Choice Benefits Selection
 

Wondering if I should wait till 2016 to hear about the changes to choice benefits before selecting or just go ahead and select now. Thoughts? Experiences? Complaints? Expletives? ^

Highly unlikely your options are going to change. If there are changes it will be for 2017 selections.

Reasons to wait
1. Picking RUCs or GUCs. Clock starts as soon as you pick

Reasons not to wait.
1. Picking SkyClub membership or comp status. Clock starts beginning of year selecting for.

The announcement of Globals and the change to allow Regionals on the JFK/CA TCONs both happened in the middle of a selection period (ie: after the point one could have earned the benefit but before the final selection date).

The reason I always wait until the new period is that I've gifted gold status every year and the person I gift it to needs their status to expire. So, I pick that and GUCs the first day of the period.

So help me out here -- what is the first day of the period? Thanks -!

It depends on when the CB(s) are selected.

For example, I gifted my sister GM and selected GUCs March 12, 2015; my GUCs expire March 11, 2016.

If I have not yet selected DM benefits for 2015, then I have until March 2016 to make the selections? Thanks for the clarification.

Have you checked the Choice Benefit T&Cs?
https://www.delta.com/choicebenefits/

Just to make sure I don't screw it up - when is the last day to select 2016 Choice Benefits (e.g., the Choice Benefits associated with status earned in CY2015 for CY2016)?

I used my 2015 selection for RUCs back in early 2015, but I can't remember if that was because I was getting ready to use a couple or if it was because I was approaching the selection deadline.

ETA: Nevermind...I found the same language rwoman did when I scanned the T&Cs again. Brain is fried from a long 2015...

Finally crawled back to PM this year at 745 miles/segment. If I gift FO to DH now, does that carry through until Jan 31, 2017? Delta T&C are a little confusing on this point:

"For selections made for 2015 Choice Benefits, recipient status is valid through January 31, 2016; for selections made for 2016 Choice Benefits, recipient status is valid through January 31, 2017."

but later on, this, which seems to be what I want…

"Members who qualify for 2016 status in 2015 will only be eligible for 2016 Choice Benefits."

Thanks, and please forgive first-post errors...

As you earned 2016 status in 2015, their FO status would expire Jan. 31, 2017.

Depends on what you mean by "2015". If you mean Diamond status earned in 2014 for the 2015 program year, you have until January 31, 2016. If so, don't pick the Gold status gift as it only good for the 2015 program year (through January 31, 2016) regardless of when you pick it.

If you are talking about Diamond status earned in 2015 for the 2016 program year, you have until January 31, 2017 to choose.

Choice Benefits Selection
 

I just realized I never picked anything for my 2015 reward. Went in and picked upgrades. Will go in and pick 2016 rewards later this month. How long do the upgrades take to show up in my account?

Whoa. Why the rush to pick 2016 choice benefits? You have over a year to do this, so slow down and think carefully. GUCs/RUCs in particular expire a year after selection, as does the $200 DL voucher (and probably the other gift cards).

Choice Benefits Selection
 

Thanks for the update! I will push off my 2016 selection for awhile then.