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 14, 2019, 9:45 am
#2026
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: HSV
Programs: Bellevue Lifetime Premiere Mega Elite Supreme
Posts: 1,509
Just looked, and my DLAX spend is updated, although none of my cards have closed the DEC billing cycle yet. Nothing is really “tracking” just yet, and I’ve got a lot more than $25K on my Amex since 01 JAN. I should hit $250K within Q1.
Jan 14, 2019, 12:11 pm
#2027
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,644
Jan 14, 2019, 12:17 pm
#2028
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,644
Because I used personals funds of ~ $1K (FCM, Flex tickets, etc) to hit the spend requirement based upon my expected travels. I would have qualified for the waiver. I followed the rules and incurred the loss of personal funds to meet the DM goal. If I lose an upgrade, or a RUC, or a GUC or SkyMiles award space because of someone with a waiver, then I've been punished for following the rules and spending 4 figures extra.
Sad but true, and probably the most lucrative result for Delta's owners (i.e., the shareholders).
Mike
Jan 15, 2019, 12:06 pm
#2029
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: ATL
Programs: DL: 2MM/DM Marriott: LT Platinum
Posts: 249
Asked DL for AMEX spend waiver around Dec 20th, waited for a week without any response. Decided to pay my taxes on credit card to reach $250k spend... Next day I get a waiver email from Delta :-) :-( Oh well, you win some you lose some.
Jan 15, 2019, 5:41 pm
#2030
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 162
how do you pay your taxes on your credit card? do they charge you a service fee?
Jan 15, 2019, 5:45 pm
#2031
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: DL DM; Hyatt Globalist; etc
Posts: 540
IME, 1.87% from pay1040.com is quite low (especially for American Express) compared to other places. At $250,000, you're still paying a hair under $5k for the privilege of the MQD waiver, but you're also getting at least 250k RDM (at 1cpp that's 2.5k back in value) + the MQM and other mileage boosts on top of that 250k RDM. This, on top of the DM benefits you wouldn't have otherwise gotten, is not bad.
If you're a business, I believe you can write down that 1.87% as well, which probably shifts the calculus fairly close to being worth it if you're going to make use of the RDM, GUCs, etc.
Jan 15, 2019, 6:05 pm
#2032
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: HSV
Programs: Bellevue Lifetime Premiere Mega Elite Supreme
Posts: 1,509
I’ll add... assuming you play your cards 
right, if you spread $250K out over the 4 max AX cards, you’ll get your 250K RDMs for spend, plus 100K MQMs, plus another 100K bonus RDMs, for a total of 350K, plus 4 RUCs at PM, plus 4 GUCs at DM, plus already have SC access via AX Reserve, so a double dip of 25K more RDMs, for a grand total of 400K RDMs, strategic R/GUC usage can easily save $10K, plus all of the other small advantages of DM — better phone support, SDS/C, coterminal, RDM redeposit, upgrades, automatic C+, and bendy plastic brag tags.
If you’re a lucky schmuck like me and you don’t need to MS and pay a penny in fees, then it’s a no-brainer.
right, if you spread $250K out over the 4 max AX cards, you’ll get your 250K RDMs for spend, plus 100K MQMs, plus another 100K bonus RDMs, for a total of 350K, plus 4 RUCs at PM, plus 4 GUCs at DM, plus already have SC access via AX Reserve, so a double dip of 25K more RDMs, for a grand total of 400K RDMs, strategic R/GUC usage can easily save $10K, plus all of the other small advantages of DM — better phone support, SDS/C, coterminal, RDM redeposit, upgrades, automatic C+, and bendy plastic brag tags. If you’re a lucky schmuck like me and you don’t need to MS and pay a penny in fees, then it’s a no-brainer.
Jan 15, 2019, 7:06 pm
#2033
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSN
Programs: Delta DM, Bonvoy LT Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,987
The problem, of course, is that not everyone is on Flyertalk. If Delta believes that granting a waiver to somebody who didn't hit the MQD threshold will earn it more money next year, it will do so without any guilt or a second thought. It doesn't have to worry about anyone else finding out about the waiver, since 99.9% of its elite base isn't on FT, paying attention to these things. And then, it will happily accept your extra ~$1k, knowing that you likely won't know any different. And if you do, Delta assumes that you won't undergo the switching costs to move over to United or AA.
Sad but true, and probably the most lucrative result for Delta's owners (i.e., the shareholders).
Mike
Sad but true, and probably the most lucrative result for Delta's owners (i.e., the shareholders).
Mike
Jan 16, 2019, 6:44 am
#2034
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: DL PM, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, AA, WP
Posts: 840
Delta denied me the waiver, my MQMs were just above 125K and my Amex spend was not very high at $112K.
I love the email:
"We are not offering exceptions or making changes to the Diamond's Elite requirements. While we sincerely appreciate your business and interest in the Medallion program, in fairness to the Diamond members who have achieved their status by meeting the published requirements, we must decline your request."
The irony.
I love the email:
"We are not offering exceptions or making changes to the Diamond's Elite requirements. While we sincerely appreciate your business and interest in the Medallion program, in fairness to the Diamond members who have achieved their status by meeting the published requirements, we must decline your request."
The irony.
Jan 16, 2019, 6:45 am
#2035
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSN
Programs: Delta DM, Bonvoy LT Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,987
Delta denied me the waiver, my MQMs were just above 125K and my Amex spend was not very high at $112K.
I love the email:
"We are not offering exceptions or making changes to the Diamond's Elite requirements. While we sincerely appreciate your business and interest in the Medallion program, in fairness to the Diamond members who have achieved their status by meeting the published requirements, we must decline your request."
The irony.
I love the email:
"We are not offering exceptions or making changes to the Diamond's Elite requirements. While we sincerely appreciate your business and interest in the Medallion program, in fairness to the Diamond members who have achieved their status by meeting the published requirements, we must decline your request."
The irony.
ETA: Sorry. Although I'm opposed to the waiver, for those where it's been inconsistently applied it must be frustrating.
Jan 16, 2019, 7:17 am
#2036
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: DL PM, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, AA, WP
Posts: 840
Looking at it as a whole, with half the MQDs and half the Amex spend, I can understand how my situation is different than some FTers who were a grand short of MQDs or $20K short of $250K. It's just funny in the context of our conversation in this thread, especially for the outraged Diamonds, for Customer Support to tell me about "fairness to the Diamond members who have acheived their status by meeting the published requirements."
I'll just have to steel myself to boarding after C+ and not getting GUCs! And do my extra flying on another airline.
Last edited by daloosh; Jan 16, 2019 at 7:22 am
Jan 16, 2019, 7:40 am
#2037
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 64
As a plat, you will get C+ at booking (in most cases) just like Diamond so your boarding place will only slide down one notch. I'm a DM since inception and will side down the elite totem pole myself this year. I decided DL plat is still better than all the other US airlines and when it comes right down to it, C+ is for the most part just as good as F class.
Jan 16, 2019, 7:56 am
#2038
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: DL PM, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, AA, WP
Posts: 840
As a plat, you will get C+ at booking (in most cases) just like Diamond so your boarding place will only slide down one notch. I'm a DM since inception and will side down the elite totem pole myself this year. I decided DL plat is still better than all the other US airlines and when it comes right down to it, C+ is for the most part just as good as F class.
Jan 16, 2019, 8:08 am
#2039
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,644
I don't dispute their right to offer the waiver, I just feel pretty strongly it should be open and honest but zero chance of that happening. I left Northwest for LUV when they opened up in MKE and after I hit MM later this year, I will re-evaluate if I go back to LUV. Our current travel policy includes Business Select tickets. But I'm for sure going to see what DM is like this year after the alleged reduction and since I have more roll-over than planned and some Asian trips early this year, DM will happen sooner than most for me. But I swear some day I'll be willing to switch!
I switched from AA partly because of the inability to use GUCs, even for CKs (not me, but my most recent flight had CKs on the waitlist using upgrade certs). I knew I could make Diamond, and figured that Delta's restrictions would mean that I'd have an easier time getting upgrades and using the benefits. Right now, I'm waiting on a GUC to clear for a flight ATLNRT in March. We'll see if that clears...
Mike
Jan 16, 2019, 9:27 am
#2040
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 64
Welcome to FT, DLSuites, we hope you stay awhile, learn some stuff and make some friends! Yep, if I can continue to buy in advance this year, I'll get C+, so I'll admit to adding a little drama to my closing above. And while GUCs would be nice, they're as difficult to use as RUCs. While I was briefly contemplating DM, I was thinking of just taking the 25K miles instead of GUCs.
GUC's are definitely next to impossible to use. Personally, my most traveled route is JFK-LAX and I have a pretty good clearance rate with using RUC's. In fact, I even wound up using my last global's for JFK-LAX-JFK flights I found that by picking the A330, your chances of clearing are very good and, you get the lounge access. My travel is all leisure so I can pick and choose travel dates and travel times to best suite OY availability. Even if I do make DM for 2020, and I might, like you, I don't think I would even pick the GUC's.