MQDs if someone else buys your ticket?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2017
Programs: Delta Platinum; Hilton Diamond; Marriot Gold
Posts: 1,117
MQDs if someone else buys your ticket?
I’m sure i’m just missing something... but apologies because I’m curious...
If someone else purchases a flight for you and uses their own credit card (not yours), do you still get MQDs for the ticket?
similarly, if you book a flight thru a travel agent, do you earn MQMs? Or only if you pay to “take over” the ticket?
If someone else purchases a flight for you and uses their own credit card (not yours), do you still get MQDs for the ticket?
similarly, if you book a flight thru a travel agent, do you earn MQMs? Or only if you pay to “take over” the ticket?
#2
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: HSV
Programs: Bellevue Lifetime Premiere Mega Elite Supreme
Posts: 1,509
Under *most* conditions you *should* receive full credit -- MQMs, MQDs, and Award Miles -- to your SkyMiles account after flying the itinerary. If you provide your SM Membership number the credit should appear automatically. If not, you can call Delta after flying and have them apply the flights.
#3
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,884
I’m sure i’m just missing something... but apologies because I’m curious...
If someone else purchases a flight for you and uses their own credit card (not yours), do you still get MQDs for the ticket?
similarly, if you book a flight thru a travel agent, do you earn MQMs? Or only if you pay to “take over” the ticket?
If someone else purchases a flight for you and uses their own credit card (not yours), do you still get MQDs for the ticket?
similarly, if you book a flight thru a travel agent, do you earn MQMs? Or only if you pay to “take over” the ticket?
#4
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: LAX/BUR, RDU
Programs: DL SM, AAdvantage, SPG
Posts: 1,360
Yes, I'm also pretty sure you also earn MQMs on a ticket purchased through a travel agent. RDMs could vary though, depending on the type of travel agent and whether you have an exception fare.
From Delta.com:
MQMs, MQSs and MQDs are earned by the Member who is flying (whose name and SkyMiles number are listed on the ticket) regardless of who booked or paid for the flight.
#6
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: HSV
Programs: Bellevue Lifetime Premiere Mega Elite Supreme
Posts: 1,509
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Orlando, FL Area
Programs: Delta SkySponge ExtraAbsorbent, SPG Gold
Posts: 29,988
MQD's should go to the purchaser. I cant figure out why Delta hasn't changed this. They seem to be chasing every dollar so they should be rewarding those who do the spending.
#8
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,884
Without passing judgment on whether the underlying idea makes sense, it just seems to me that this would create a level of complexity that Delta is very unlikely to initiate.
#9
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Orlando, FL Area
Programs: Delta SkySponge ExtraAbsorbent, SPG Gold
Posts: 29,988
The problem (that I see) with changing how it currently works is that all of the benefits accrue to a single SkyMiles number. In order to have the dollars accrue to the buyer separately, they would have to have a way to enter at least 2 numbers, and designate which benefits are to be assigned to each.
Without passing judgment on whether the underlying idea makes sense, it just seems to me that this would create a level of complexity that Delta is very unlikely to initiate.
Without passing judgment on whether the underlying idea makes sense, it just seems to me that this would create a level of complexity that Delta is very unlikely to initiate.
#10
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,884
One of my dad's favorite sayings was "In theory, 'in theory' and 'in practice' are the same thing. In practice, they rarely are."
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,050
I have to use my corporate credit card to make airline/hotel purchases, but have a great deal of autonomy over which airline and hotel I choose. What incentive do I have to pick DL if I don't get the miles? I'm pretty sure there are a large number of other flyers in my shoes.
#12
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Orlando, FL Area
Programs: Delta SkySponge ExtraAbsorbent, SPG Gold
Posts: 29,988
I have to use my corporate credit card to make airline/hotel purchases, but have a great deal of autonomy over which airline and hotel I choose. What incentive do I have to pick DL if I don't get the miles? I'm pretty sure there are a large number of other flyers in my shoes.
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Back in Reds Country (DAY/CVG). Previously: SEA & SAT.
Programs: DL PM 1MM, AA PLAT, UA Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 10,348
It’s not gouging. Time is money, as is employee satisfaction and travel rewards are one way of keeping employees who do travel more satisfied. We see it as our perk/reward/tradeoff for having to spend time away on the road. Take away that benefit and you may find such employees are less willing to travel or you’ll have to offer other forms of compensation such as a higher paycheck. Based on your attitude too it’s obvious you don’t travel for work. Maybe if you did your tune would change.
#14
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Join Date: Jul 2010
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Sorry, but you don’t understand business or marketing or sales basics. Business transactions aren’t just about convincing the “purchaser” or the one with the checkbook. Yes it’s a factor but it’s also about convincing the decision maker, who is often NOT the purchaser. As for DL, they aren’t stupid. They know changing to awarding MQDs and RDMs to the purchaser of airline tickets would be a terrible decision as business travelers who travel on corporate accounts would be far less incentivized to choose DL (assuming they have options) since the traveler would have no benefit.
It’s not gouging. Time is money, as is employee satisfaction and travel rewards are one way of keeping employees who do travel more satisfied. We see it as our perk/reward/tradeoff for having to spend time away on the road. Take away that benefit and you may find such employees are less willing to travel or you’ll have to offer other forms of compensation such as a higher paycheck. Based on your attitude too it’s obvious you don’t travel for work. Maybe if you did your tune would change.
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Back in Reds Country (DAY/CVG). Previously: SEA & SAT.
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Posts: 10,348
And you only references airlines. What about hotels? When Hilton and Marriott and Starwood all have properties right next to each other, if I collect points and have a preferred brand, I will pick one over the other for that reason, as long all options are within my per diem allotment. If the rules changed I would be less incentivized to pick a preferred brand or have any loyalty to a particular brand.
And your own recommendation may result in wasted money as well by not allowing rewards. For example the other week I traveled to Maryland and stayed by BWI my last night before flying home. I could have opted to stay at a more convenient hotel to the airport that was more expensive (at per diem) but opted to stay at one that was a little less convenient because it was my preferred brand and was well under per diem. I got points I valued and a stay credit towards retaining status. A win-win for me and my organization. Or would you have preferred I just stayed at the more convenient hotel that was $50-60 more?