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
#991
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Orlando, FL Area
Programs: Delta SkySponge ExtraAbsorbent, SPG Gold
Posts: 29,988
#992
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SEA, NW/DL 1.6Million Miler
Programs: DL 1MM Annual Silver,AS 100K 22-24, AS 75K 15-21
Posts: 4,261
Unimaginable
Wow. That's like buying twelve $20833 car, or buying a cheap $250,000 house with a credit card once every year..... and it's only for the spend waiver....
I agree, DL should just eliminate DM waiver altogether rather than to suggest such a crazy waiver.
Jiburi
I agree, DL should just eliminate DM waiver altogether rather than to suggest such a crazy waiver.
Jiburi
#993
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 46
And just after everybody put a credit report freeze from the Equifax hack.
I imagine therell be lots of people shopping around for new cards now, including myself. Its been on my to-do list for years.
I always qualify with MQDs but for people chasing the Diamond bagtag, its not really worth it. Buy the seats you want. Youll be happier. And probably wealthier.
I imagine therell be lots of people shopping around for new cards now, including myself. Its been on my to-do list for years.
I always qualify with MQDs but for people chasing the Diamond bagtag, its not really worth it. Buy the seats you want. Youll be happier. And probably wealthier.
#994
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: ATL - DL DM/3MM - HH Lifetime Diamond - Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 3,117
I've had 4 AmEx cards - Plat, DL Plat, Personal Reserve and Business Reserve for two of us. Now cancelling all but the Plat. Saving well over $1,000 in fees and moving $180,000 in spend over to Chase. Getting off the treadmill will be liberating.
Still not sure why DL made such a drastic move to reduce the number of Diamonds. With FCM, upgrades are worthless when needed.
Still not sure why DL made such a drastic move to reduce the number of Diamonds. With FCM, upgrades are worthless when needed.
#995
I think maybe a lot of people are upset as they feel they are "losing" DM status. I guess another thing DL could have done is make Delta360 a level with official targets and then reallocate benefits across statuses. Perhaps in 2018 they will change 2019 benefits so PM gets a bit more than currently and DM gets even more lucrative, worth the effort for the highest loyalty fliers. Same effect using different strategies.
#996
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Cary, NC, USA - AA Plt 3mm/DL Dia 2mm, Hil/Dia Life, Bonvoy/Titanium Life, Spire
Posts: 3,261
Thank you for being a Diamond Medallion Member and for your continued loyalty. We are always looking for ways to improve the Medallion experience by listening to your feedback.
To ensure our most well-traveled Members like you can enjoy all the benefits of Diamond, a change is being made to how you qualify for 2019 Diamond Medallion Status. Based on your qualification history, we expect that this change will improve your overall Diamond Medallion experience because there will be fewer Diamond Medallion Members.
I, for one, am looking forward to more upgrades. Tired of being #1 on the UG list and FC is full. Also looking forward to less crowded SCs.
Disclaimer - former AMEX employee
To ensure our most well-traveled Members like you can enjoy all the benefits of Diamond, a change is being made to how you qualify for 2019 Diamond Medallion Status. Based on your qualification history, we expect that this change will improve your overall Diamond Medallion experience because there will be fewer Diamond Medallion Members.
I, for one, am looking forward to more upgrades. Tired of being #1 on the UG list and FC is full. Also looking forward to less crowded SCs.
Disclaimer - former AMEX employee
Last edited by outoftown; Sep 26, 2017 at 8:00 pm
#997
In memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PIT
Programs: DM life is over 2MM PM now & NW MillionAir Wyndham Rewards Plat -Hotels.com Silver -Accor Silver
Posts: 15,408
It's no big secret.
57K rollover
+
30K Amex MQMs (3x10K) 1 more to go for the year
That leaves 36K~ MQMs @ $1200 MQDs . . . .
I had a trip to PEK which netted me 19,206 MQMs for $580 in MQDs (and also put me over 2MM )
#998
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,391
I've had 4 AmEx cards - Plat, DL Plat, Personal Reserve and Business Reserve for two of us. Now cancelling all but the Plat. Saving well over $1,000 in fees and moving $180,000 in spend over to Chase. Getting off the treadmill will be liberating.
Still not sure why DL made such a drastic move to reduce the number of Diamonds. With FCM, upgrades are worthless when needed.
Still not sure why DL made such a drastic move to reduce the number of Diamonds. With FCM, upgrades are worthless when needed.
With the new international aircrafts that GU's aren't going to be as valuable if they can only be used to upgrade to C+ for the DM's flying those routes. For hub captives like me FC upgrades will probably also decrease since people buying the international C+ fare will be booked in F for their connection flights.
Hopefully Delta will start increasing the benefits for diamonds. For one they could bring back the old SDC policy as a diamond benefit.
#999
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
I think that may well be my approach. Hit 75K MQMs with Delta and then put 25K-50K into another program and get low to mid level status there. What this moves says is Delta don't really want my business beyond 75K. Or go completely reversal and maybe go for higher level with AA or AS and just go for mid-tier at most with Delta. I'll be researching/analyzing all this over the next couple months prior to Jan 1 when all the counters reset.
#1000
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: 100,326
I'm guessing that a lot of people will try to retain PM (for the change fee waiver) as they spend their RDMs.
#1001
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
Posts: 7,195
DM, PM, and even GM are all SkyTeam Gold Elite Plus : what really matters and makes a difference, and PM gets the award redeposit fee waiver, the other important thing.
Any other benefits are all marketing fluff in my eyes and have no real impact. But, of course that is just me. It may be different for others with different travel and redemption patterns.
#1002
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,391
Exactly. DM really has no real additional benefits, other than the DM Choice Benefits.
DM, PM, and even GM are all SkyTeam Gold Elite Plus : what really matters and makes a difference, and PM gets the award redeposit fee waiver, the other important thing.
Any other benefits are all marketing fluff in my eyes and have no real impact. But, of course that is just me. It may be different for others with different travel and redemption patterns.
DM, PM, and even GM are all SkyTeam Gold Elite Plus : what really matters and makes a difference, and PM gets the award redeposit fee waiver, the other important thing.
Any other benefits are all marketing fluff in my eyes and have no real impact. But, of course that is just me. It may be different for others with different travel and redemption patterns.
One other benefit I like being a hub captive though is the co-terminal benefit and I will miss that if I drop to PM but with the new SDC policy that benefit isn't nearly as useful on coach fares as it was in the past.
#1005
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: 100,326