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 18, 2019, 1:22 pm
#2056
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
Keep in mind that some of that buy-up for a non-status pax on economy tickets buys things that we're often used to getting complimentary because of our status that they otherwise wouldn't get or would have to pay for with their economy ticket. If a non-status passenger is planning to check bags, $79 becomes a lot less of a premium for F when F would include checked bags that is now $30 for the first bag and $40 for the second. So if a passenger has a choice of $79 for FC and getting "Free" bags or paying $70 at check-in for two bags, it becomes a bit of a no-brainer. The past couple trips my parents have been on to HI, they've bought F for the island hopper flights on HA. It's not that they needed F for a flight that is ~15-20 minutes takeoff to touchdown but they saw that the premium for FC over Economy was basically the same as what two checked bags would have costs anyway, so why wouldn't they buy-up at that point?
Jan 18, 2019, 4:35 pm
#2057
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,043
Side note: I work for a large corporation whose policy is that they'll pay for the lowest logical airfare and, if I want to upgrade, I can pay for it myself. Perfectly reasonable. What's odd is that, after 7+ years with the company, I have yet to figure out the mechanism to do so, i.e., buy the ticket and write a check, buy it on the corporate site and then go back to Delta for the upgrade, etc. I know it sounds odd, but nobody in the company can tell me the proper way to book it. It's kind of like the YBYL policy; nobody knows what it really is.
Mike
Mike
Regards
Jan 18, 2019, 4:43 pm
#2058
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: 100,413
If someone consumes two or three alcoholic beverages in a SC without bartenders (so that there's no need to tip $1 per drink or risk having the bartender think that too much alcohol has been consumed too quickly and potentially have the person refused boarding), $29 is less than the cost including tax and tip in an airport bar. Of course, those same drinks purchased in a liquor store would be much less than $29.
Sep 10, 2019, 11:52 pm
#2059
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: FB Platinum, SM Diamond
Posts: 645
Quite sometime the waiver (for Diamond) have be raise to 250K.
Have you "feel" it is less Diamond ?
When you are at the gate, or feel more upgrade on domestic flights ?
Any feedback ?
Have you "feel" it is less Diamond ?
When you are at the gate, or feel more upgrade on domestic flights ?
Any feedback ?
Sep 11, 2019, 6:27 am
#2060
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
With all the other changes that have happened since, plus the variation in experiences naturally caused by routes, locations, booking patterns, etc., it would be hard to isolate any single change as the source of any particular difference in the DM experience.
Sep 11, 2019, 8:18 am
#2061
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: FB Platinum, SM Diamond
Posts: 645
People have adjusted and moved on. Those who think it's worth the effort are doing MQD runs or using partner flights to get there.
With all the other changes that have happened since, plus the variation in experiences naturally caused by routes, locations, booking patterns, etc., it would be hard to isolate any single change as the source of any particular difference in the DM experience.
With all the other changes that have happened since, plus the variation in experiences naturally caused by routes, locations, booking patterns, etc., it would be hard to isolate any single change as the source of any particular difference in the DM experience.
It is more about if experience DM have "feel", it is less DM... (if they have more upgrade (GUC, more easy, more domestic upgrade on their regular pattern) than before the change, or less DM in boarding)
Sep 11, 2019, 8:35 am
#2062
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
I don't think anyone on FT has the actual aggregate data on total UGs, GUC patterns, etc. Or if they do, they certainly don't have permissions to share here. And if we're just asking for specific data points from individual people, then again we're just looking at anecdotal one-offs subject to the route/timing/etc. factors I mentioned earlier.
FWIW, from my perspective there was zero difference in my individual experience when MQDs were added nor when the DM waiver went up to $250k. Or if there was, it was more influenced by other factors specific to my own travel pattern than anything else. I suspect there very much was a noticeable difference to DL's bottom line and their aggregate numbers, otherwise they wouldn't be sustaining and further embedding the changes.
Sep 11, 2019, 12:24 pm
#2064
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
To take individual experiences, try to extrapolate to an aggregate, then use that extrapolation to infer whether there are more or fewer DMs....too many steps and too many variables.
Sep 11, 2019, 3:20 pm
#2065
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Somewhere...
Programs: AA PLT/3MM, UA GM/1MM, DL DM/1MM, FB Plat, AS MVP Gold, WN AList+
Posts: 1,588
They might have slimmed the herd a bit...but the grass has not gotten noticeably greener since.
Sep 12, 2019, 2:24 pm
#2066
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 haven't noticed my upgrades going up. But a lot of it is probably due to FCM and some former diamonds just not paying for FC instead.
I am surprised GUC's haven't been easier to use though.
I was able to qualify for diamond the last two years with the $250K waiver and don't think I'll do it next year, I am sitting on a lot of miles (a lot of them thanks to all the spending I was doing on the Delta am ex) and I'll be getting a lot better return shifting that spend to another credit card and just use my miles to buy up to first on the flights I want to sit up front on (I do a lot of short hauls that I would probably clear as a PM anyway and if I don't clear C+ is fine) and use my chase points to pay for international J on an airline with a better product.
I am surprised GUC's haven't been easier to use though.
I was able to qualify for diamond the last two years with the $250K waiver and don't think I'll do it next year, I am sitting on a lot of miles (a lot of them thanks to all the spending I was doing on the Delta am ex) and I'll be getting a lot better return shifting that spend to another credit card and just use my miles to buy up to first on the flights I want to sit up front on (I do a lot of short hauls that I would probably clear as a PM anyway and if I don't clear C+ is fine) and use my chase points to pay for international J on an airline with a better product.
Nov 1, 2019, 1:11 pm
#2067
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 15
Any new data points regarding one-time waiver for MQD requirements? I made multiple requests last December with no luck and wound up doing some upgrades/runs to cover my minimum. Will be short $4K for MQD requirement this year and hoping they'll grant me a waiver this time. Any folks have any luck for getting a waiver for 2020 status?
Nov 1, 2019, 1:21 pm
#2068
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 5,185
Any new data points regarding one-time waiver for MQD requirements? I made multiple requests last December with no luck and wound up doing some upgrades/runs to cover my minimum. Will be short $4K for MQD requirement this year and hoping they'll grant me a waiver this time. Any folks have any luck for getting a waiver for 2020 status?
Nov 1, 2019, 1:26 pm
#2069
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Delta DM, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,495
Any new data points regarding one-time waiver for MQD requirements? I made multiple requests last December with no luck and wound up doing some upgrades/runs to cover my minimum. Will be short $4K for MQD requirement this year and hoping they'll grant me a waiver this time. Any folks have any luck for getting a waiver for 2020 status?
Nov 1, 2019, 2:06 pm
#2070
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: 18,931
IMO it would be pretty generous of them to grant exceptions for 2020 status given the requirements have been known for over two years now. Maybe for people with a crap ton of MQMs, or AMEX spend that is huge but still below $250k. But, it's their show, not mine.