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
Sep 26, 2017, 12:58 pm
#826
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: CHA, MAN;
Programs: Delta DM 1 MM; Hz PC
Posts: 11,169
Sep 26, 2017, 1:00 pm
#827
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: CHA, MAN;
Programs: Delta DM 1 MM; Hz PC
Posts: 11,169
Sep 26, 2017, 1:02 pm
#829
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Pleasant Prairie, WI USA DL FO (until 2/04), NW silver '03, NW gold '04+'05 Plat '06+ (thanks, Leo!), DL SkyClub
Programs: DL Plat/ Million Miler, AS, Hilton, Marriott Bonvoy, Piggly Wiggly Pig Points
Posts: 2,233
Personally I love it. It never sat well with me that I spend $25-$30k every year on J and Z fares and still barely hit DM in MQMs (roughly 145k a year). My company does not allow me to use AMEX. So it felt as though I was being punished by Delta as I watched guys with AMEX cheap out on real MQDs because they spent $25,000 on Snicker's bars (in theory...could be on anything).
Now if they could just thin the herd at the Skyclubs.... JFK T4 has been so overcrowded of late I've taken to just finding an empty gate.
Now if they could just thin the herd at the Skyclubs.... JFK T4 has been so overcrowded of late I've taken to just finding an empty gate.
If it makes you feel better, the old WorldPerks Visa which was morphed into FlexPerks is going through a devaluation of points on 1/1/18.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:03 pm
#830
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Pleasant Prairie, WI USA DL FO (until 2/04), NW silver '03, NW gold '04+'05 Plat '06+ (thanks, Leo!), DL SkyClub
Programs: DL Plat/ Million Miler, AS, Hilton, Marriott Bonvoy, Piggly Wiggly Pig Points
Posts: 2,233
Sep 26, 2017, 1:07 pm
#832
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: midwest
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 920
Sep 26, 2017, 1:07 pm
#833
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Bye Delta
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Plat, Nat'l Exec Elite, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 16,273
Sep 26, 2017, 1:07 pm
#834
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Pleasant Prairie, WI USA DL FO (until 2/04), NW silver '03, NW gold '04+'05 Plat '06+ (thanks, Leo!), DL SkyClub
Programs: DL Plat/ Million Miler, AS, Hilton, Marriott Bonvoy, Piggly Wiggly Pig Points
Posts: 2,233
Yep, and if it was up to me we'd remove more regulations that frustrate competition and allow a more competitive business model
Sep 26, 2017, 1:10 pm
#836
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: BHM LEX NYC
Programs: 3MM DM, DL Reserve, HH Diamond, Nat Exec Elite, SPG, PC, etc...
Posts: 440
If DL would have just tripled or 4x the spend I would keep one of the DL AMEX cards. Now I'm going to spend with a card that benefits me better.
I'll maintain PM (I have lifetime Gold via 3MM) but I'll certainly start using more of the direct flights on other carriers now. DL has encouraged me to fly 50-75K less per year with them. I'm sure many others will be doing the same. There is no point to keep flying them beyond.
I'll maintain PM (I have lifetime Gold via 3MM) but I'll certainly start using more of the direct flights on other carriers now. DL has encouraged me to fly 50-75K less per year with them. I'm sure many others will be doing the same. There is no point to keep flying them beyond.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:12 pm
#837
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 563
Somebody in the legal department likely concluded that eliminating the MQD waiver carried some exposure risk because the cards were marketed with the waiver as a benefit. So they just raised the spend requirement to an unrealistically large number instead.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:18 pm
#839
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SLC
Programs: DL PM, Hilton/Marriott Gold
Posts: 971
I agree, they'd be dumb to not take what's so readily given to them, but part of me is sad that so many things are no longer "FT's little secret"
I've never flown enough or had enough spend to manage much more than mid-tier status (I'm currently PM thanks to a very lucrative and thankfully non-public Corporate challenge), so this doesn't affect my qualification plans, but might help my UG % if my work continues to take me to places where DL fares are competitive in 2018-2019
I've never flown enough or had enough spend to manage much more than mid-tier status (I'm currently PM thanks to a very lucrative and thankfully non-public Corporate challenge), so this doesn't affect my qualification plans, but might help my UG % if my work continues to take me to places where DL fares are competitive in 2018-2019
Sep 26, 2017, 1:18 pm
#840
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,057
It's really 15K MQD, which is not necessarily $15K in spend. For example, partner PE tickets (such as AF/VS) earn 20 - 25% miles in MQD's.
Last edited by xliioper; Sep 26, 2017 at 1:23 pm
