richerej

Hi,

My wife & I are both currently silver medallion and within 5-7,000 mqms of gold. I just received the 1500 mqm bonus from spend on my delta Amex card. Trying to decide whether I should keep them or gift to my wife. Here’s the scenarios:

- keep the mqms for myself. My wife has a trip later this year that will get her to gold status, but not enough for platinum. Then we’d both be gold medallion

- give her the bonus mqms. Between that and her trip she will get platinum medallion, and I will stay silver

Is either way more advantageous overall or in our chances of getting upgrades when we travel together? Thanks for your input

MSPeconomist

Travel patterns?

kpbadger

If you always or nearly always travel together, Platinum + Silver will be better than Gold + Gold. You (as a pair) will get C+ selection at booking (ok, technically it's the "upgrade" nonsense) rather than T-3 as a gold. And you (as a pair) will be overall higher on the list for first class (since Platinum + companion > Gold + Gold).

C W

Agree with kpbadger.

If most travel is together, PM+FO is far better. If a significant amount is separate, GM+GM.

Or if you just want to make your wife very happy, make her a PM

gooselee

If you book award tickets with any level of frequency, another advantage of one PM account is being able to redeem from that account when you need flexibility, since award redeposit fees are waived for PM+.

All depends on what's important to you.

MSPeconomist

This might matter more if the separate travel of the one who would be FO is international coach or C+ since GM gets lounge access, including lounges operated by partners.

miraclebear2003

My wife and I typically have one flight alone every year. With the change in upgrades we are changing from GM-GM to PM-whatever, probably FO. This will be through the gifting of the Reserve bonus. Will do any awards through the PM account.

pgh234

To the OP:

There are honestly a heck of a lot of variables here that you need to understand to make an informed decision. Travel patterns, international travel, MQD's, DL Amex Waivers, anticipated future travel patterns, etc are all necessary. The primary benefit of letting your wife become PM is that:
-You both get PM upgrade status
-You get the ability for free award travel changes
-You can pick C+ (for now) for free at booking for both of you
-Most importantly...you get to roll over a heck of a lot more MQM's to yourself for next year.

My wife and I have been DM/FO or FO/DM for years now...swapping who gets to be diamond so the other can build MQM's and use the Amex waiver the next year. That might not work for you though. It has been great for us (up until the 2019 changes to Amex) because we fly on rock-bottom fares.

SuperG1955

I'm assuming that how you distribute the AMEX MQM Bonuses are the difference between PM+FO or GM+GM. That would mean that you could do any combination in any year.

You have to decide which Medallion Benefits are most meaningful to both of you and then decide.

Some examples:
RDM Earnings - PM=9, GM=8, FO=7 so for flights together, you get 16 combined, either way.
RDM Usage - If you use them for PWM or some other $.01 per RDM or if you use them for Award Tix with no need to change then status doesn't matter. If you use them for Award Tix and have a need to change, you need to book from the account that will be PM when you change and/or travel. Remember, RDM's are too expensive to transfer so you really have to use them from the account that earned them. If you happen to have a stash of them, you have a great deal of flexibility, If you don't, careful planning will be needed. Fee waivers are based on the status of the account that the miles are from when the changes are made, not when the tix were booked.

Opinion, TATL if you do TATL in Y, buy your tix on fare sales and save your RDM's for an occasional J trip.

SDC & SDS fees are waived for GM & PM but not for FO. If you do it a lot, it an be costly if you're an FO.

Meaningful SPG Crossover benefits (if you use SPG) start at DL PM.

PM gets a Choice Benefit.

Anyway, look at your situation realistically and then decide. If my initial assumption about the AMEX Bonus MQM's is correct, I think you'll find PM+FO alternating every 2 - 3 years will work best.

SuperG1955

Having reread the OP, I have another interesting suggestion. Gift the MQM to your wife for PM and do a same day domestic MR for GM for yourself. No problem with 5K - 7K MQM at a decent price. The value of the added bene's will exceed the cost.

MSPeconomist

Another big advantage of doing PM/FO and FO/PM in alternate years is that you can always use miles from the PM account for award tickets. If the one getting PM is the same every year, you build up miles eventually in the FO account and then must use them without benefit of the PM/DM cancel/redeposit fee waiver.