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
Jan 8, 2019, 6:13 pm
#2011
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSN
Programs: Delta DM, Bonvoy LT Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,987
So you did not get a waiver and those individuals did. Evidently DL values them more than you and may or may not have reason to do so, or you are sufficiently loyal to be willing to take financial losses to buy DL’s soft products. Have you ever bought popcorn at a movie theater? Are you going to complain that the person who bought essentially the same product at a grocery store for 10x less is unfairly gaming the system or not playing by the rules? Market forces are not uniform across the population.
If you are worried about losing personal funds because of how other pax are treated, I’d suggest you pay for what you want instead of conniving to spend a few extra dollars for chance upgrades at an undetermined later date.
Jan 8, 2019, 6:19 pm
#2012
Join Date: Aug 2009
Programs: Delta Diamond 1MM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 502
Wow, the snark factor on here shot up fast.
Of course not everyone is "elite" - the word, by definition, separates some from others.
But who cares?
i just want to sit in first class without paying for it and only a limited number of people are going to be able to do that.
If the plane were "all first", nobody would be elite but everyone would be comfortable. (Of course people would still find a way to separate the better first seats from the poorer ones, but I'm after comfort not a fake feeling of importance.)
Of course not everyone is "elite" - the word, by definition, separates some from others.
But who cares?
i just want to sit in first class without paying for it and only a limited number of people are going to be able to do that.
If the plane were "all first", nobody would be elite but everyone would be comfortable. (Of course people would still find a way to separate the better first seats from the poorer ones, but I'm after comfort not a fake feeling of importance.)
Jan 8, 2019, 6:20 pm
#2013
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Mostly living in the basement
Programs: Newly minted free agent; MR LT(!)TE, HH SE, BA SECM, DL MM, UA PS, 2V Fanboi, CBP GE
Posts: 5,106
If you really need to feel "profitable", you should probably be buying Premium Economy fares, which apparently have quite the price premium relative to the increased space and amenities.
I'm going to, however, exit this discussion here. It seems no one can be rational about this conversation beyond their own narrow interest.
...
Everyone who thinks the new waiver is good is right.
Everything who thinks the new waiver is awful is right.
...
Everyone who thinks the new waiver is good is right.
Everything who thinks the new waiver is awful is right.
My one aviation regret was not buying the Concorde sale fares right before service stopped. They were expensive relative to my income at the time, but would have been "affordable" as a splurge.
Jan 9, 2019, 10:35 am
#2014
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,892
Jan 9, 2019, 10:48 am
#2015
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: 100,369
Well, I was a 20-something punk with a few bucks in his pocket and no idea how to handle even the most modest amount of success — but that’s a story for another time.
Overall, the cabin was so small (and rarely full) that everyone that boarded felt special. The QoS was so amazing that I was spoiled early in life with what was possible for a commercial flight. The FAs pegged me immediately as someone who wasn’t part of the REAL Jet-Set — and treated me like royalty. There were many onboard who took that flight twice per WEEK! In the event that doesn’t register, that’s ~$20K in spend per WEEK, or approaching $1MM annually (and we think 360 is a big deal).
In fact, I spoke with a gentleman who was a weekly Concordian who had the option to fly private and preferred Concorde because it saved him over four hours per week.
That struck me as amazing that there are people out there whose time is so valuable that the value of recovering 4 hours in a week exceeds the benefits of private air travel.
In comparing prices of Concorde versus private jet, remember that this was before onboard internet. Moreover, although there would have been onboard phones (remember when those were located in FC armrests, in the days before cell phones?) for at least part of the Concorde era, I'm not sure that they would have worked over oceans. So for many executives, it would have been four additional hours of wasted time in terms of business and perhaps more importantly in some jobs, four additional hours of being incommunicado.
I don't know what private jets would have cost then, but a ten hour one way trip in a suitable private aircraft for a TATL trip surely would not have been cheap, although with no TPAC Concorde service, the private jet option might have been the only possible choice for certain trips to/from Asia.
I don't know what private jets would have cost then, but a ten hour one way trip in a suitable private aircraft for a TATL trip surely would not have been cheap, although with no TPAC Concorde service, the private jet option might have been the only possible choice for certain trips to/from Asia.
Jan 9, 2019, 11:21 am
#2017
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SDF
Programs: DL:360/DM/6 MMer; Bonvoy: Lifetime Titanium 10+M pts, 3100+ nights;
Posts: 1,441
Jan 13, 2019, 6:47 am
#2019
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Look up - On a ✈ DELTA ✈ jet NOW!
Programs: Blogger & Delta Diamond Medallion Million Miler
Posts: 4,174
At long last (yeah, I hate waiting) my Delta Amex spend has updated on Delta.com for 2019 showing crossed 25k spend and on the raw data link showing total spend of over 30k! 
(can't find old flyertalk thread on the raw data link so here it is: https://www.delta.com/acctactvty/get...kerData.action )
(can't find old flyertalk thread on the raw data link so here it is: https://www.delta.com/acctactvty/get...kerData.action )
Jan 13, 2019, 7:59 am
#2021
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
At long last (yeah, I hate waiting) my Delta Amex spend has updated on Delta.com for 2019 showing crossed 25k spend and on the raw data link showing total spend of over 30k!
(can't find old flyertalk thread on the raw data link so here it is: https://www.delta.com/acctactvty/get...kerData.action )
(can't find old flyertalk thread on the raw data link so here it is: https://www.delta.com/acctactvty/get...kerData.action )
Jan 13, 2019, 3:54 pm
#2022
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, MM, NR; HH Diamond, Bonvoy LT Gold, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Diamond, others
Posts: 12,159
Jan 13, 2019, 6:34 pm
#2023
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: DL DM; Marriott Ambasador Elite
Posts: 626
Same here - to an extent. I do a lot of JFK-SFO and JFK-LAX in coach for work. Those flights usually net me in the $400s for MQD; and sometimes even less. MQMs are around 5,000 R/T for either route. So it is easy for me to see how someone could get to over 125k MQM by pure flying without reaching 15k MQD.
In my case, I’ve also been doing a fair amount of international J and paid domestic F for personal travel lately, so reaching the MQD threshold has been no problem for me. Were my circumstances different, however, I could easily see myself in the >125k MQM < 15k MQD camp.
Also, let’s not forget a lot of people have a ton of rollover MQM banked. I’m at 144k, and I know I’m minor league material around here (at best).
In my case, I’ve also been doing a fair amount of international J and paid domestic F for personal travel lately, so reaching the MQD threshold has been no problem for me. Were my circumstances different, however, I could easily see myself in the >125k MQM < 15k MQD camp.
Also, let’s not forget a lot of people have a ton of rollover MQM banked. I’m at 144k, and I know I’m minor league material around here (at best).
Jan 14, 2019, 7:44 am
#2024
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Arlington, VA
Programs: DL DM, 1.5 MM; AS MVP Gold 100K; HHonors Diamond; AMEX Platinum
Posts: 487
At long last (yeah, I hate waiting) my Delta Amex spend has updated on Delta.com for 2019 showing crossed 25k spend and on the raw data link showing total spend of over 30k!
(can't find old flyertalk thread on the raw data link so here it is: https://www.delta.com/acctactvty/get...kerData.action )
(can't find old flyertalk thread on the raw data link so here it is: https://www.delta.com/acctactvty/get...kerData.action )
Jan 14, 2019, 9:26 am
#2025
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: DL DM; Marriott Ambasador Elite
Posts: 626
FWIW, mine partially updated this morning. Yesterday it was still showing $0, this morning it shows 3-4K, spend through last week was 5-6K.