Workarounds for attaining Diamond medallion in 2019
#31
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: 100,327
I'm waiting for a big thread here in the FT DL forum in 2018 and especially 2019:
"DL audited my address change: status gone, miles reset to zero, account closed"
"DL audited my address change: status gone, miles reset to zero, account closed"
#32
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta DM, 2MM
Posts: 1,253
Each year, I'm able to get to $220,000 in YTD spend across my Delta Amex accounts. So, I am happy to top up my spend with overpaying taxes. It will cost me about the same as a skyclub membership. I've never had to play the MS game, but I will certainly be reading up on that going forward!
And YES, before someone asks it again, YES, YES, YES, there is a value to being a DM even if you aren't reaching 15k MQDs a year. Arguably, I use the benefits far less than road warriors, but having the DM status makes the 30 or so trips I take a year incredibly enjoyable, especially now that the upgrade priority is the same for a companion. I've ventured out on other airlines, and being a no-status Y flyer on them is not fun. I live in NYC and benefit from incredibly cheap airfares both domestically and internationally.
And YES, before someone asks it again, YES, YES, YES, there is a value to being a DM even if you aren't reaching 15k MQDs a year. Arguably, I use the benefits far less than road warriors, but having the DM status makes the 30 or so trips I take a year incredibly enjoyable, especially now that the upgrade priority is the same for a companion. I've ventured out on other airlines, and being a no-status Y flyer on them is not fun. I live in NYC and benefit from incredibly cheap airfares both domestically and internationally.
#33
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,042
Until DL knows how much you spent on partner tickets, they can't close it completely, and it's not really that large of a loophole to begin with. For every super-awesome-premium-economy fare you can find, it's offset by an expensive-low-bucket-coach-fare that earns 5%, or even a pricier-premium-economy-fare-in-the-same-fare-bucket. I suspect in the aggregate the numbers roughly balance out. If they don't, then you'll see DL tweak the percentages.
There are exceptions to this rule: Korean hasn't earned any MQMs for a while now because Delta was (ultimately successfully) trying to bully them into a JV, and perhaps the automatic Group 1 placement of JV partners doesn't depend on a negotiation -- though Delta earns a lot more from JV partner flights (on some routes, at least) due to the revenue sharing arrangements anyway.
But I suspect for an airline like Saudia or Vietnam, the MQD earning will only fall if those airlines notice a flood of people booking MQD-advantageous categories and thus tell Delta they're not paying as much for those categories any more, and thus Delta awards less. (I haven't studied it closely, but it's also possible, probably even likely, that the partners aren't paying a specific amount for MQDs, but they are paying a specific amount for MQMs or even RDMs, and then the proportions of the three are roughly constant across all partners. In cases where partner flights offer a good deal on earning MQDs, they typically also offer a good deal on earning RDMs, at least relative to 006-coded tickets.)
All that said, there's a good chance that the VS loophole specifically will be closed soon, since with Delta having so much control over VS, it seems likely at some point they'll be brought into the same scheme as KLM where earnings on a VS ticket are effectively the same as on a 006 ticket, regardless of marketing carrier. So I wouldn't go booking VS PE tickets for next September hoping they'll still constitute an MQD run by then...
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22,927
There is no revenue sharing with KE yet. The initial JV and ATI application was approved by the USG years ago, but it was only recently that they got together with KE for an actual pricing coordination/revenue sharing JV agreement. This new agreement is still awaiting approval from Korean authorities. KL flights that earn based on spend are limited to TATL routes (where DL/KL have ATI and share revenue and coordinate on pricing). It's not unreasonable to assume that the other routes where that have ATI and revenue/pricing sharing will end up being the same. Outside of that, I wouldn't expect that to be the case with other routes and partners where there is no ATI.
Last edited by xliioper; Oct 2, 2017 at 9:34 am
#35
After achieving AA's EXP PLT and getting 6 SWUs, which I was able to use on all flights including LAX-HKG, coupled with the chance to redeem Miles for INternational First Class--I've flown BA First 2 times and Cathay Pacific FIrst once last year, AND the awesome FC Lounges in LAX, HKG, LHR, I just don't have much of a need for DL anymore.
AA's partners are amazing.....and AA's 77W, which I have been able to pick every time except one, blows any of DL's J out of the water.
I will probably do 150k EQMs with AA/OW this year to get the 6 SWU's as I travel internationally 8-10 times per year for vacations.
I don't think DL is going to miss me, though.
#36
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Seattle
Programs: Delta 1MM/DM, *wood Lifetime Gold
Posts: 285
#37
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: NYC, ROC, HNL, PEN, BKK, KUL, SIN (check out http://my.flightmemory.com/kkua)
Programs: DL Diamond charter member; 2 million miler (45% from NWA, 2MM achieved 5/2018)
Posts: 682
My case is somewhat unique bcos I'm approaching the 2MM lifetime butt-in-seat-miles (currently at 1.895MM). That being said, I will re-evaluate my overseas retirement options when the threshold is reached.
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4me
Posts: 11,953
#39
I had about 300,000 DL MQMs in 2017 so I figured I would switch most of my flying to OW.
After achieving AA's EXP PLT and getting 6 SWUs, which I was able to use on all flights including LAX-HKG, coupled with the chance to redeem Miles for INternational First Class--I've flown BA First 2 times and Cathay Pacific FIrst once last year, AND the awesome FC Lounges in LAX, HKG, LHR, I just don't have much of a need for DL anymore.
AA's partners are amazing.....and AA's 77W, which I have been able to pick every time except one, blows any of DL's J out of the water.
I will probably do 150k EQMs with AA/OW this year to get the 6 SWU's as I travel internationally 8-10 times per year for vacations.
I don't think DL is going to miss me, though.
After achieving AA's EXP PLT and getting 6 SWUs, which I was able to use on all flights including LAX-HKG, coupled with the chance to redeem Miles for INternational First Class--I've flown BA First 2 times and Cathay Pacific FIrst once last year, AND the awesome FC Lounges in LAX, HKG, LHR, I just don't have much of a need for DL anymore.
AA's partners are amazing.....and AA's 77W, which I have been able to pick every time except one, blows any of DL's J out of the water.
I will probably do 150k EQMs with AA/OW this year to get the 6 SWU's as I travel internationally 8-10 times per year for vacations.
I don't think DL is going to miss me, though.
#40
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: ATL
Programs: 4MM/DM, Marriott Lifetime PM, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum
Posts: 1,370
I agree. If you fly every week, how hard is it to reach 15k in MQD? I've got 60+ segments and already have my $15k in. Most years I end up between 25 and 30k in MQD
#41
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 1
On Delta for November of the following year. Get and use your status January -October and then cancel all your refundable tickets. You will be out if pocketc$250,000 for 11 months and have the satisfaction of screwing Delta.
#42
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: DL Charter DM/DM/2MM, IHG Diamond Elite
Posts: 1,918
Very simple. On December 31 buy $250,000 worth of refundable tickets
On Delta for November of the following year. Get and use your status January -October and then cancel all your refundable tickets. You will be out if pocketc$250,000 for 11 months and have the satisfaction of screwing Delta.
On Delta for November of the following year. Get and use your status January -October and then cancel all your refundable tickets. You will be out if pocketc$250,000 for 11 months and have the satisfaction of screwing Delta.
#43
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: 100,327
Very simple. On December 31 buy $250,000 worth of refundable tickets
On Delta for November of the following year. Get and use your status January -October and then cancel all your refundable tickets. You will be out if pocketc$250,000 for 11 months and have the satisfaction of screwing Delta.
On Delta for November of the following year. Get and use your status January -October and then cancel all your refundable tickets. You will be out if pocketc$250,000 for 11 months and have the satisfaction of screwing Delta.
Maybe more importantly, what happens when you refund the tickets and DL claws back the MQD waiver and the goes after you for fraudulent ticketing since you never intended to fly $250,000 worth of DL tickets in one month.
#44
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Mostly living in the basement
Programs: Newly minted free agent; MR LT(!)TE, HH SE, BA SECM, DL MM, UA PS, 2V Fanboi, CBP GE
Posts: 5,105
All that said, there's a good chance that the VS loophole specifically will be closed soon, since with Delta having so much control over VS, it seems likely at some point they'll be brought into the same scheme as KLM where earnings on a VS ticket are effectively the same as on a 006 ticket, regardless of marketing carrier. So I wouldn't go booking VS PE tickets for next September hoping they'll still constitute an MQD run by then...
That's exactly how it worked when DL introduced MQD (earned only on DL coded or 006 ticketed flights). They then added the partner earn, presumably somehow related to the huge disincentive they had created against booking Skyteam tickets. Restoring that model would restore whatever negative behavior they apparently decided they needed to correct.
#45
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: Delta TDK(or care)WIA, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,869
Golden visa? Qualify by starting a business, and then show the payroll and balance sheets to Delta as well as to the immigration authorities? If you qualify through real estate acquisitions, buy a drone and take an aerial shot of yourself on the property, and send the picture and the GPS position to Delta?