njcares

First post! This year I’ve Split airlines due to changes in work location, so I am 5600 MQMs short of silver. I already have a gold Delta Amex and we easily meet the mqds. I contemplated applying for the platinum Delta Amex today to
get the MQMs but I see the bonuses for miles and MQMs aren’t that great right now compared to a special ran in November that I missed. I get occasional upgrades with silver (mostly free comfort). I don’t really want to do a mileage run unless it were easy-ish. WWYD? Forgo it for now? Get the new CC now or wait til the incentives increase? Tia!

Worldtraveler727

What do you get with silver that you don’t get with AMEX gold?

Upgrades for silvers are rare. You get a free checked bag but also do with AMEX.

Honestly, I wouldn’t spend the money. No real benefits but others may disagree

bretthexum

I'd wonder if the cost of a few paid C+ is less than the cost of a mileage run. With the AMEX you get a checked bag anyway...

Honestly it seems like Silver isn't worth chasing. Or maybe get the platinum next year and go for Silver in 2019 with the MQM bonus.

CPMaverick

Personally I don't think silver is worth any extra effort to attain. You can probably buy as many C+ upgrades as you'd get as a silver for the cost of getting those 5600 MQM.

SSF556

Nothing..silver is worthless

PWMTrav

Silver's not entirely worthless. I'm a career bottom dweller in the elite ranks, and having bottom tier has been far better than no status for me. Yeah, you're mostly not getting upgraded (but you might on a leisure trip on a Saturday, like the time the 3 of us got upgraded on PWM-LGA-MCO to Disney World). The real benefits come in predictability - you use the short line to check your bag, board, and if you need to get someone on the phone you wait less. It's also helpful when you're booking with your family for one of you to have status, since quite often when we book at least, the only 3 seats together are the paid seats closer up front.

I wouldn't spend a ton of money for silver, and maybe say not at all if someone else you book and travel with already has status, but it is very much better than nothing and I'd probably spend a couple hundred bucks for it.

crazygrow

Skip it. Not even sure there is even much value in platinum. I earn it BIS, so going to see how the DM ranks clear out with some of the AMEX changes, etc. before making a final decision.

ATOBTTR

- An additional checked bag (so two free checked bags since OP has the AmEx)
- Access to preferred seating (including exit rows)
- Better IROPS handling and priority
- Better phone line priority
- Dedicated check-in lines
- Occasional upgrades

Silver may not be fantastic but it’s enough to take flying from “miserable” to “bearable”. Any time I island hop on HA and or fly on another airline without status, I’m reminded how miserable it is flying without any status.

Eddie98

I agree with others, having some kind of status is way better than no status at all. I would not spend a lot to get SM but if you can make it work, go for it.

NoStressHere

I may be totally off base, but I think you could run into a timing issue to get those to post - as in when you first bill posts which could easily be next year. Again... not sure...

Zorak

This is a frequently recurring question in the various DL/AMEX threads. Signup-related bonuses generally post as soon as the qualifying activity (purchase/spend threshold) is met, even in the middle of a statement cycle. MQM boosts (25/50K spend for DL Plat, 30/60K for DL Reserve) are posted shortly after the next statement close, but are still measured by calendar year, so December spend counts for that year's MQM boost and will post as that year's MQMs even if the statement close is not until January.

SDQBound

It's up to the routes you fly. I was Silver for 7 years, and had a 100% upgrade rate most years, so FO was definitely worth for me.

PWMTrav

Yup. With absolutely no offense intended, I find that the people usually telling me bottom tier (or really any tier) status is worthless are usually long time elites who haven't done much flying without status in a long time. I totally agree, particularly with DL who is good at selling its F seats, that the upgrades are going to be difficult. The other benefits seem like cheap throw-ins until you need them, though.

I think there is a fair question to ask - if OP isn't flying enough to even hit Silver, as we're talking more than 20% short on the MQMs in this case, will they fly DL enough next year for the benefits to matter. Earning status isn't so much about completing something you started this year as it is something you do in anticipation of your travel patterns for the next year. I'm learning this the hard way as I just got DL Gold, and am moving to SFO in a couple of months - I don't like AA or UA much at all, but I wonder how often I'm going to want to add a stop just to fly DL.

chunky649

I too am in the camp that think DL silver is worthless. But the OP can do his own math:

Cost: how much for a flight to earn 5600 MQM? That is at least 1 cross-USA trip. I figure at $0.04 per mile (bargin), you will pay $224. This does not include the cost of your time/energy for ~10 hours of flying + logistics. There is also cost of gas/parking/uber to get to the airport. If your mileage run involves overnighting somewhere, then factor in hotel cost.

Benefit: How many flights will you take in 2018? I think you already get free luggage with certain Delta AMEX cards, but assume you have to pay $25 per bag per trip. You would need to be flying on at least 5 return trips to total $250 to offset the cost of your mileage run. Then, there is the fuzzy math of quantifying the worth of the POSSIBLE domestic upgrades. If you tell us where you are based and where you typically fly, we might be able to give you a guess as to your possible upgrade percentage. But I can tell you in advance that if you fly to/from a Delta hub (DTW/ATL/LAX/SLC/MSP/JFK) to another major city, your chance of upgrade is near zero (with the exception of the flight being near empty..i.e. flying on Christmas day) I am based in DTW, and my upgrade percentage over the last decade is near 50%. I've been PLAT or DIAMOND (half and half) during that time. The times I get upgraded are flights to really small airports and. In recent years, at PLAT, I almost never come close to top 5 on the upgrade waitlist when flying to another big city from DTW.
The other fuzzy calculation is what those domestic upgrades are worth... If your flights are mostly short flights in small planes, and you aren't super-tall and need the leg room, then first class is near worthless.

Another weak benefit of Silver is that you get to board a little earlier (Zone 1) than others.

kxc262

Depends on route.

I remember when I hit silver and got my first upgrade on OAK-LAX. There are very few medallions on the west coast routes sometimes.

If your ATL,DTW, SLC, or any of the larger DL hubs, silver won't get you anywhere.