andrewk829

This topic just doesn't seem right. It's like discussing the details of the inheritance before the body has gone in the ground.

People, there are far more important things about which to concern yourself right now than the precious metal or gemstone by which your airline will identify you in 2021. Geez, Delta and other airlines are looking at an existential threat to their very survival, with tens of thousands of employees facing layoffs. And you're worried about whether you're gonna be Diamond next year?

puntamita

With the e-mail that was just sent from Delta, looks like they will work with the medallion program once this is all over. Makes total sense. Hopefully they just extend our status through 2021. Although many of you don't think that is fair, I do. Anyone that is able to move to a higher tier still receives new status as well. I plan on still flying as much or more that I did last year once travel restriction is lifted. We just don't know when that will happen. Looks like it will be a while though. I believe the ban will be through atleast May. Maybe June. MQD seems like the issue for most.

GrayAnderson

Frankly, I could not disagree with you more. There's years of legacy on this board of unpleasant speculation regarding the future of airlines and the future of frequent flyer programs. Does anyone think we wouldn't have been engaged in wild speculation back when Eastern fell apart if the boards had been around? It comes alongside the good speculation, but it is there.

I also think this is a question of an inevitable collision...we know something is going to happen, just not what. We're guessing at what the something will be, likely hoping for something that shakes out well for us...but I think we also know that if there's no airline, there's no FFP.

Likewise, for many of us the question of making various statuses is worth up to a few thousand dollars in benefits due to flexible change policies, lounge access, RDMs, better seats, and the like. I'm ignoring comp-ups (something that I don't calculate as part of the equation), but it is very easy to see how this actually seriously matters to medium-to-high frequency travelers who will likely be doing extensive travel next year almost regardless of what happens in the next few weeks.

Finally, a lot of us are also under stress watching the world get shaken in a way it hasn't been in over a century. I think indulging in speculation about how this is all gonna shake out in ways that don't involve life and death is perhaps a relatively tame way to cope?

andrewk829

I'm not some kettle flyer who doesn't understand the perqs of status. I like these perqs too . . . I was a United 1K for many years; now with Delta I fluctuate between Gold and Platinum. I just think it is selfish to worry about lounge access and upgrades and redeemable mile bonuses and early boarding and checked bag fee waivers and waived change fees and all that jazz at this time. Save it for a month or two or three from now, by which time we all hope coronavirus has gone on its merry way. There's a lot more at stake in the world these days than airline status. Don't sound like a first class passenger on the Titanic complaining that it's cold in the lifeboat.

MrAndy1369

Well said.

Stuttgart21

I agree. My point was merely that the "too big to fail" argument brought forward is inapplicable to this crisis.

For virtually all members outside the US, MQM is the bottleneck. If you compare with the discussion around the last big program change at UA, it appears for more US-based members than you might think MQM is the bottleneck. There are quite a few people booking very expensive last-minute, short distance flights.

And to the extent MQM matter, giving them away for free is costly. DL issues them to generate incremental business. If DL gives away requalification or puts people closer to requalification, there is an opportunity cost (lost revenue--people tend to be less loyal once they've passed the requalification bar).

Somewhat disagree. I agree that we all have more important responsibilities right now, professionally as well as in private. However, we all require some time off. This is a hobby for people. I don't see a reason to quit all time off and all hobbies during this crisis.

On a different note, I don't think status extensions are a pressing concern for DL right now. Everybody who (re)qualified in 2019 has status left for almost a year. People rarely fly right now anyway. So what would a status extension at this stage actually do for people? Little to nothing. DL can decide on loyalty measures later in the calendar year. It will be easier to make forecasts then, too.

flyerCO

It can persuade passengers to keep the little flying they're now going to do with DL.

The Situation

Well said. At some point things will start getting back to normal. Things may not be back to the same "normal" we experienced before, but a "normal" nonetheless. It is wise to begin planning now for the various scenarios of what "normal" might look like, because those who wait to find out what normal will look like and then react, rather than going in with a plan of how to adapt to the various scenarios as they emerge in real time, will absolutely fail. If you are an individual, you may lose your job or career and if you are a business you might go under. My job is 100% safe, but my wife's is not. Planning now for the scenarios of going back to work as normal, what to do if hours are cut, and what the fallback plan is if she loses her job completely saves a lot of stress and I am super proud of her for how well she is handling what could be a very stressful time. Remembering that life will go back to normal and planning for the spectrum of what life holds once it does, helps us keep our sanity and I recommend others do the same.

TravelingZoomer

Resurrecting this thread as it’s clear our early predictions were wrong and travel in 2021 will be affected just as much as 2020.

As AA has lowered requirements for 2021, will DL follow suit?
AA Elite for 2021 - Adjusted qualifying requirements and more announced

lsquare

Did AA offered a status extension this year? I don't think DL needs to respond now, but given that COVID is getting worse rather than better, I think DL will have no choice but to do something for 2021.

TravelingZoomer

Yes status was extended at AA in addition to lowered requirements for both 2020 and 21

lsquare

Cool. Thx for letting me know. Like I said earlier, I think it's inevitable that the industry will be extending status again.

metalblaze

This - DL might a) extend status for 2022-23, and b) do another year of MQM rollover.

DL Platinum

Conjecture at best. What Delta has done is extended dates and usability on coupons and vouchers, and your medallion level. They've even let 2020 MQM's roll into 2021 in their entirety. What we have definitely seen to date, is no change on the MQD requirement side. For myself as a diamond, I'm not sure what travel will look like in 2021, and the $15K spend requirement can be a bit daunting without international travel. I currently have 8 unused international upgrade certificates, and will most likely get four more next year, but the challenge is using them. Many countries just aren't open. Hard to use something when there isn't a flight to use them on.

I think Delta has done what it can to try and survive and I think as the dust clears, they will most likely make a few more adjustments, but I feel that they will leave the MQD requirement alone as it will "thin" the ranks at the Diamond level. I am "extended" through 1/31/2022, but keeping Diamond for 2022 will depend upon the MQD spend level in 2021. MQM's will not be the problem with rollover. If the US and other countries do not "open" until mid 2021, I hope that Delta will take heed of what American has done and lowered it's thresholds. But I feel that we will have to wait and see.

lsquare

They didn't touched MQD this year, which was unfortunate. Hopefully, Bastian and the rest of the industry come to realize that no recovery can occur without the introduction of a massive immunization program, which the CDC said Q2/Q3 2021. They should start following AA's lead.