pvn

But that aggressive FCM is independent of the change to the waiver. Those seats are going to be gone regardless. It's clearly better to have a smaller pool of DMs than a larger pool ceteris paribus.

MSPeconomist

Only if you remain in the pool after it becomes smaller.

Big fish in small pond can be good or bad I guess.

pvn

Obviously, but that's the point, isn't it? I mean there's this sort of implicit assumption that people who fly a lot of miles somehow deserve to be rewarded (regardless of their spend), but ... why?

erasmusmrr

So just do the 2 Plat Skymiles cards, $100k spending gets you 40K MQM, that and limited flying gets you to PM...Put all spending elsewhere for better returns.

JayTeaBee

Consider a Reserve & A Plat, can get 40k MQM for 85k spend (or 50k MQM for 110k spend)

jamesteroh

I actually earned 100K MQM's this year with a Delta personal and business reserve and plat cards. And if you know a card holder willing to gift you MQM's it's possible to have enough MQMs for DM without stepping foot on a DL plane (I know foolish credit spend if that's the case).

I'm surprised hotels aren't requiring a minimum spend as well to keep status. I wish sometimes Hilton would require an annual spend like Delta, it's irritating never being able to get upgrades or having crowded lounges because of all the people that get status through credit cards.

bergamini

They can always shove someone in a lounge but run out of room on the plane!

Steve Enzor

I am amazed at how anybody could make diamond and not exceed the spend limit. I pass it by many thousands each year with ease (or anyway with plenty of spend!). This will have no impact on me whatsoever as I exceed it every year. It will perhaps cut down on crowding in the sky club and possibly provide more upgrades but I'm upgraded a majority of the time as it is. Multi-year diamond with over a million miler.

Prof_Dr_G

Everyone knows that if Delta Airlines was not a monopoly on some routes, they would have no customers. But, they are not a monopoly on all routes, and that is especially true of international routes. The people on this thread act like a group of old women grubbing for SF Goldstamps. Forget about Delta and vote with your pocketbook. Delta owes you nothing, and you owe them nothing! If they want to encourage their best customers to go elsewhere, you should accommodate their request.

xliioper

Consider someone who does a transcon every couple weeks for work for $500 roundtrip (a price that is neither particularly cheap or exorbitant). 25 5000 mile roundtrips equals 125,000 MQM's, but yields only about $11,000 or so in MQD's (when you consider the taxes). I spend quite a bit less than that, but I won't use myself as an example as I willingly consider myself to be an outlier I'm not really all that invested in maintaining my DM status, but I do get the frustration of those who fall in the $12K - 15K MQD category. The AA system of awarding EQD credits (with a limit) for CC spend without providing a full waiver seems eminently more sensible/reasonable.

1973 Ford Pinto

You may be amazed by it but it's quite easily possible. Not everyone has the same travel patterns.

josephstern

Plenty of us have posted examples in this thread of how to hit 125K BIS miles without coming close to $15K in MQD. Just look back a few pages.

I also disagree on the claim that Delta wouldn't have customers without having a monopoly on some routes.

gooselee

I'm not sure how "everyone knows" that. There are plenty of people who would continue to fly DL for a variety of reasons even if they got some competition on those routes. Same reasons there are people to choose DL on routes where they do have competition.

And to the last point, there is plenty of discussion in this thread specifically about whether the people who are encouraged to go elsewhere by this change are, in fact, DL's "best customers". Hint: DL doesn't think so.

Tomphot

I’ve broken away, cancelled 1 Reserve card and our business card will be canceled when renewal comes up in March. Just booked my first flight on Spirit. $172 (all in with seats etc) vs $420 on DL. No more worrying about status, at some point, they’ll probably take my annual Gold status away as well.

jamesteroh

Main reason I take Delta over other carriers where there is some competition is for the flight benefits for being DM and also have some MQM padding/rollover.

If I decide to drop to PM for 19, you better believe I am using the carrier with the best schedule, price, hard product, etc if I have an alternative. If it's Delta then I'll use Delta, if it's someone else I'll use them. I have a DTW/LHR trip I'll be doing in J in December using OPM and would rather take Virgin or BA. If I decide to remain DM in 19 the trip will go to DL. If I decide it's not worth the $250K AmEx spend that flight is definitely going to BA or Virgin since they have a better J product on that route. My FLL/MIA trips will remain with DL if I stay diamond but if I drop to PM then AA will get my MIA trips since they have a lot better schedule for me out of DTW and JetBlue will be getting my FLL trips.

I wish JetBlue would add more service out of DTW, specifically JFK.