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Million Miler benefits vs Annual Medallion Benefits

Million Miler benefits vs Annual Medallion Benefits

Old Feb 3, 2017, 7:50 pm
  #1  
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Million Miler benefits vs Annual Medallion Benefits

I just wanted to get some others opinions on the benefits that are given to Million Milers (any level) vs those who reach the annual medallion status. My feelings are the Million Milers should be treated better. We have shown our loyalty over a number of years and many miles vs someone who may just earn the higher status just once. I would also bet the majority of Million Milers are continuing customers of Delta but the same cannot always be said about someone who reaches Platinum or Diamond the first time. I really wish Delta would try to balance the benefits better between the annual status and the lifetime status. It takes a lot of flying to become a Million Miler (or more) and I just do not think the current benefits reflect this.
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Old Feb 3, 2017, 8:03 pm
  #2  
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Mileage and loyalty programs are designed first and foremost to drive future behavior. Rewarding past behavior is just one of the ways they do this.

So, DL cares less about what a MMer has done in the past vs. what a current PM/DM is doing right now, and what they are likely to do in the near future.

It sounds shortsighted, and perhaps it is, but presumably DL has the data and research to conclude that such treatment results in the best overall ROI.
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Old Feb 3, 2017, 8:11 pm
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A few things, to reach MM status, the pax would most likely be medallion along the way. Benefits, recognition were earned and enjoyed in those medallion years. If after reaching MM status and Pax continues to earn similar or higher status, benefits, recognition and benefits would be doled out accordingly. While speculatively, my guess is that 1 MM + Gold does trump Gold etc when a tie breaker is needed. However I am not sure if a 2MM (comp Gold) / (comp Gold) has any advantage over regular Gold. I am hoping to get 1MM in my lifetime but to expect to be treated as a Silver + over regular Silver would be naive. The minute I stop flying enough to earn the annual Medallion, the Complimentary benefits are already a tangible expense to Delta. Expecting to be better than a current contributor would be laughable. LT members continues to grow and are not subjected to the changing (enhaced) requirements to reach current levels. It was also way easier to reach Medallion previously.
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Old Feb 3, 2017, 9:11 pm
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Different companies have different rules: For example, at United the million miler benefits are much better than at Delta (at United, 1 MM is Gold; 3 MM is 1K; companion premier status too), and the same tends to be true for European carriers: For example, 10 years of consecutive platinum at AF/KL yields lifetime platinum. Delta and American do not give you much for Million Miler status. Obviously, if Million Miler benefits are very important to you then you should choose your loyalty accordingly, and then Delta is not the best choice.
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Old Feb 3, 2017, 9:14 pm
  #5  
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Regarding the first response, i would think that rewarding past lifetime behavior better would optimize the potential for future sales. As MM if my benefits do not out way the options I have with other airlines I will more than likely select the less expensive option all else relative. Which may be a negative when it comes to Delta revenue. Over the years I may still earn more miles with Delta if they made the MM status more beneficial.
To the 2nd response, why would you feel like this? I am assuming there are a lot more annual Medallion members than there are MM members. When you reach MM why would you not want to have better treatment than someone who has possibly only reached Silver once? How is that fair or equal?
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Old Feb 3, 2017, 9:41 pm
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Up until about 15 years ago PM was the highest status on Delta (and required 100k MQM) and the benefits at FO level were not as bad as they are now.
The Million Miler program back then was reasonably good.
More recently DL devalued FO and created the DM level. The Million Miler program was not updated to reflect these changes and now it lags industry.
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Old Feb 3, 2017, 10:09 pm
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If Delta were to make a promise - something that they could be held to - then MM would drive behavior. For example, if Delta were to say that anyone who earns 1MM starting January 1, 2017 (no matter what your starting mileage) would receive X benefit.

But the opposite is true. No benefits are guaranteed. The miles you earned are worth less than when you earned them. The airlines have gone to court to establish that they are free to change the rules as they alone see fit without notice.

Today's commercial aviation world is a boxing match - protect yourself at all times. If you are loyal to an airline because you think that airline is loyal to you, if you don't find the best program for you today and if you aren't willing to change your strategy when it benefits you to do so then you are the proverbial sucker at the poker table.
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Old Feb 3, 2017, 10:24 pm
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I equate the MM vs. Medallion question to the Retiree benefits vs. Current employee benefits question.

Both MMs without higher status and retired employees (from any company) are always welcome to come back to work if they want better benefits, right? Otherwise, they get thrown a pretty good bone for their previous service.
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Old Feb 4, 2017, 10:47 am
  #9  
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Sorry... these programs are all meant to drive revenue.

If a MM got super benefits - say equal to Gold or Plat - he would have less incentive to book more flights with DL to reach those levels.

Still, DL does not care what you did in the past.

I had an employee like this once. He made bonus levels (pay) for many years. We loved him. Then he stopped being productive. He felt we should still keep him even though he was not selling a damn thing. Wrong.

Sell, you stay employed.

Keep flying and we will reward you.
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Old Feb 4, 2017, 4:16 pm
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A couple of corrections to what people have said above:

PHX:You speak of European carriers. When in fact you are referring to TWO. Yes FB has a million miles program, it really does little for you. BA instituted Lifetime Gold, which depending on how and when you earned status along the way, could mean that if you earned it, it may have taken you the equivalent of 45 years at regular Gold earning, if you were European based (before 2-3 years ago), or 24 years if you were based anywhere. Or it could mean that if you dropped 700,000 GBP or so on F tickets for a year or two that you earned it. Other than those only LH has a mysterious Lifetime Senator for those who are essentially actually at retirement age.

thesaints: It was 75k for Platinum back then.
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Old Feb 4, 2017, 10:24 pm
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Originally Posted by micruiser2002
When you reach MM why would you not want to have better treatment than someone who has possibly only reached Silver once? How is that fair or equal?
It's not supposed to be fair, or equal... Did someone tell you it would be? This is all about revenue.

You get the silver status without having to meet the silver flying requirements. That is a benefit over the silver flyer. If you don't fly a lot anymore and have to rest on your MM status, it is certainly a nice perk to never have to worry about dropping to 'nobody.'

The MM benefits on Delta aren't really worth pursuing for what they are, but they are a decent bone for those that have shown past loyalty. For more benefits, you have to maintain your flying...
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Old Feb 4, 2017, 11:04 pm
  #12  
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Originally Posted by Widgets
I equate the MM vs. Medallion question to the Retiree benefits vs. Current employee benefits question.

Both MMs without higher status and retired employees (from any company) are always welcome to come back to work if they want better benefits, right? Otherwise, they get thrown a pretty good bone for their previous service.
This is a pretty good comparison. MMers are always welcome to continue flying a bunch to earn higher tier benefits. That is the carrot.

Originally Posted by CPMaverick
It's not supposed to be fair, or equal... Did someone tell you it would be? This is all about revenue.
This. And again, DL has obviously calculated that the revenue lost by MMers who now fly less and are choosing other airlines is less than that gained by rewarding and attracting those flyers who are still flying a lot and selecting DL over other airlines due to current perks.
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Old Feb 4, 2017, 11:14 pm
  #13  
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Originally Posted by Widgets
I equate the MM vs. Medallion question to the Retiree benefits vs. Current employee benefits question.

Both MMs without higher status and retired employees (from any company) are always welcome to come back to work if they want better benefits, right? Otherwise, they get thrown a pretty good bone for their previous service.
"annual FO for MM" = "pretty good" ?!

I fully understand the revenue focus, but I'd be a lot less cynical if DL treated "MM annual FO" as a starting threshold and waived the requirement to reach FO levels first

in other words:
GM = [MM+25kMQM/30MQS+$3k spend],
PM = [MM+50kMQM/70MQS+$6k spend],
DM = [MM+100kMQM/110MQS+$12k spend]

Last edited by jrl767; Feb 4, 2017 at 11:31 pm
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Old Feb 5, 2017, 1:43 am
  #14  
 
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Actually, the benefits to a 1MMer became even less when the FO level was devalued. FO doesn't get you on the plane first, access into non-US lounges, or into the SP lanes at security. Granted Pre-Chek has negated that latter point but the bottom line is that 2MM with its "annual" GM is really required to see a tangible benefit. Otherwise you are better off just getting the Delta Amex. At least you get the miles based on spend and MQMs at the thresholds.
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Old Feb 5, 2017, 7:25 am
  #15  
 
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I got my nice roll aboard when I qualified as a Million Miler. I also got at once stage 6 global upgrades certs each year as a PM, then to 4, then to Zero. After that it was 20,000 miles. So you get both the year you qualify

Now a lowly lifetime silver with Delta as have switched to BA/AA
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