Race to Diamond - 2020 Edition!
Jan 9, 2019, 10:18 am
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: HSV
Programs: Bellevue Lifetime Premiere Mega Elite Supreme
Posts: 1,509
If you have to pay close to $250k in income taxes/rent, I would think you'd be able to afford to pay for international J and domestic F on any airline, so status shouldn't matter as much. Now $30k is something else, as I could do that by midyear. $250k is a dream. My account already got flagged for the $30k, and I had to show bank statements to prove i wasn't money laundering or illegal cash advancing(?). And wasting time on a MU/etc J trip for the MQD? I make vacations out of it.
What did you do that triggered that review?
Jan 9, 2019, 6:33 pm
#33
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: 100,368
Almost 32,000 MQMs from a single four segment trip is nice, and for less than $8500 too, which suggests to me that this probably wasn't a FULL J (200% MQMs) fare. From the DC area, something like SIN using the direct flight from SEA could work, or obviously SYD/JHB with only one connection. It also looks like you first earned PM only in June and then deliberately held back to maximize rollover. OTOH the 1 MM would mean that you've probably held elite status during many years. One more trip like this will get you DM level MQDs but not quite enough MQMs for DM unless you get some MQMs from AmEx very soon.
Jan 9, 2019, 7:04 pm
#34
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Arlington, VA
Programs: DL DM, 1.5 MM; AS MVP Gold 100K; HHonors Diamond; AMEX Platinum
Posts: 487
Almost 32,000 MQMs from a single four segment trip is nice, and for less than $8500 too, which suggests to me that this probably wasn't a FULL J (200% MQMs) fare. From the DC area, something like SIN using the direct flight from SEA could work, or obviously SYD/JHB with only one connection. It also looks like you first earned PM only in June and then deliberately held back to maximize rollover. OTOH the 1 MM would mean that you've probably held elite status during many years. One more trip like this will get you DM level MQDs but not quite enough MQMs for DM unless you get some MQMs from AmEx very soon.
I earned the bulk of my miles in the 90's when I was in consulting. That got me to about 875,000 lifetime miles. Settling down and family kept me from substantial flying for a number of years. It was only at the end of 2017 that I was in a position to really get into flying again. I started in the final quarter of 2017 and got to GM. And, as you noticed, got to PM in mid-2018. And, I purposely held off getting to DM so I could rollover MQMs. (I had already met the MQD threshold.)
Next trip is NYC-AMS-DPS in Z on KL. This, and the 10K boost from Amex for my estimated tax payment, should get me very, very close to DM in mid-January. My first time ever, and I'm glad it will last for nearly 2 years. 95% if my flying is leisure, and I'm usually bringing along a spouse or kid (or both), so the costs add up pretty quickly....
Jan 9, 2019, 10:03 pm
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: HSV
Programs: Bellevue Lifetime Premiere Mega Elite Supreme
Posts: 1,509
Excellent analysis! The trip was IAD-CDG-SIN in Z on AF. Even better, the actually ticket cost was $3400, so the MQD earning was a nice bonus.
I earned the bulk of my miles in the 90's when I was in consulting. That got me to about 875,000 lifetime miles. Settling down and family kept me from substantial flying for a number of years. It was only at the end of 2017 that I was in a position to really get into flying again. I started in the final quarter of 2017 and got to GM. And, as you noticed, got to PM in mid-2018. And, I purposely held off getting to DM so I could rollover MQMs. (I had already met the MQD threshold.)
Next trip is NYC-AMS-DPS in Z on KL. This, and the 10K boost from Amex for my estimated tax payment, should get me very, very close to DM in mid-January. My first time ever, and I'm glad it will last for nearly 2 years. 95% if my flying is leisure, and I'm usually bringing along a spouse or kid (or both), so the costs add up pretty quickly....
I earned the bulk of my miles in the 90's when I was in consulting. That got me to about 875,000 lifetime miles. Settling down and family kept me from substantial flying for a number of years. It was only at the end of 2017 that I was in a position to really get into flying again. I started in the final quarter of 2017 and got to GM. And, as you noticed, got to PM in mid-2018. And, I purposely held off getting to DM so I could rollover MQMs. (I had already met the MQD threshold.)
Next trip is NYC-AMS-DPS in Z on KL. This, and the 10K boost from Amex for my estimated tax payment, should get me very, very close to DM in mid-January. My first time ever, and I'm glad it will last for nearly 2 years. 95% if my flying is leisure, and I'm usually bringing along a spouse or kid (or both), so the costs add up pretty quickly....
Jan 15, 2019, 8:22 pm
#37
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: UA GS, Delta PM/2MM, Marriott Ambassador Elite/Lifetime Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 142
Jan 15, 2019, 8:33 pm
#38
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Arlington, VA
Programs: DL DM, 1.5 MM; AS MVP Gold 100K; HHonors Diamond; AMEX Platinum
Posts: 487
For partners, MQDs are based on distance. So the dollars (MQDs) are 40% of the number of miles traveled. It's a bit confusing, but can be used to our benefit!
Jan 15, 2019, 8:35 pm
#39
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Arlington, VA
Programs: DL DM, 1.5 MM; AS MVP Gold 100K; HHonors Diamond; AMEX Platinum
Posts: 487
Jan 15, 2019, 11:59 pm
#41
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: RDU
Programs: Marriot Ambassador ; Delta Diamond ; Avis President's Club ; National Exec Elite
Posts: 106
I'm curious what you all do as a career to be able to get to Diamond so early in the calendar year? I assume senior BD/sales, insurance, or a business owner/partner?
I feel lucky to have made Platinum late last year as a consultant. But my projects are more domestic and typically shorter distances, flying out of a non-major hub on the east coast. And with my line of consulting going more remote these days, I'm curious which professions remain the true road warriors! I can't imagine having 4+ MQS a week, every week seeing multiple clients. Although I see some of you booking Z Class that gets you to $15k MQD spend easily, shame my company doesn't allow that for us low level grunts, must be nice.
I feel lucky to have made Platinum late last year as a consultant. But my projects are more domestic and typically shorter distances, flying out of a non-major hub on the east coast. And with my line of consulting going more remote these days, I'm curious which professions remain the true road warriors! I can't imagine having 4+ MQS a week, every week seeing multiple clients. Although I see some of you booking Z Class that gets you to $15k MQD spend easily, shame my company doesn't allow that for us low level grunts, must be nice.
Jan 16, 2019, 2:46 pm
#42
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: CHS
Programs: UA GS, Delta PM/2MM, Marriott Ambassador Elite/Lifetime Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 142
I'm curious what you all do as a career to be able to get to Diamond so early in the calendar year? I assume senior BD/sales, insurance, or a business owner/partner?
I feel lucky to have made Platinum late last year as a consultant. But my projects are more domestic and typically shorter distances, flying out of a non-major hub on the east coast. And with my line of consulting going more remote these days, I'm curious which professions remain the true road warriors! I can't imagine having 4+ MQS a week, every week seeing multiple clients. Although I see some of you booking Z Class that gets you to $15k MQD spend easily, shame my company doesn't allow that for us low level grunts, must be nice.
I feel lucky to have made Platinum late last year as a consultant. But my projects are more domestic and typically shorter distances, flying out of a non-major hub on the east coast. And with my line of consulting going more remote these days, I'm curious which professions remain the true road warriors! I can't imagine having 4+ MQS a week, every week seeing multiple clients. Although I see some of you booking Z Class that gets you to $15k MQD spend easily, shame my company doesn't allow that for us low level grunts, must be nice.
Jan 16, 2019, 4:28 pm
#43
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: DL Charter DM/DM/2MM, IHG Diamond Elite
Posts: 1,925
Jan 16, 2019, 6:12 pm
#44
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,024
Regards
Jan 16, 2019, 7:08 pm
#45
Join Date: May 2015
Location: NYC/Paris
Programs: DL Diamond
Posts: 111
