ND76

Me, for one. I doubt that my spend this year will be more than $9k. I've flown only 70k MQMs so far with a spend of just under $5.5k; however, I'm less than 25k away from DM right now due to a 30k MQM rollover, with a 9k MQM ticket for $810.00 booked for next month, and at least 3 more west coast trips between now and December 31 I'll make DM easily.

Looks like they've got too many DMs on the books and want to cull the herd.

dldmfll

If delta is moving toward Diamond status for those who spend the most, it's odd that the +1 for upgrades was initiated a while back. Those "companions" flying with a status flyer once or twice a year and clear upgrades isn't Fair to the other status flyers who are both flying and paying.. Just this past weekend, I was standing at the gate and overheard a passenger and their companion who both had cleared the upgrade, speaking about how someone got "screwed" because of the +1 policy since both of them were upgraded. That policy isn't fair, especially in light of the direction delta seems to be moving in as discussed in thid thread.

pvn

Right, everyone is a big fan of making things more exclusive... until they become the one getting left out.

FWIW I have over $9k MQDs so far this year and only about 30k butt-in-seat miles (I've earned more MQMs than that due to class of service bonuses). I would be totally fine with getting rid of MQMs altogether and using MQDs exclusively, though I doubt that will ever actually happen.

pvn

I don't see any contradiction between those two ideas. One is about how they determine who to recognize, the other is about what benefits they give to those people.

hockeyinsider

This would be an interesting evolution of the policy that moved the tiebreaker from simply having a Delta-branded American Express Reserve credit card to having met the MQD spend waiver for that year.

At the same time, it contradicts Delta's elimination of automatic upgrades for passengers buying full-fare economy tickets, as that change was done under the premise of enhancing the value of elite status.

Renes Points

Never forget $DAL makes a bunch of money selling MQMs each year and that spend now counts towards your MQD spend. Thus, you could be at 12k MQD and pay up 3k to reach the 15k for DM

MQM's for sale again

It is about the $$$ not about the status.

Fred 3

To hit $15,000 MQD, you basically need 30 weeks of travelling at $500 per pop, or 25 weeks at $600 a pop. I travel in that range of weeks (using mileage for vacation a few of the other weeks), but I have been fortunate to find fares less than $600. So if this change happens, I will continue for at least 1 year and see where it washes out. That will also get me to 2MM lifetime on Delta, and if I only hit Platinum, then I will assess my situation.

One of the biggest selling points that keeps me at Delta is the roll over program. Without the need to travel internationally, this change may make the rollover uneffective.

jamesteroh

I thought part of the reason for doing that was to keep in line with American's policy of upgrading a companion (but American doesn't do comp upgrades for anyone but flyers with 75K+ miles).

The thing that irritates me is that Skybonus tickets can't even get upgraded to C+ (I have had GA and SC agents upgrade me when I have been to the airport to C+) let alone first. Seeing Skybonus customers are business customers I don't understand why those flights can't upgrade (treating them like award tickets and giving them lowest priority for that tier).

The rate Delta is going I wouldn't be surprised if the next enhancement will be to only give DM's and possibly PM's free upgrades.

I can also see them eliminating MQM rollover (or limiting it) and putting a stop to the full MQD waiver for all levels.

GRALISTAIR

+1

enviroian

I find the whining on here

UA's had a EQD for sometime now and AA did last year. Did you DL flyers think that you would be exempt? If you can't spend $15K in one year flying 125K miles then something is wrong. I think it's a great idea and thins the herd. No more mileage runs.

pvn

what's your point?

ty97

DL created the concept of MQDs. UA, and then AA, copied.

enviroian

I should have been more specific my bad. I meant that Chase UA branded PP has had the min EQD spend requirement for IK for a while now. It's just a matter before DL followed.

There is no EXP waiver for the Citi equivalent either.

Renes Points

A simple one. Changes are never to make anyone one group happy (or not) but to add revenue. If that means selling MQMs or MQDs or any other adjustment (adding +1 for ugprades) and that adds to bottom line it stays. If not, it goes.

sdbike

Like many others said, the losers will be AMEX and some DM's. All it will take is another 9/11 for the airlines to lose some money and start wooing back every customer that has fled due to their greed.

I say this as a former employee of 3 international/domestic airlines in the US. I know what is important to them. The corporate $$$ first, then the high value customers who only buy First, and down the line.

You can look at all the numbers you want, crunch them 100 million ways and it still does not factor in the unknown, yet to be loyal frequent flyer of the future. Namely, my children, my nieces and nephews, my grandchildren, my neighbors. All the people in my world who may be influenced by my passion for flight, my passion for Diamond benefits, my praise of Delta's Diamond desk, and many other attention grabbing stories. Yes, I have influenced many a relative to start and stay with Delta. How can you factor that in when it does not exist yet, or has not come to it most highly money paying potential?

So I say this. I am a DM. I get there due to the AMEX waiver, the rollover miles, and the card MQM bumps. But I also only buy first class tickets. And I do spend between $5,000 and $10,000 a year on tickets, but I put close to $200,000 on my 2 Reserve cards. I don't care how you whittle the numbers down, there are thousands of us out there that spend that much and more on our AMEX cards. Does AMEX and by default, Delta, really want to loose that current revenue and all the current 5 and 10 yr old future fliers that will migrate elsewhere because their influential parents, uncles, friends etc told them what this horrible company just did to them? Regardless of reason? I don't think so.

And for those DM's that actually make the $15,000 MQM threshold: You are not going to gain anything by the thinning of the herd. Nothing. Well, maybe this. About 1 second of hold time on the Diamond Desk helpline. Maybe 3 people in line to board the plane in front of you. NO ONE taking your medallion upgrades as they are all being sold. So where do you think your benefit will actually come from out of all this? Please tell me where?

Flyers who cannot make the $15K threshold will not just start finding money to make it now. Delta is not going to gain any more of those flyers. If anything, they will lose money from the AMEX partnership customers. Those people will just pay for first class now, as free agents on any airline which is being bought anyway. The only way Delta wins, is to keep hiking the fares on all seats to all destinations. But i come back to my original statement. All it takes is one major economic catastrophe and the airlines, will come crawling back with arms open wide and benefits a plenty.