Workarounds for attaining Diamond medallion in 2019
#61
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Delta DM, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat, IHG Spire
Posts: 1,021
Based on previous experience I bet that if buying in advance, I could make a SEA-BOS RT every two weeks for a year and spend less than $7500 MQDs (avg $289/RT once taxes and fees are subtracted) while flying almost 130K MQMs; no rollover, no CC miles boosts. I'd be way under the MQS pace, but my Butt would most definitely spend a lot of time and miles In Seat.
A bicoastal consulting job could easily generate that sort of travel pattern; it's not like cheap mileage runs to SIN or HKG or wherever. That's all nonstops, so no minimum segment mileage for bogus connections. Perfectly legitimate and very frequent flying, but in a competitive enough market that the MQDs aren't there unless you're buying F/P/A/G all the time.
A bicoastal consulting job could easily generate that sort of travel pattern; it's not like cheap mileage runs to SIN or HKG or wherever. That's all nonstops, so no minimum segment mileage for bogus connections. Perfectly legitimate and very frequent flying, but in a competitive enough market that the MQDs aren't there unless you're buying F/P/A/G all the time.
#62
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,819
Right, but in context, the question was about MQDs-as-a-percentage-of-distance on certain partner flights. We know that AMEX communicates at least your overall spend to DL for the purpose of tracking the waiver, but what level of granularity does DL have access to? Do they get a full vendor-by-vendor breakdown?
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4me
Posts: 11,956
Yes, I believe so. The personal data profile leak that happened back in 2013 certainly included Amex CC spend data and whether you had hit your spend waiver, and Delta even shows your spend progress on your Delta.com profile.
I doubt specific individual merchants are shared, but it's entirely possible that general demographic analysis information (marketing segments, and possibly spend on competing airlines) is shared as well.
I doubt specific individual merchants are shared, but it's entirely possible that general demographic analysis information (marketing segments, and possibly spend on competing airlines) is shared as well.
#64
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
Can they separate out partner base fares versus taxes and fees (which do not count for DL MQDs).
#66
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 56
So you fly 100k miles a year domestically for vacation? If it is international, I don't really see a huge benefit of DM over PM, certainly not enough to be worth all the MS when you could get a much more valuable currency for those vacations (SPG, MR, UR, even AS miles) than Skymiles.
#67
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Seattle
Programs: Delta 1MM/DM, *wood Lifetime Gold
Posts: 285
So you fly 100k miles a year domestically for vacation? If it is international, I don't really see a huge benefit of DM over PM, certainly not enough to be worth all the MS when you could get a much more valuable currency for those vacations (SPG, MR, UR, even AS miles) than Skymiles.
#68
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
It just dawned on me: VS is 49% owned by DL, 31% owned by AF/KL and 10% of AF is owned by DL. That means DL theoretically owns 52.1% (49 + 3.1) of VS.
Effectively, VS will become Delta UK.
#69
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta PlM, 1M
Posts: 6,362
#70
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
As a benchmark, Delta's overall average revenue per passenger seat mile (excluding the refinery) is just about 16c. So, the average pax flying 125k miles will spend $20k to do it.
#71
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,943
Its all about the GUCs for me, as a ~150-175k mile/year vacation traveler. That and getting consistent upgrades to suffer through the few domestic flights I do take (comp upgrades on SEA/SFO/LAX/YVR connecting hops, and RUCs for trips back to the east coast for holiday family visits.)
#73
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: PIT, BWI, or IPT
Programs: Dividend Miles, WorldPerks
Posts: 1,302
If you WFBF with OPM all the time...what knowledge/pleasure/hobby do you even gain from participating here?
This is like me visiting a cat owners forum saying "WHY WHY WHY do you have these smelly, sneaky, mean creatures destroying your house!?!?"
#74
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: LAS - where you can get married and divorced in the same 24 hour period. Perfect for the woman who's saving herself for marriage and the man who wants a one night stand.
Programs: DL DM, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond, Marriott Platinum, UA, AA, AS, WN kettle, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,613
Don't forget Delta Private Jets. Buying a card for $100,000 gets you Diamond status on Delta with no MQM or MQD$.
#75
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: IHG Spire
Posts: 163
You could always move to BIL. Strictly business BIS and I'll likely end the year over PM MQDs, barely making GM on MQMs or segments. MQDs are never a worry and I'm not so secretly hoping DL switches to only MQD for status.