Apr 5, 2020, 9:47 am
Last edit by: Zorak
https://news.delta.com/delta-extends-medallion-status-club-memberships-and-more-support-skymiles-members-future-travel
https://www.delta.com/us/en/coronavirus-update-center/extending-skymiles-benefits
Above is a summary, not a full list. See the links for more details.
https://www.delta.com/us/en/coronavirus-update-center/extending-skymiles-benefits
- current 2020 Medallion status (including gifted and promotional) is being extended through January 31, 2022
- all MQMs earned in 2020 will be rolled over into 2021, even for non-status members; this includes AMEX boost MQMs
- Rollover MQMs from 2019 that are currently in members accounts WILL be included when everything rolls over into 2021
- PMs/DMs who do not re-qualify organically, but instead have their 2020 status extended into 2021, will receive another set of Choice Benefits on Feb 1, 2021
- many other benefits (including but not limited to upgrade certs, AMEX companion certs, SC memberships/Reserve guest passes) are being extended 6 months -- check the links above for details
- "SkyMiles Members enrolled in a challenge or promotion to earn Medallion Status [...] can start a new promotion when they are ready to start traveling again if they missed out on achieving the requirements the first time."
Above is a summary, not a full list. See the links for more details.
DL to Extend Status to Feb-2022 due to COVID 19 (Consolidated Thread)
Mar 26, 2020, 9:26 am
#91
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
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When V class fares are widely available on many routes 2+ months out you know the airlines are not expecting anything to be back to normal by then.
Mar 26, 2020, 11:41 am
#92
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PlatMM, BA and Alaska Emerald, HHonors DIA, Accor, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat Amb, UA Silver, AA
Posts: 4,513
As a BA Silver (similar to DL Platinum, which I also have), BA just sent a message saying that they've reduced required Tier Points by 30% for those whose earning year ends in April, May, or June. BA's earning year isn't Jan.1 to Dec. 31, so it's differrent from DL.
My earning year ends June 8th....For me, I already had 440 TPs, and I now instead of the normal 600 TPs, I only need 420.... so whew! So I'm Silver for another year.
I think this wise because it doesn't just give a blanket status to everyone (Hilton did that, and my partner who was Diamond last year and stayed 2 (two) nights in 2019 will apprarently get his status extended another year!
I understand though that this is unprecedented so these companies are just trying to find a good spot.
DL needs to make at least an interim announcement so people relax a bit. That said, with a Dec. 31st deadline, I guess it's less of an emergency than with BA, where everyone has a different earning year, and some are about to lose status in the middle of this and can't travel at all.
My earning year ends June 8th....For me, I already had 440 TPs, and I now instead of the normal 600 TPs, I only need 420.... so whew! So I'm Silver for another year.
I think this wise because it doesn't just give a blanket status to everyone (Hilton did that, and my partner who was Diamond last year and stayed 2 (two) nights in 2019 will apprarently get his status extended another year!
I understand though that this is unprecedented so these companies are just trying to find a good spot.
DL needs to make at least an interim announcement so people relax a bit. That said, with a Dec. 31st deadline, I guess it's less of an emergency than with BA, where everyone has a different earning year, and some are about to lose status in the middle of this and can't travel at all.
Mar 26, 2020, 12:51 pm
#94
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MSP
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Posts: 4,513
Mar 26, 2020, 2:09 pm
#95
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Nashville
Programs: DL DM 3 MM AA PLAT HH Lifetime Diamond Marriott Plat AMB lifetime titanium Hertz PC
Posts: 6,187
yes, based on the normal requirements....
i agree....there is going to a be a tiny percentage of people who must have already re-qualified....the rest will have a hard time the longer this situation drags on....
in my opinion, this disruption is going to last till july at least....so lets suppose travel resumes from august then dl could reduce requirements by 1/3rd....if travel resumes in october then they could half the requirements....if its beyond that then it would be fair to just extend status for the next year....
having said that, i think it would also make sense for dl to reduce the choice benefits for those who re-qualify with reduced requirements....this way it will be fair for those who have or will re-qualify with regular requirements....so taking diamond status into consideration, if status is extended then you get no new choice benefits but your 2020 benefits are extended along with your status....if you re-qualify with 1/3rd requirements then you only get 1 choice benefit....if you re-qualify with half requirements then you only get 2 choice benefit....if you meet the regular requirements then you get all 3 choice benefits....
i agree....there is going to a be a tiny percentage of people who must have already re-qualified....the rest will have a hard time the longer this situation drags on....
in my opinion, this disruption is going to last till july at least....so lets suppose travel resumes from august then dl could reduce requirements by 1/3rd....if travel resumes in october then they could half the requirements....if its beyond that then it would be fair to just extend status for the next year....
having said that, i think it would also make sense for dl to reduce the choice benefits for those who re-qualify with reduced requirements....this way it will be fair for those who have or will re-qualify with regular requirements....so taking diamond status into consideration, if status is extended then you get no new choice benefits but your 2020 benefits are extended along with your status....if you re-qualify with 1/3rd requirements then you only get 1 choice benefit....if you re-qualify with half requirements then you only get 2 choice benefit....if you meet the regular requirements then you get all 3 choice benefits....
Mar 26, 2020, 2:42 pm
#96
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
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Posts: 29,668
I think it may be even simpler, if you make it either or IE MQMS/ segments , or MQDs whichever is higher. With rollover my only problem as a DM is when will I hit my MQDs, I am 2/3 of the way their now. For MQDs I rollover 400K, which is doable even on domestic only if you do 200K a year for years
Mar 26, 2020, 4:55 pm
#97
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,913
Also not strictly DL, but someone has a spreadsheet cataloging what the various airline/hotel cancellation/status policies are, from an AF thread:
Besides Air France, you can see how other airlines and hotels are behaving at https://bit.ly/loyalty-response-covid19
For your travels in post-COVID19 world, you can choose the ones who are better with customers. There are number of airlines that allow a refund, or to incentivise vouchers, offer vouchers up to 125% value.
For your travels in post-COVID19 world, you can choose the ones who are better with customers. There are number of airlines that allow a refund, or to incentivise vouchers, offer vouchers up to 125% value.
Mar 26, 2020, 8:58 pm
#98
Moderator, Delta Skymiles and Mileage Run
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Seat 2A
Programs: DL Diamond/MM, Hyatt Diamond, former AS MVPG 75K, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,940
Folks, kind reminder this thread is for discussion of Delta Status extension only. Please take general COVID-19 discussion to the Covid forum.
Ryandc99 Moderator Delta Air Lines
Ryandc99 Moderator Delta Air Lines
Mar 26, 2020, 10:21 pm
#99
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (SE), Virgin America Elevate, Hyatt Gold Passport (Platinum), VIA Preference
Posts: 3,134
If the worst of this wraps by June/July, one option would be to just bin the MQD requirements for the year (which might be complicated by sandbagged fares through summer and into fall). That would incentivize a lot of MQM runs while fares are low (and ideally generate some traffic "on the side") but keep folks from getting screwed by having trouble finding ways to make the spend limit.
Mar 27, 2020, 4:56 am
#100
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: FB Platinum, SM Diamond
Posts: 645
If the worst of this wraps by June/July, one option would be to just bin the MQD requirements for the year (which might be complicated by sandbagged fares through summer and into fall). That would incentivize a lot of MQM runs while fares are low (and ideally generate some traffic "on the side") but keep folks from getting screwed by having trouble finding ways to make the spend limit.
Mar 27, 2020, 5:57 am
#101
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
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Posts: 29,668
If the worst of this wraps by June/July, one option would be to just bin the MQD requirements for the year (which might be complicated by sandbagged fares through summer and into fall). That would incentivize a lot of MQM runs while fares are low (and ideally generate some traffic "on the side") but keep folks from getting screwed by having trouble finding ways to make the spend limit.
if the disruption carries on for more than a few months (which it probably will) then the only option would be to reduce the requirements....
Mar 27, 2020, 1:43 pm
#102
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: PNW
Programs: FreeAgent; DL Silver; IHG Diamond/ Ambassador
Posts: 698
I’m currently Gold, and looking at my projected travel pattern for this year, I could have easily renewed it with about 10k to spare. So far however, I have canceled around 27~30k MQM worth of trips. 
I might end up earning a mere 17k MQM this year, if my winter travel plans do not get disrupted.
I might end up earning a mere 17k MQM this year, if my winter travel plans do not get disrupted.
Mar 28, 2020, 10:16 am
#103
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: On the run
Programs: DL 2MM/DM, Hilton LT Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriot Titanium
Posts: 573
Not sure about reducing the requirements will work, maybe Delta giving “credit” for flights that they cancelled such as my trip to EZE earlier this month and KLM cancelling AMS-DXB for mid April. That’s over 25,000 MQM’s that I was willing to travel.
Mar 28, 2020, 10:54 am
#104
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: TPA / JFK / LAX
Programs: DL 360, UA 1K, AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador
Posts: 304
Reducing requirements? Totally possible.
Extending status? Totally possible.
Credit for cancelled trips? No way! Impossible to equitably credit when many people aren’t allowed to book in the first place.
1) why on earth do you doubt that “reducing requirements will work”? Of course it will “work”, if their goal is to retain loyalty in roughy the same proportions/numbers as they had going into 2020. (A fair argument could be made that they don’t want the same numbers they had going into 2020, perhaps due to being a smaller carrier, but even still, this is something they can control for by determining how to reduce requirements for each tier.
2) while it’s great that you were “willing” to travel, why on earth would they reward you for being willing to travel in routes that don’t operate. Furthermore, how could an airline equitably credit for “willingness” to travel when most people aren’t allowed to book reservations right now? What about the folks that had reservations (were willing) but couldn’t reschedule during an appropriate time, so had to take a credit. I could go on. This is perhaps the goofiest idea about status that I’ve heard to date.
Mar 28, 2020, 11:39 am
#105
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
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1. do nothing & risk upsetting a lot of elite members who won't be able to re-qualify....
2. extend status for everyone, similar to what hilton has done....
3. reduce qualification requirements in proportion to the number of months that will eventually be lost this year....
i don't expect them to make a decision right now, but probably sometime around july....if travel has resumed by that time then they may go with option 1 above....if it has not (which is a very likely possibility) then they will be forced to go with either options 2 or 3....