDM's and 10,000 MQM's from the spend threshold and 10,000 RDM's as a bonus for your first purchase. The RDM's are worth a minimum of $.01 each and you got a total of 45,000 which equals $450.00. You should be able to do better than $.01 per if you use them for partner award redemptions.
SO - your got a minimum cash value of $450 and your out of pocket cost was $195 which means that you made a profit of $255. Therefore your MQM's are free.
The spend does give you the MQD waiver though.
SO - your got a minimum cash value of $450 and your out of pocket cost was $195 which means that you made a profit of $255. Therefore your MQM's are free.
The spend does give you the MQD waiver though.
It has a lot to do with MQDs because spending $25,000 on DL AmEx cards means a MQD waiver.
Nov 30, 2014, 9:59 am
#34
Join Date: Nov 2014
Programs: DL FO, DL Reserve, AMEX Plat, Priority Pass, Global Entry
Posts: 248
He was one of the first members who reached out to me when Delta's ocean wave of change cast my finless, clueless, carcass onto flyertalk's beach. He was the one who asked me to fill out a few details under my user name, so everyone could easily see where I stand. Looking to the left, one of those details is "DL AmEx Reserve (just joined)." I assume that is one way he correctly confirmed that I got a *new* DL AmEx card. And he's right.
The only tweak is that I have a reserve, not a platinum... which makes a difference in terms of the sign up bonus, the spend threshold MQMs, and the cost of the card ($450).
My point though, was that this "accelerated spending" was extremely costly to me, because I am Ebenizar Scrooge's illegitimate grandson, with none of the inheritance, but all of the DNA traits. I don't spend this way, and I did not know how to "manufacture spend", as LBJ erroneously suggested I did above. I didn't. I read about how, but it would take too long to dismantle my walls of worry about "qualified purchases". If any purchase was disqualified, I wouldn't know until January 2015, when it was too late.
So I truly and legitimately spent, thinking as far forward as possible. It was a month of anguish. Which is where the question of sanity arises. Seriously.
On edit, I realize that SuperG1955's constructive glass is half full and rising again philosophy is the mental medicine to my illness. I just need more of it. So even while growing fins, I don't expect to leave flyertalk's harbor anytime soon. I went for the Gold, by the way, and made it. With 60 segments already scheduled for the first half of next year, we shall see if the effort was worth it.
To the OP... my becoming GM again is yet one more reason you might want to step it up to PM.
Last edited by Flyertall; Nov 30, 2014 at 10:22 am
Nov 30, 2014, 11:38 am
#35
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NYC, MSY
Programs: DL DM, 1.5MM, NEXUS, Sky Club Lifetime, Admirals Club Lifetime, LowValueCustomer everywhere
Posts: 6,447
I'll start off with an apology for not checking Flyertall's profile for an update. I had automatically thought that cheapskate that he is, he'd never spring for the Reserve card. Well, lo and behold, the man who makes Ebenezer Scrooge seem like a spendthrift, went and got the Reserve. Now, will he find it in himself to go the full monte and spend the $5K by year end for the 15K RDM's and MQM's? I know he will! ^
Yes, you got the butter instead of the margarine (who else remembers when margarine came with a packet of food coloring so you could make it yellow if you were having company over) and I'm certain that the additional benefits will work for you. Without going through the new math here, you'll still come out ahead in value with the Reserve and it'll make it easier for you to maintain GM with the higher Bonus levels.
Yes, you got the butter instead of the margarine (who else remembers when margarine came with a packet of food coloring so you could make it yellow if you were having company over) and I'm certain that the additional benefits will work for you. Without going through the new math here, you'll still come out ahead in value with the Reserve and it'll make it easier for you to maintain GM with the higher Bonus levels.
Nov 30, 2014, 1:37 pm
#36
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
SuperG1955 can assume anything he darn well pleases in my book!
He was one of the first members who reached out to me when Delta's ocean wave of change cast my finless, clueless, carcass onto flyertalk's beach. He was the one who asked me to fill out a few details under my user name, so everyone could easily see where I stand. Looking to the left, one of those details is "DL AmEx Reserve (just joined)." I assume that is one way he correctly confirmed that I got a *new* DL AmEx card. And he's right.
The only tweak is that I have a reserve, not a platinum... which makes a difference in terms of the sign up bonus, the spend threshold MQMs, and the cost of the card ($450).
I agree with you MSPeconomist. Whether obtaining a new or maintaining an existing Delta card, spending $25K is currently a valid way of "buying" MQDs, since it isn't enough to buy only MQMs.
My point though, was that this "accelerated spending" was extremely costly to me, because I am Ebenizar Scrooge's illegitimate grandson, with none of the inheritance, but all of the DNA traits. I don't spend this way, and I did not know how to "manufacture spend", as LBJ erroneously suggested I did above. I didn't. I read about how, but it would take too long to dismantle my walls of worry about "qualified purchases". If any purchase was disqualified, I wouldn't know until January 2015, when it was too late.
So I truly and legitimately spent, thinking as far forward as possible. It was a month of anguish. Which is where the question of sanity arises. Seriously.
On edit, I realize that SuperG1955's constructive glass is half full and rising again philosophy is the mental medicine to my illness. I just need more of it. So even while growing fins, I don't expect to leave flyertalk's harbor anytime soon. I went for the Gold, by the way, and made it. With 60 segments already scheduled for the first half of next year, we shall see if the effort was worth it.
To the OP... my becoming GM again is yet one more reason you might want to step it up to PM.
He was one of the first members who reached out to me when Delta's ocean wave of change cast my finless, clueless, carcass onto flyertalk's beach. He was the one who asked me to fill out a few details under my user name, so everyone could easily see where I stand. Looking to the left, one of those details is "DL AmEx Reserve (just joined)." I assume that is one way he correctly confirmed that I got a *new* DL AmEx card. And he's right.
The only tweak is that I have a reserve, not a platinum... which makes a difference in terms of the sign up bonus, the spend threshold MQMs, and the cost of the card ($450).
I agree with you MSPeconomist. Whether obtaining a new or maintaining an existing Delta card, spending $25K is currently a valid way of "buying" MQDs, since it isn't enough to buy only MQMs.
My point though, was that this "accelerated spending" was extremely costly to me, because I am Ebenizar Scrooge's illegitimate grandson, with none of the inheritance, but all of the DNA traits. I don't spend this way, and I did not know how to "manufacture spend", as LBJ erroneously suggested I did above. I didn't. I read about how, but it would take too long to dismantle my walls of worry about "qualified purchases". If any purchase was disqualified, I wouldn't know until January 2015, when it was too late.
So I truly and legitimately spent, thinking as far forward as possible. It was a month of anguish. Which is where the question of sanity arises. Seriously.
On edit, I realize that SuperG1955's constructive glass is half full and rising again philosophy is the mental medicine to my illness. I just need more of it. So even while growing fins, I don't expect to leave flyertalk's harbor anytime soon. I went for the Gold, by the way, and made it. With 60 segments already scheduled for the first half of next year, we shall see if the effort was worth it.
To the OP... my becoming GM again is yet one more reason you might want to step it up to PM.
Given that you already have the $25,000 spend on your new card, IMO it would be a waste not to hit $30,000 and get those 15,000 MQMs for 2014 to rollover (or to gift) plus the additional 15,000 RDMs for you that come with them
Nov 30, 2014, 4:33 pm
#37
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NYC, MSY
Programs: DL DM, 1.5MM, NEXUS, Sky Club Lifetime, Admirals Club Lifetime, LowValueCustomer everywhere
Posts: 6,447
I'm also going to apologize for helping to hijack the thread.
Here are the adjusted numbers for MSPEconomist
My young hero Flyertall, having discovered FT less than a month ago has morphed from a tadpole to a kissable frog (don't even think about it MSP, his wife wouldn't approve).
He realized that his travel needs were best met by DL and that he could improve his travel experience by attaining status. Starting off late in the year and not knowing the in's and out's of the system, he turned to FT and has learned well.
So - the new numbers for the Reserve Card with a $30,000 spend.
30,000 RDM's for the spend (plus any DL spend for an additional RDM per $).
15,000 RDM's for the threshold,
10,000 RDM's for the sign up bonus.
Total 55,000 RDM's worth a minimum of $550 and more than the cost of the card.
15,000 MQM's, which will roll to next year and make GM attainable in conjunction with some minor routing changes he'l be making. Since he may end up as segment qualifier (poor guy, we should all be sympathetic if that's the case) the MQM's have no real value.
Sky Club Admission for himself. He isn't a member now and his business travel is mostly solo. He can afford to guest his SO when they travel together. The annual value of an Individual membership is $450.
So he spent $450 for the card and gets $550 minimum in RDM's the first year. He's $100 ahead and has a Sky Club Individual Membership worth $450 a year. He has a Club at his home airport and his flight patterns usually entail a hub connection so there are clubs there as well.
He will make and be able to easily maintain GM which will give him an important step up from FO especially EC at booking.
Subsequent Years - he'll be able to meet a $60K spend. That gives him:
30K MQM's which combined with his regular mileage will be over GM requirements and give him rollover to accumulate. This will give him a cushion for a slow travel year.
60K RDM's for his spend
30K RDM's for the thresholds
Some RDM's for his DL spend
A higher multiplier for RDM's from flights.
Total for subsequent years - 90K RDM's worth $900 minimum and $450 Club membership for $450 out of pocket. Sure looks like a winner to me.
Here are the adjusted numbers for MSPEconomist
My young hero Flyertall, having discovered FT less than a month ago has morphed from a tadpole to a kissable frog (don't even think about it MSP, his wife wouldn't approve).
He realized that his travel needs were best met by DL and that he could improve his travel experience by attaining status. Starting off late in the year and not knowing the in's and out's of the system, he turned to FT and has learned well.
So - the new numbers for the Reserve Card with a $30,000 spend.
30,000 RDM's for the spend (plus any DL spend for an additional RDM per $).
15,000 RDM's for the threshold,
10,000 RDM's for the sign up bonus.
Total 55,000 RDM's worth a minimum of $550 and more than the cost of the card.
15,000 MQM's, which will roll to next year and make GM attainable in conjunction with some minor routing changes he'l be making. Since he may end up as segment qualifier (poor guy, we should all be sympathetic if that's the case) the MQM's have no real value.
Sky Club Admission for himself. He isn't a member now and his business travel is mostly solo. He can afford to guest his SO when they travel together. The annual value of an Individual membership is $450.
So he spent $450 for the card and gets $550 minimum in RDM's the first year. He's $100 ahead and has a Sky Club Individual Membership worth $450 a year. He has a Club at his home airport and his flight patterns usually entail a hub connection so there are clubs there as well.
He will make and be able to easily maintain GM which will give him an important step up from FO especially EC at booking.
Subsequent Years - he'll be able to meet a $60K spend. That gives him:
30K MQM's which combined with his regular mileage will be over GM requirements and give him rollover to accumulate. This will give him a cushion for a slow travel year.
60K RDM's for his spend
30K RDM's for the thresholds
Some RDM's for his DL spend
A higher multiplier for RDM's from flights.
Total for subsequent years - 90K RDM's worth $900 minimum and $450 Club membership for $450 out of pocket. Sure looks like a winner to me.
Nov 30, 2014, 5:35 pm
#38
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: DL DM, UA G, Marriot Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 99
Due to an unfortunate incident (never step on a rattlesnake), I had to cancel a trip worth several thousand MQMs. Because of this, I will be 900 MQMs short for Platinum this year. Has anyone heard if DL is going to offer their MQM purchase option again? I can do a quick MR if needed, but that would take an entire day, probably be on a god-awful CRJ and be very inconvenient. Thanks!
https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/deltamqm
Nov 30, 2014, 5:42 pm
#39
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
I'm also going to apologize for helping to hijack the thread.
Here are the adjusted numbers for MSPEconomist
My young hero Flyertall, having discovered FT less than a month ago has morphed from a tadpole to a kissable frog (don't even think about it MSP, his wife wouldn't approve).
He realized that his travel needs were best met by DL and that he could improve his travel experience by attaining status. Starting off late in the year and not knowing the in's and out's of the system, he turned to FT and has learned well.
So - the new numbers for the Reserve Card with a $30,000 spend.
30,000 RDM's for the spend (plus any DL spend for an additional RDM per $).
15,000 RDM's for the threshold,
10,000 RDM's for the sign up bonus.
Total 55,000 RDM's worth a minimum of $550 and more than the cost of the card.
15,000 MQM's, which will roll to next year and make GM attainable in conjunction with some minor routing changes he'l be making. Since he may end up as segment qualifier (poor guy, we should all be sympathetic if that's the case) the MQM's have no real value.
Sky Club Admission for himself. He isn't a member now and his business travel is mostly solo. He can afford to guest his SO when they travel together. The annual value of an Individual membership is $450.
So he spent $450 for the card and gets $550 minimum in RDM's the first year. He's $100 ahead and has a Sky Club Individual Membership worth $450 a year. He has a Club at his home airport and his flight patterns usually entail a hub connection so there are clubs there as well.
He will make and be able to easily maintain GM which will give him an important step up from FO especially EC at booking.
Subsequent Years - he'll be able to meet a $60K spend. That gives him:
30K MQM's which combined with his regular mileage will be over GM requirements and give him rollover to accumulate. This will give him a cushion for a slow travel year.
60K RDM's for his spend
30K RDM's for the thresholds
Some RDM's for his DL spend
A higher multiplier for RDM's from flights.
Total for subsequent years - 90K RDM's worth $900 minimum and $450 Club membership for $450 out of pocket. Sure looks like a winner to me.
Here are the adjusted numbers for MSPEconomist
My young hero Flyertall, having discovered FT less than a month ago has morphed from a tadpole to a kissable frog (don't even think about it MSP, his wife wouldn't approve).
He realized that his travel needs were best met by DL and that he could improve his travel experience by attaining status. Starting off late in the year and not knowing the in's and out's of the system, he turned to FT and has learned well.
So - the new numbers for the Reserve Card with a $30,000 spend.
30,000 RDM's for the spend (plus any DL spend for an additional RDM per $).
15,000 RDM's for the threshold,
10,000 RDM's for the sign up bonus.
Total 55,000 RDM's worth a minimum of $550 and more than the cost of the card.
15,000 MQM's, which will roll to next year and make GM attainable in conjunction with some minor routing changes he'l be making. Since he may end up as segment qualifier (poor guy, we should all be sympathetic if that's the case) the MQM's have no real value.
Sky Club Admission for himself. He isn't a member now and his business travel is mostly solo. He can afford to guest his SO when they travel together. The annual value of an Individual membership is $450.
So he spent $450 for the card and gets $550 minimum in RDM's the first year. He's $100 ahead and has a Sky Club Individual Membership worth $450 a year. He has a Club at his home airport and his flight patterns usually entail a hub connection so there are clubs there as well.
He will make and be able to easily maintain GM which will give him an important step up from FO especially EC at booking.
Subsequent Years - he'll be able to meet a $60K spend. That gives him:
30K MQM's which combined with his regular mileage will be over GM requirements and give him rollover to accumulate. This will give him a cushion for a slow travel year.
60K RDM's for his spend
30K RDM's for the thresholds
Some RDM's for his DL spend
A higher multiplier for RDM's from flights.
Total for subsequent years - 90K RDM's worth $900 minimum and $450 Club membership for $450 out of pocket. Sure looks like a winner to me.
Did he spend only $25,000 for the MQD waiver or $30,000 to get the first 15,000 threshold MQMs too?
Nov 30, 2014, 8:49 pm
#41
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Tucson
Programs: Delta Platinum; Harrah's Diamond; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 950
I just booked a TUS-LAS (on WN), LAS-SLC-TUS (on DL) run for under 300 dollars. This will get me in for 2015.
Thanks!
PS....I was also looking at the Hilton MQM bonus, but most of my stays are "one nighters", so it would not help a whole lot.
Nov 30, 2014, 8:50 pm
#42
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NYC, MSY
Programs: DL DM, 1.5MM, NEXUS, Sky Club Lifetime, Admirals Club Lifetime, LowValueCustomer everywhere
Posts: 6,447
Nov 30, 2014, 8:53 pm
#43
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NYC, MSY
Programs: DL DM, 1.5MM, NEXUS, Sky Club Lifetime, Admirals Club Lifetime, LowValueCustomer everywhere
Posts: 6,447
Again, sorry for hijacking the thread for awhile.
Nov 30, 2014, 9:00 pm
#44
Join Date: Nov 2014
Programs: DL FO, DL Reserve, AMEX Plat, Priority Pass, Global Entry
Posts: 248
No. It's still November. For a few more hours yet at least. If last year's history offers any indication, then the OP's question was answered much earlier in this thread by LBJ below:
That's why we are all standing around chit chatting in this thread, because the best speculative answer to the OP's question has already been indicated.
_________________________
Music plays: "They say it's butter, but it's not: It's CHIFFON!"
Who else remembers that jingle?
__________________________
SuperG1955 took some time to lay it all out a second time, with adjusted numbers, just because you asked, MSP. I'm surprised you missed it!
____________________
Worry not MSP, I didn't just scrape and crawl my way across 25,000 pieces of broken glass chards from the shattered chandelier of my cash savings, when only 5,000 pieces more would bring a pot of Gold. In fact, I had earlier already said:
By going for the Gold, I meant I went for $30K spend, knowing that $25K would result in the MQD waiver, and $5K more would net 15K MQMs. I already flew enough butt in seat MQMs for FO in 2015, so the 10K MQM signup bonus plus the 15K MQM spend threshold bonus netted the 25K MQMs needed to turn silver into gold. Worry not, I didn't leave a big hunk of meat hanging on the bone.
Spending that last 5K was quite painful, but I finished it up yesterday, a full 33 days ahead of the end of the year. The pending charges have all posted, and the statement cuts this Tuesday. Delta immediately granted my 10K bonus within a week of my first charge, so I'm hoping that the 15K bonus will appear around mid month December, which I'm hoping convert me to GM much earlier than 28 Feb, since I have 10 segments scheduled between now and then.
When it comes to the Delta Skymiles program, GM is the new FO. GM appears to now be what FO used to be before they created DM. FO means next to nothing, so it made more sense to grab GM now, even though that will leave me with only 500 rollover MQMs. I'll be starting from scratch in 2015.
I don't see as rosy of a future with Delta. I can't spend enough next year ($60K) to make FO for 2016 on spend alone. Another concern is that I have almost a half million "butt in seat" RDMS I've been saving for leisure, but these RDMs appear to be rapidly diminishing in useable value. From my reading of FT, I can see the writing on the wall where the opportunities for enjoyable redemptions of this bank of miles is shrinking, especially with announced changes that will take effect on the first of the year.
As such, I'm strongly considering just spending down the RDMs to complete the remainder of my business bookings for the balance of the 2015, which of course would mean no MQMs or MQDs, further hampering any chance for 2016 status. It's sort of a choice between using up the RDMs now before their value decays completely, or stay on the spending treadmill, while banking more RDMs of dubious value.
80,000 RDMs for SFO-BOS-SFO was not the redemption value I had in mind when domestic RT travel is advertised at 25,000 miles. The loss of Round the World and stop overs next year have me thinking I should reduce my balance of RDMs before they become like Blue Chip stamps.
_________________________
Who else remembers that jingle?
__________________________
SuperG1955 took some time to lay it all out a second time, with adjusted numbers, just because you asked, MSP. I'm surprised you missed it!
____________________
Spending that last 5K was quite painful, but I finished it up yesterday, a full 33 days ahead of the end of the year. The pending charges have all posted, and the statement cuts this Tuesday. Delta immediately granted my 10K bonus within a week of my first charge, so I'm hoping that the 15K bonus will appear around mid month December, which I'm hoping convert me to GM much earlier than 28 Feb, since I have 10 segments scheduled between now and then.
When it comes to the Delta Skymiles program, GM is the new FO. GM appears to now be what FO used to be before they created DM. FO means next to nothing, so it made more sense to grab GM now, even though that will leave me with only 500 rollover MQMs. I'll be starting from scratch in 2015.
I don't see as rosy of a future with Delta. I can't spend enough next year ($60K) to make FO for 2016 on spend alone. Another concern is that I have almost a half million "butt in seat" RDMS I've been saving for leisure, but these RDMs appear to be rapidly diminishing in useable value. From my reading of FT, I can see the writing on the wall where the opportunities for enjoyable redemptions of this bank of miles is shrinking, especially with announced changes that will take effect on the first of the year.
As such, I'm strongly considering just spending down the RDMs to complete the remainder of my business bookings for the balance of the 2015, which of course would mean no MQMs or MQDs, further hampering any chance for 2016 status. It's sort of a choice between using up the RDMs now before their value decays completely, or stay on the spending treadmill, while banking more RDMs of dubious value.
80,000 RDMs for SFO-BOS-SFO was not the redemption value I had in mind when domestic RT travel is advertised at 25,000 miles. The loss of Round the World and stop overs next year have me thinking I should reduce my balance of RDMs before they become like Blue Chip stamps.
Last edited by Flyertall; Nov 30, 2014 at 9:13 pm
Dec 1, 2014, 2:14 pm
#45
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: SEA, or BOS, or MUC, or other places (probably connecting). "Detroit, Michigan is in the Eastern time zone."
Programs: DL PM/1MM, AS 100K, NEXUS/GE, CLEAR, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,201
When they added DM and lowered PM to 75K, what they really did was bump all the elite tiers up by 25K and rename them:
Old PM (100K) is now DM (125K): club access
Old GM (50K) is now PM (75K): waived redeposit fees
Old FO (25K) is now GM (50K): Sky Priority replacing the old Medallion lines
...and new FO is "slightly better than nothing", with some of the benefits available to anyone with a DL AmEx card.