Sep 26, 2017, 1:09 pm
Last edit by: Renes Points
On 26SEPT17 Delta changed the MQD AMEX exempt requirements. $25,000 only exempts you to Platinum or lower. $250,000 spend needed across ALL the DL AMEX cards you hold (personal and business in your name) for Diamond exemption for 2019 elite year.
If all you are interested in is the discussion starting when the announcement occurred on Tuesday, September 26, 2017, start here.
The Delta announcement is here https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/skymiles/news-and-updates.html
There are many data points that Delta will allow a one time exception under the 2017 qualification rules if you request this for the 2019 Medallion year.
If all you are interested in is the discussion starting when the announcement occurred on Tuesday, September 26, 2017, start here.
The Delta announcement is here https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/skymiles/news-and-updates.html
There are many data points that Delta will allow a one time exception under the 2017 qualification rules if you request this for the 2019 Medallion year.
Delta increasing Diamond MQD Waiver to $250,000
Mar 6, 2018, 5:47 am
#1531
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: DL DM; Marriott Ambasador Elite
Posts: 626
Mar 6, 2018, 6:51 am
#1532
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Look up - On a ✈ DELTA ✈ jet NOW!
Programs: Blogger & Delta Diamond Medallion Million Miler
Posts: 4,174
I know many don't like this but those are the rules.
Mar 6, 2018, 9:38 am
#1534
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,399
Maybe the OP means for a tie breaker for an upgrade? Is Delta still using $25K in Am Ex spend a tie breaker factor for diamonds or is it now $250K to be in line with the new waiver requirements? But I think it would be extremely rare that someone would get an upgrade they normally wouldn't for having $25k in Am Ex spend. If someone has a Plat Am Ex and has $25K in spend they'll also have the 10K MQM boost which can nice to roll over but if someone is putting over $30K in spend in on tickets they are probably easily meeting the 125K MQM requirement anyway
Mar 6, 2018, 10:08 am
#1536
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,399
I don't consider it significant value as far as the tie breaker goes. Not sure how it adds any value to the MQM rollover unless someone is using an Am Ex that gives MQMs and won't be able to make diamond that next year and the MQM rollover will help them keep Platinum.
Mar 7, 2018, 6:54 am
#1537
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: DL DM; Marriott Ambasador Elite
Posts: 626
The value of rollover MQMs is to smooth out any "down years" you might have in your travel patterns. With the waiver at $250,000 vs $25,000, the MQM rollover is now only useful for maintaining platinum in down years, rather than diamond. For me, that is a significant step down in the value of the rollover MQMs. I wasn't too impressed with my brief stint as a platinum, personally.
Mar 7, 2018, 8:30 am
#1538
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Look up - On a ✈ DELTA ✈ jet NOW!
Programs: Blogger & Delta Diamond Medallion Million Miler
Posts: 4,174
Maybe the OP means for a tie breaker for an upgrade? Is Delta still using $25K in Am Ex spend a tie breaker factor for diamonds or is it now $250K to be in line with the new waiver requirements? But I think it would be extremely rare that someone would get an upgrade they normally wouldn't for having $25k in Am Ex spend. If someone has a Plat Am Ex and has $25K in spend they'll also have the 10K MQM boost which can nice to roll over but if someone is putting over $30K in spend in on tickets they are probably easily meeting the 125K MQM requirement anyway
For me I will still knock out 30k this year on my Reserve card to have the best shot at upgrades. My upgrade percentage this year (24 segments with a shot ie no CRJ200s etc) as a Diamond is ~60% and that is WAY down from last year that was north of 80%.
Mar 7, 2018, 8:38 am
#1539
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
The value of rollover MQMs is to smooth out any "down years" you might have in your travel patterns. With the waiver at $250,000 vs $25,000, the MQM rollover is now only useful for maintaining platinum in down years, rather than diamond. For me, that is a significant step down in the value of the rollover MQMs. I wasn't too impressed with my brief stint as a platinum, personally.
DM is of course better, but in general I'd think if there's any year you want to have lower status, it's the year you're travelling less.
Mar 7, 2018, 9:29 am
#1540
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
In this case, having a different diamond waiver actually helps him, since he can hit the platinum waiver without activating diamond.
Mar 7, 2018, 10:35 am
#1541
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,399
Are many people going for the $250K waiver? I wonder if Delta will eliminate the waiver altogether next year if a lot of people still qualify. I'm hoping Am Ex will have a lot of 2018 diamonds cancelling their account or cutting back their previous $60K to $220K a year spend to $25K so they can put some pressure on Delta to reduce it to a reasonable amount of like $100K in spend.
Mar 7, 2018, 10:46 am
#1542
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,202
I can't imagine many going for the waiver unless it is a small business and they were already spending more than that on the card previously.
There are much better rewards cards than getting what amounts to 1% back in the form of skymiles.
There are much better rewards cards than getting what amounts to 1% back in the form of skymiles.
Mar 7, 2018, 11:36 am
#1544
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Look up - On a ✈ DELTA ✈ jet NOW!
Programs: Blogger & Delta Diamond Medallion Million Miler
Posts: 4,174
Mar 7, 2018, 12:30 pm
#1545
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,399
If someone has both a business and personal reserve and platinum and they go for the max mqm spends like I have done in the past it requires 220K in spend so this is only requiring an additional $30K in spend but Delta has slashed the value of skymiles so much it doesn't seem worth it. That would amount to 350,000 total skymiles if someone receives the boost from both cards (250K in spend and the 100K in mileage boosts). If there was inventory available on the routes I wanted for GUC it could be worth it's hard to find international flights that a GUC will clear on and last year I sat in coach on a couple flights I had RUC's waitlisted on.