2019 Platinum Medallion Qualification Scenario ??
Dec 1, 2018, 5:28 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 6
2019 Platinum Medallion Qualification Scenario ??
As it stands right now I am about 6500 miles short and $2300 short of qualifying for 2019 Platinum Medallion status.
I have an upcoming domestic round trip flight ($227 base fare, 1000 MQMs)
And also a vacation trip with the wife to Thailand that departs two days after Christmas and returns the 2nd week of January.
My Thailand ticket is a mixed itinerary flight: Delta One outbound [PIT(F) ->DTW(Z) -> ICN(Z) -> BKK] and Premium select return [BKK (Q) -> ICN (A) -> DTW (W)-> PIT]. Total base fare and carrier surcharge is $3537, which I believe is also total MQDs. Great deal IMO.
I'll easily make the required 75,000 MQMs for 2019 Platinum status on the outbound leg to Thailand, but I’m not so sure about making MQDs. I know the return leg will count towards 2020 qualification, but how does Delta split the MQDs? If it’s split evenly I don’t believe I'll qualify since 2300 - (3537/2 + 227) puts me about $300 short on MQDs. Since my outbound flight ticket is worth quite a bit more than my return ticket, is there anyway to know how much Delta actually applies towards 2019 MQD qualification?
Also Delta is offering an upgrade to first class on my upcoming domestic flight for $106 each way and I'm wondering if I should take it to help my chances. I have a lot of work travel in the upcoming year so it would be nice to get the Platinum perks.
I have an upcoming domestic round trip flight ($227 base fare, 1000 MQMs)
And also a vacation trip with the wife to Thailand that departs two days after Christmas and returns the 2nd week of January.
My Thailand ticket is a mixed itinerary flight: Delta One outbound [PIT(F) ->DTW(Z) -> ICN(Z) -> BKK] and Premium select return [BKK (Q) -> ICN (A) -> DTW (W)-> PIT]. Total base fare and carrier surcharge is $3537, which I believe is also total MQDs. Great deal IMO.
I'll easily make the required 75,000 MQMs for 2019 Platinum status on the outbound leg to Thailand, but I’m not so sure about making MQDs. I know the return leg will count towards 2020 qualification, but how does Delta split the MQDs? If it’s split evenly I don’t believe I'll qualify since 2300 - (3537/2 + 227) puts me about $300 short on MQDs. Since my outbound flight ticket is worth quite a bit more than my return ticket, is there anyway to know how much Delta actually applies towards 2019 MQD qualification?
Also Delta is offering an upgrade to first class on my upcoming domestic flight for $106 each way and I'm wondering if I should take it to help my chances. I have a lot of work travel in the upcoming year so it would be nice to get the Platinum perks.
Dec 1, 2018, 5:33 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2015
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP, DL FO, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 6,712
I’d call DL to see how the MQDs will break down. They should be able to tell you.
IME, you should get more MQDs from the outbound, but it’s not something I’ve ever really paid attention to so I can’t say for sure.
IME, you should get more MQDs from the outbound, but it’s not something I’ve ever really paid attention to so I can’t say for sure.
Dec 1, 2018, 5:37 pm
#3
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: 100,369
If OP calls, can he/she rely on the answer or will the agent just make up something? If one calls a number of times, I wonder how often one would get the same answer.
Dec 1, 2018, 5:45 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: DL PM 1MM
Posts: 3,439
I would doubt any phone agent would be able to accurately answer how OP's complex ticket will be accounted for by the MQD calculation algorithms. My suggestion would be to take some action to drive additional 2018 MQDs, such as a $106 upgrade opportunity.
Dec 1, 2018, 6:18 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,021
I agree, an agent is most likely not going to be able to answer this. My domestic roundtrip bookings have always credited half and half even when there were different fares involved in each direction. It may not be the same for international, but I would play it safe and generate some additional MQD.
Dec 1, 2018, 6:24 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 6
Thanks guys. I figured the phone agents wouldn't be too knowledgeable regarding this. As much as I hate paying for domestic upgrades, I'm leaning that way. Still not sure I'd make the MQD requirement even with that.
If my December wasn't so hectic, I'd just take a weekend trip down to Miami
If my December wasn't so hectic, I'd just take a weekend trip down to Miami
Dec 1, 2018, 11:26 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,277
Can't you see the fare construction in your confirmation email when you booked this itinerary? Or do they not do this for international itineraries?
ex Fare Details line from a recent confirmation. (this was a one way no connection itinerary, but yours should have the fare broken down for each segment in the RT)
MSP DL CHI227.91QA0NA0MA USD227.91END ZP MSP XF MSP4.5
ex Fare Details line from a recent confirmation. (this was a one way no connection itinerary, but yours should have the fare broken down for each segment in the RT)
MSP DL CHI227.91QA0NA0MA USD227.91END ZP MSP XF MSP4.5
Dec 1, 2018, 11:50 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 6
Can't you see the fare construction in your confirmation email when you booked this itinerary? Or do they not do this for international itineraries?
ex Fare Details line from a recent confirmation. (this was a one way no connection itinerary, but yours should have the fare broken down for each segment in the RT)
MSP DL CHI227.91QA0NA0MA USD227.91END ZP MSP XF MSP4.5
ex Fare Details line from a recent confirmation. (this was a one way no connection itinerary, but yours should have the fare broken down for each segment in the RT)
MSP DL CHI227.91QA0NA0MA USD227.91END ZP MSP XF MSP4.5
Dec 2, 2018, 1:09 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,021
Never seen a far split by segment like that in a Delta confirmation, for either domestic or international. The confirmation/receipt I get always has a fare breakdown with itemization of base fare, carrier surcharges and a host of taxes and fees. I've always figured out MQDs by adding base fare and carrier surcharges. That works fine for a round trip in the same calendar year but not in this particular scenario splitting years and fare classes. I'd like to know how you accessed that info cause I've never seen anything like it.
Last edited by xliioper; Dec 2, 2018 at 2:03 am
Dec 2, 2018, 1:22 am
#10
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Seattle WA
Programs: DL GM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 32
Looking back at some fare constructions on my previous flights and how the MQDs posted, it looks like it is not based on the fare construction. I had a trip SEA-DTW-YYZ / YYZ-SLC-SEA where the fare construction showed both legs (SEA-YYZ and YYZ-SEA) with the same base fare, but the MQDs posted proportional to the miles flown on each segment. As a result, the YYZ-SEA leg ended up with more MQDs than the SEA-YYZ leg. So I wouldn't trust the fare construction to show how the MQDs would post. However, OPs case is also complicated by the fact that outbound and return are in different classes of service, and I have no clue how that would be handled.
Dec 2, 2018, 2:34 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,021
I agree that there's a good chance they will just take the total fare and split based on stage length and the fare components may not be relevant. Here's a case with a trip to Bali with different fares for outbound and return for DTW-NRT-DPS-ICN-DTW routing. You can see outbound to DPS was a $470 L fare and return was a $420 U fare, there's also a $10 charge for a total base fare of $900. YQ/YR were $136.90. The outbound DTW-NRT flight credited at $336 MQD's and return ICN-DTW at $346 MQD's which indicates the individual fare components were not a factor and it was just split up based on distance of segments.
Fare Details: DTT DL X/TYO GA DPS M470.00LLW03NMM KE X/SEL DL DTT Q10.00M420.00ULX03NMM NUC900.00END ROE1.00 XF DTW4.5
Fare Details: DTT DL X/TYO GA DPS M470.00LLW03NMM KE X/SEL DL DTT Q10.00M420.00ULX03NMM NUC900.00END ROE1.00 XF DTW4.5
Last edited by xliioper; Dec 2, 2018 at 5:42 am
Dec 2, 2018, 6:32 am
#13
Join Date: May 2004
Location: formerly Gold now Diamond, formerly MSY, now LAX, formerly NW, now DL
Programs: Hyatt Plat, Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, Delta Diamond/1MM
Posts: 4,635
Technically it should be as suggested above, the fare for each let is detailed and you would get the credit for the base fare plus the carrier imposed surcharges that are applicable to the segments flown, so the whole cost of the outbound journey for 2018 and the whole cost of your inbound credited to 2019.
That's what I would count on. Anything else isn't how the details will fall. If you are MQD short, then you'll need to make it up in 2018. Does paid upgrades get MQDs?? I've never done it so don't know.
That's what I would count on. Anything else isn't how the details will fall. If you are MQD short, then you'll need to make it up in 2018. Does paid upgrades get MQDs?? I've never done it so don't know.
Dec 2, 2018, 8:39 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,021
Technically it should be as suggested above, the fare for each let is detailed and you would get the credit for the base fare plus the carrier imposed surcharges that are applicable to the segments flown, so the whole cost of the outbound journey for 2018 and the whole cost of your inbound credited to 2019.
That's what I would count on. Anything else isn't how the details will fall. If you are MQD short, then you'll need to make it up in 2018. Does paid upgrades get MQDs?? I've never done it so don't know.
That's what I would count on. Anything else isn't how the details will fall. If you are MQD short, then you'll need to make it up in 2018. Does paid upgrades get MQDs?? I've never done it so don't know.
My trip to Bali was 19770 miles roundtrip. DTW-NRT is 6397 miles which is 32.36% of the trip and it got assigned 32.36% of the cost (base+YQ) in MQD's. It did not matter that it was on a more expensive fare component than the return flights.
Last edited by xliioper; Dec 2, 2018 at 9:06 am
Dec 2, 2018, 9:32 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 6
..... Fare components are not used to assign MQD to particular flights. It doesn't matter that the outbound fare component is more expensive than the return. The only information you need to figure out how much MQD credit each flight gets is the stage length of each flight and the total of the base fare and airline-imposed surcharges. Calculate the percentage of the total trip length that each flight will take and then apply those percentages to the divide up the total price into MQD per flight.
My trip to Bali was 19770 miles roundtrip. DTW-NRT is 6397 miles which is 32.36% of the trip and it got assigned 32.36% of the cost (base+YQ) in MQD's. It did not matter that it was on a more expensive fare component than the return flights.
......
My trip to Bali was 19770 miles roundtrip. DTW-NRT is 6397 miles which is 32.36% of the trip and it got assigned 32.36% of the cost (base+YQ) in MQD's. It did not matter that it was on a more expensive fare component than the return flights.
......