Fishwiz

This exactly ... Why even care about status if you don't leverage the benefits you've earned?

united 1k flyer

he is leveraging the benefits, he’s now got a bunch of miles and upgrade instruments that he can use the other stuff is overrated.

mattp1987

I think if someone is flying that much, it can make sense to maintain top tier on two airlines. That way, on personal trip, OP has a choice of two options to book and enjoy his top-tier status. It also opens up possibilities for being able to speculatively book award flights from either DL or UA account with free award redeposit.

It's similar to hotels; say someone is on the road 150 nights/year. It might make sense to earn both Hyatt Globalist and a high tier with Marriott or Hilton or IHG. Globalist is probably the most useful hotel status...if you're somewhere with a Hyatt, but earning Hilton Diamond or Marriott Titanium as well opens up more options in more cities.

MountainGuy

That was me - 200 nights a year in hotels, it made sense to not just stay at one chain. In this case, especially being based out of DEN, more choices are good. Personally, domestically, I would prefer Delta, but if you're connecting to ORD vs direct on UA, that helps. To me international and partners matter just as much, it sounds like some UA status would be a net win for OP

ATOBTTR

Because Delta isn't always a viable or the best option and having status on alternate options makes taking alternate options more viable and palatable or simply opens up more what may be more reasonable or affordable options. I flew AA enough last year that I was able to obtain AA PLAT via a status challenge. I also maintained DL Platinum. While DL is my go-to choice in most cases, sometimes I end up on AA because AA has the GSA City-Pair contract or AA is simply the better option because my schedule doesn't permit me to fly DL based on where DL's hubs are relative to where I live and where I'm going, and for those times I end up on AA, my experience will be far more bearable due to having status with AA and I don't have to choose between "a better schedule/cheaper option/etc. but no status" versus "status but not good schedule/way-out-the-way routing/etc."

hhdl

I suspect the other main idea behind MQM now is that (ignoring credit card MQM boosts) time is a finite resource, so distance qualification limits the number of flyers who will get meaningful status with all of the US3 and effectively be a free agent.

Utskicat

Does DL not officially? Both twitter and Diamond desk have never charged me for SDC when taking family on vacation many times.

sydneyracquelle

I have always been dinged for the $75 SDC/SDS fee for everyone else on my PNR.

rileydogmi

I went down this road several years ago - spend about $35k a year. I have 850k rollover MQMs and the DL spend is pretty easy with a few AF and KLM J’s. I status matched to UA 1k three years ago when it was only $10k spend. Now it is $24k for UA 1k with reduced benefits. 1k is not worth $24k to me so I am back with DL this year. $24k is flat out insulting given how many UA GS members there are.

in my calculation multiple top tier statuses makes sense if

1. the network adds value to your travel needs - direct is always better than a connection.

2. A lot of international travel - I feel the benefits to all FF programs are best used international and the airline partner network - partner lounge access, seat selection, bag fees, upgrade instruments are all better used and better value international.

3. You can use all the benefits offered - may sound strange but can you really use all those upgrades? For me to hit $15k on UA last year I was buying all discounted F fares. I could t use all the upgrades and i have had many expire worthless. And, the flights I wanted to take had no upgrade inventory and I am not going to be on a standby list for a 15 hour flight! I only use upgrades if they clear so then you start changing your travel behavior just to use them. I started to rationalize that it made sense to fly SFO-PDX-ORD-GRR over 14 hours so a regional could clear!

4. Lifetime status is doable - if I was 20 years younger I may have stayed with UA to make a run at LT GS. I think UA GS is the best out there and to be able to get it for life is a deal. I flew almost 150 times with UA in 3 years and have only 250k BIS miles so no dice for me. Aligns with my #2 - a lot of international travel makes it doable for younger people here.

4. You have the $ to play - I mean, being top tier in UA adds move overhead - all their credit cards, their lounge fees - it adds up. I am cancelling all my UA cards which is enough $ to take a vacation!

5. it isn’t a stretch - UA went from $10k to $24k in two years! Who says they are done making changes? The trend is asking more $ for equal or less benefits - point is I think the minimum to play UA + DL is $50k a year because you don’t want to be marginal and have to do mile runs and over spend just to requalify. If you do and the program ups their requirements you are in a difficult position (like me).

FlyingBeanCounter

All of this is true - except the "less benefits". UA has the same benefits (indeed a few more) but their airline sucks compared to DL,

I am also thinking about AA. They fly direct DEN-ORD as well. As a bonus I would get upgrades more frequently than now. The outbound would be a lock (all DL flights out of DEN I get upgraded). With DL its the connection problem. I can fly to LAX, SEA, SLC, ATL, DTW, MSP, JFK and LGA direct. Connecting any where else adds three hours to the flight normally. That is just not doable anymore. I did do that for a several years when I didn't have kids as I had time to kill and flying on a saturday morning wasn't a huge issue.

I do think the lifetime MM perks are WAY better on UA. I have MM status on DL. Silver..... whoopee.. Based on my flights I think I could earn MM on UA and 2MM on DL in the next four to five years. It won't be that long until I retire/slow down and personal travel becomes a bigger deal than work. I suspect having the multi-million miler would be bonus then. I could see having 3MM on DL would maybe be a bit better (platinum for life) but I worry that the airlines will take aim at that stuff too. Its not like the status is guaranteed.

orca15

I kind of feel like once you make Diamond, the whole point is to enjoy the benefits. Why start over at some lesser set of benefits at another (presumably less convenient) airline, just to try and achieve what you already have? I feel a little differently about hotels since it's rare that a single chain serves my purpose. But for me, from PHF especially, going to someone besides DL would just be more pain.

ATOBTTR

Depends. If you can get a status match or challenge, you aren't "starting over" completely and/or you have a much shorter hill to climb. For example, I did a status challenge on AA for AA PLAT last year. My trips that helped me meet the qualifications were booked in PE & F, so not having status for those trips was less of an issue and then I got status on AA, and now if I end up on AA for any multitude of reasons from it just being too expensive to justify flying DL to DL's schedule simply is an option or because I have to fly AA due to AA being the GSA contract carrier, my flight is more bearable.

keitherson

So, keep flying DL but credit select flights to different programs. They have so many other partners.

Heck, after this year you can probably earn with LATAM flying DL, and then redeem on their remaining oneworld partners. That would be fantastic.

cplunk

I understand we're all a little different. Most of my travel is for work, as an employee of a company that won't expense first class, and have other priorities for spending my own money than upgrading myself. Thus, I value my platinum medallion for being able to sometimes having that occasional extra comfort and conveniences it offers, and keep flying Delta. If I got Diamond in March, ya, I'd probably just keep flying Delta...

But I'm aware other people just pay for these extra comforts and conveniences, and see the status as an achievement, I guess? (If so, it'd be much more of challenge in coach, you should try it!!!) Or are other benefits that valued.

fliesdelta

I flew several segments on UA last year, including RDU-ORD-RDM that was originally scheduled as RDU-SEA-RDM on DL but RDU-SEA went mechanical and got rebooked. I didn't see a single instance of an angry employee, whether it be check-in desk agents, gate agents, or flight attendants. I'm sure there are examples of poor service at UA, but I can cite some with DL too.

My point is that while I've had bad service with UA before, it's much improved these days.