Just Made Diamond (First time at DM)
Sep 17, 2018, 5:58 am
#1
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Platinum, etc etc etc
Posts: 2,341
Just Made Diamond (First time at DM)
As the title states I just made DM for the first time. (PM for the past few years)
Should I expect anything different? (besides the published benefits like choice benefits) i.e. a legitimate chance at better upgrades etc.
My expectations are pretty low already from being a PM
but wondering what life at DM is like.
Should I expect anything different? (besides the published benefits like choice benefits) i.e. a legitimate chance at better upgrades etc.
My expectations are pretty low already from being a PM
but wondering what life at DM is like.
Sep 17, 2018, 6:34 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: DL DM; DL AMEX Reserve; HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,984
This year is my first as DM after a decade or so of PM...
Things I’ve noticed:
GUCs are obviously a big perk. Just used mine yesterday for a trip next July. They *can* be difficult to use, given many posts on here but on 5 different routes getting me into Italy and back, there was OY=9 and the upgrades were confirmed immmediately.
AMEX Reserve / Sky Club guest privileges are really nice...
Others may disagree, but I’ve noticed a lot more “flexibility” in the Diamond Desk than the Platinum Desk. While I was a PM, they were great, now they’re awesome and can bend many rules, within reason.
I was stuck in TYO in IROPs this year. Flight canceled and almost 300 pax on a full 777 needed somewhere to stay and re-booking. I made my way to the Sky Club and as soon as I was about to enter, I got a phone call from Delta helping me to re-book the next day. They soon corralled the Sky Club guests (we were mostly DM) and whisked is off to an amazing hotel in DT TYO, comped all of our expenses and really took care of us. On top of that, I got back to the SC the next morning and was soon paged to the front desk where a very nice gentleman handed me my new boarding passes with an UG from PE to J. An outlier to be sure, but I felt like there was something extra for me as a DM.
That being said, the new AMEX spend requirements will make this my one and only year as a DM. I’m enjoying it all while I can though!
Things I’ve noticed:
GUCs are obviously a big perk. Just used mine yesterday for a trip next July. They *can* be difficult to use, given many posts on here but on 5 different routes getting me into Italy and back, there was OY=9 and the upgrades were confirmed immmediately.
AMEX Reserve / Sky Club guest privileges are really nice...
Others may disagree, but I’ve noticed a lot more “flexibility” in the Diamond Desk than the Platinum Desk. While I was a PM, they were great, now they’re awesome and can bend many rules, within reason.
I was stuck in TYO in IROPs this year. Flight canceled and almost 300 pax on a full 777 needed somewhere to stay and re-booking. I made my way to the Sky Club and as soon as I was about to enter, I got a phone call from Delta helping me to re-book the next day. They soon corralled the Sky Club guests (we were mostly DM) and whisked is off to an amazing hotel in DT TYO, comped all of our expenses and really took care of us. On top of that, I got back to the SC the next morning and was soon paged to the front desk where a very nice gentleman handed me my new boarding passes with an UG from PE to J. An outlier to be sure, but I felt like there was something extra for me as a DM.
That being said, the new AMEX spend requirements will make this my one and only year as a DM. I’m enjoying it all while I can though!
Sep 17, 2018, 7:28 am
#4
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
The only unpublished DM benefit that you could realistically make use of is the ability to change to a co-terminal on a SDC.
Sep 17, 2018, 8:30 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 102
Not really, other than upgrade percentage (mine has gone from about 50% as a PM to a hair over 80% as a DM flying mostly the same routes and fare classes). I have had a lot of IRROPS this year but I was already getting great service as a PM, it hasn't been notably better this year but I can't really imagine it being any better.
The only unpublished DM benefit that you could realistically make use of is the ability to change to a co-terminal on a SDC.
The only unpublished DM benefit that you could realistically make use of is the ability to change to a co-terminal on a SDC.
Can you explain the SDC coterminal benefit? Do you mean a different airport? TIA
Sep 17, 2018, 8:53 am
#6
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
Same day confirmed changes per policy can only be made to the same origin/destination (connection points can change but not end points), but Delta allows DMs to change a routing to different co-terminals.
Co-terminal changes are commonly allowed for IRROPs but not for normal changes - unless you're a DM (this is not a published benefit but I've never gotten pushback on it at all).
So, e.g., I've been booked on MEM-ATL-SJC and changed to MEM-MSP-SFO, or MEM-ATL-IAD to MEM-ATL-DCA.
Sep 17, 2018, 8:53 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: SLC, UT USA
Programs: DL DM, Marriott Platinum, Formerly UA 1P/Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 215
This. My upgrade percentage has dramatically improved (52% last year as a PM vs 87% this year as a DM). Also, most upgrades now clear at the 5-day window vs going to the gate.
Sep 17, 2018, 8:59 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM+(segs)/MM, UA Ag, Hilton DM, Marriott Ti (life Pt), TSA Opt-out Platinum
Posts: 3,221
As the title states I just made DM for the first time. (PM for the past few years)
Should I expect anything different? (besides the published benefits like choice benefits) i.e. a legitimate chance at better upgrades etc.
My expectations are pretty low already from being a PM but wondering what life at DM is like.
Should I expect anything different? (besides the published benefits like choice benefits) i.e. a legitimate chance at better upgrades etc.
My expectations are pretty low already from being a PM
but wondering what life at DM is like.
Seriously, welcome. I will say, as an almost 10yr DM, this year has been much better than the past 5 or so for upgrades. I think DL has done a decent job of "thinning the herd". That being said, I'm at high risk of dropping to PM this year, so oh well...
Sep 17, 2018, 9:02 am
#10
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Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Platinum, etc etc etc
Posts: 2,341
I will be honest getting the $15k in spend was hard fought, and included a lot of F purchases for personal travel. I had the MQM's for DM since early August but just finally crossed the $15k mark yesterday (I was $33 short when I boarded my flight yesterday so they were really counting every penny at DL to $15k)
Sep 17, 2018, 3:34 pm
#12
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: SEA
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 292
Congrats! First time DM for me as well this year. My experience with the DM support has been outstanding. They refunded me a cancelled award trip, even when I had no rights to the refund.
At the start of the year I had no idea that DM could be within my reach, but now I've "blown" by it at 170k MQMs (Amex Reserve!) and 17k MQD. What did it for me was having to open an office in AMS and doing quite a bit of SEA-AMS flights. If I book early enough I can spend about an additional $1,000-1,500 of my own money on Z tickets.
At the start of the year I had no idea that DM could be within my reach, but now I've "blown" by it at 170k MQMs (Amex Reserve!) and 17k MQD. What did it for me was having to open an office in AMS and doing quite a bit of SEA-AMS flights. If I book early enough I can spend about an additional $1,000-1,500 of my own money on Z tickets.
Sep 17, 2018, 3:53 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Northern Minnesota, US
Programs: DL Diamond, SPG/MR Plat, Kimpton IC, IHG Spire Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 659
Sep 17, 2018, 4:01 pm
#14
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM+(segs)/MM, UA Ag, Hilton DM, Marriott Ti (life Pt), TSA Opt-out Platinum
Posts: 3,221
I will be honest getting the $15k in spend was hard fought, and included a lot of F purchases for personal travel. I had the MQM's for DM since early August but just finally crossed the $15k mark yesterday (I was $33 short when I boarded my flight yesterday so they were really counting every penny at DL to $15k)
Sep 17, 2018, 4:55 pm
#15
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Home
Posts: 469
Only problem is these days usually the equation is: diamonds > 2 x FOs which will lead to fights amongst diamonds
Last edited by jeet; Sep 17, 2018 at 4:55 pm Reason: fixed typo