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, 1:20 pm
#841
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,044
Sep 26, 2017, 1:22 pm
#842
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 148
WWYD?
Not sure how I feel about this.
Last year I put $360k on SPG amex and $160k on delta amexs, (trying to shift spending to spg after I hit the 120k from 2 reserve cards)
but 360k spg points was enough to get me 100 nights ambassador status by doing point stays.
If I shift to more delta spend, I likely will not get ambassador status. So I must choose delta diamond, or SPG ambassador. Not both.
overall net loss for me, but I suppose I will do delta diamond in 2019 and see if upgrade chances improve.
Last year I put $360k on SPG amex and $160k on delta amexs, (trying to shift spending to spg after I hit the 120k from 2 reserve cards)
but 360k spg points was enough to get me 100 nights ambassador status by doing point stays.
If I shift to more delta spend, I likely will not get ambassador status. So I must choose delta diamond, or SPG ambassador. Not both.
overall net loss for me, but I suppose I will do delta diamond in 2019 and see if upgrade chances improve.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:22 pm
#843
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Tahoe
Programs: Delta DM for now
Posts: 474
Reading more into this, I do wonder if Delta was willing to eliminate waivers entirely for Diamond but AMEX requested/forced them to keep it. Delta had to know that jacking up the waiver requirement 10x would look really bad from a PR standpoint. People would be upset if the waiver was eliminated, but I think they would be more understanding.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:23 pm
#844
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 agree that FT is not representative, but the proliferation of Points/CC bloggers mean that the FT approach to travel has been opened up to the "masses" (those who don't know or care enough to wade through thousands of posts, or provide contributions to the community). I don't know if that alone is responsible for the uptick in program restrictions/devaluations/changes, but I'm inclined to think FT'ers "gaming" the system was a rounding error for loyalty programs before. Now that every FT trick is spread all over Facebook and Twitter in the form of easily-shared blog posts, airlines are getting great market research handed to them on a silver platter.
They don't need to dig into booking data or multi-year trends to identify inefficiencies in their loyalty programs, they just look at the latest TPG/OMAAT posts and tweak accordingly. And judging by the hysterics in those blog comment sections, Delta scored a direct hit on the customer segments they *don't* want.
They don't need to dig into booking data or multi-year trends to identify inefficiencies in their loyalty programs, they just look at the latest TPG/OMAAT posts and tweak accordingly. And judging by the hysterics in those blog comment sections, Delta scored a direct hit on the customer segments they *don't* want.
The one person I know who follows TPG and also travels frequently for work is blindly loyal to UA and Marriott. He mostly just tunes in for the Marriott megabonuses.
So while the blogs have opened up the book of tricks, it's still a horribly small population that actually puts them into practice, IMO.
Lots of people choose to spend massive amounts of $ on stuff, but go the cheap route when it comes to travel (and especially flights). Not uncommon to see itineraries with a cheap coach ticket leading to a massive hotel suite somewhere.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:26 pm
#846
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SLC
Programs: DL PM, Hilton/Marriott Gold
Posts: 971
I was always surprised that the MQD waiver amount was the same for each tier. Seems weird that a high-mileage FO (due to MQD) suddenly becomes worth more to DL because they spent their 25,000th dollar on a cobrand card.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:28 pm
#847
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 31
Does anyone have a physical address for Sandeep Dube, Vice President,
Customer Engagement & Loyalty? That is who sent my email. The boardingarea.com site link for Delta Airlines contacts doesn't list him. I did a quick web search but didn't find what I was looking for.
Customer Engagement & Loyalty? That is who sent my email. The boardingarea.com site link for Delta Airlines contacts doesn't list him. I did a quick web search but didn't find what I was looking for.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:35 pm
#848
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,947
For SEA based it really makes AS more and more attractive. I don't like AS, grossly overrated and never understood the love affair. I guess I'll find out.
I don't doubt DL knows exactly what it's doing but in my little corner of the world, they continue to make themselves less attractive via Sh*tMiles. This is one of the bigger degrades.
I don't doubt DL knows exactly what it's doing but in my little corner of the world, they continue to make themselves less attractive via Sh*tMiles. This is one of the bigger degrades.
Onboard, AS is pretty crappy, too. No PDBs, lousy catering, tight F cabins on their older fleet, and VX merger integration issues worse than DL/NW ever experienced.
But they do seem to care about keeping customers happy, so that's at least a base to work from. While I wait to see how this all shakes out, I've been maintaining status on both. I did allow AS to drop back to MVP Gold from 75K once Delta backpedaled on the companion policies that originally got me to switch.
It'll be interesting to see what happens next - I do expect a glut of status matches to AS from Seattle-based elites as a result of this Amex devaluation, especially since we benefit from affordable fares and long segment lengths that made the waiver proportionally more important to qualifying here.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:39 pm
#849
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 think a 10x increase is absurd. $25K is too low for diamond, but to increase it 10X??? I think $100K would have been reasonable or even do what American does and keep the spend at $25K and cut the spend requirement in half.
What really sucks is that it's an Am Ex and not a visa/MC. At least spending is a lot easier to get in with those cards, a lot of places don't accept Am Ex
Not sure if I want to drop to PM and drop the Am Ex cards or increase the spending by another $30K. Problem with increasing the spending by $30K is you get no MQM's and the value of SKypeso's on that spend is worth virtually nothing.
I wonder if they will increase the PM MQD spend next year to help thin those herds with all the people that will be dropping from DM to PM
What really sucks is that it's an Am Ex and not a visa/MC. At least spending is a lot easier to get in with those cards, a lot of places don't accept Am Ex
Not sure if I want to drop to PM and drop the Am Ex cards or increase the spending by another $30K. Problem with increasing the spending by $30K is you get no MQM's and the value of SKypeso's on that spend is worth virtually nothing.
I wonder if they will increase the PM MQD spend next year to help thin those herds with all the people that will be dropping from DM to PM
Sep 26, 2017, 1:39 pm
#850
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,578
Sep 26, 2017, 1:40 pm
#851
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta Skymiles
Posts: 355
Isn't this now confirmed?
SIAP - I'm just on page 4 of this new thread and while I will read through to the end, has anyone else confirmed this via email from Delta? I just got an email this afternoon with the announcement and my recent usage/spending to show whether or not I would make DM under the prospective change.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:41 pm
#852
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: DL Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat, Hertz Prez Circle, National Exec
Posts: 1,357
I have never qualified using the waiver so I don't really care about the change itself but increasing it 10x and just for Diamond seems poorly thought out because that draws a lot more attention to it. Just announce that you can only get Platinum or lower via the waiver and be done with it.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:41 pm
#853
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 148
The fact that you care enough to write that statement leads me to believe that #1 you are an @$$ but also number 2 you have something to benefit from there being less diamonds. If the former or likely both are correct, you would also be a "moocher" and "freeloader" yourself for trying to obtain non paid upgrades from delta.
Do you deny being a moocher yourself?
because it seems somewhat questionable that your qualifier for being "moochers" and "freeloaders" is much different from the very same thing you are doing - which is obtaining free upgrades.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:44 pm
#854
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: midwest
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 920
...
Fewer and more crowded flight options and higher fares. When flights are crowded it is more uncomfortable, yes, but also more difficult to accommodate irregular operations such as cancellations. I never said or implied that flights should operate at 50% capacity.
Fewer and more crowded flight options and higher fares. When flights are crowded it is more uncomfortable, yes, but also more difficult to accommodate irregular operations such as cancellations. I never said or implied that flights should operate at 50% capacity.
100% full flights just feel sardine-like, meal services take a loooong time, lav lines and cleanliness degrades, etc.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:44 pm
#855
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SLC
Programs: DL PM, Hilton/Marriott Gold
Posts: 971
Excellent points. But I would still say the people the read/follow the blogs and also have the ability/means/need/reason to leverage those tricks constitutes a very small population. I know probably a dozen different people who are obsessed with TPG, but nearly all of them simply don't travel enough to take it to the level he does. They consider 3 vacations in a year to be a crazy amount of travel. What they can and do follow is to sign up for all the CCs, just to get RDMs they use on those 2-3 vacations. But they're not gaming for status.
The one person I know who follows TPG and also travels frequently for work is blindly loyal to UA and Marriott. He mostly just tunes in for the Marriott megabonuses.
So while the blogs have opened up the book of tricks, it's still a horribly small population that actually puts them into practice, IMO.
The one person I know who follows TPG and also travels frequently for work is blindly loyal to UA and Marriott. He mostly just tunes in for the Marriott megabonuses.
So while the blogs have opened up the book of tricks, it's still a horribly small population that actually puts them into practice, IMO.