flyertalker28120

Not in favor of CC churning to generate SM, but I don't think the reference to overpriced redemptions on DL's own metal tells the full story. As with most FF programmes, partner redemptions are where the value is at.

allseas1586

I’d be happy if they just roll over my 2020 MQD to 2021. I’m past the silver threshold and may have a chance at getting the rest to Platinum next year.

N590UA

I unintentionally did this last year using my DL Platinum AMEX card and got a series of automated emails last December going from Silver, to Gold, to Platinum statues within a few days time. I was surprised because I felt like I spent more on the card back in 2016 or 2017 over 2019.

I use it mainly for the $29.99 entry to the SkyClub. Oftentimes, much better than waiting it out in any terminal and/or using it for work calls or checking emails after the flight arrives at my destination. I'm actually surprised they haven't got rid if this perk yet.

VFR

They haven't, but they increased the price to $39/person and limited the benefit to the DL AX Platinum card.

MSPeconomist

You lose a year of choice benefits at the PM and DM level if you do this, although with GUCs/RUCs and credits/DL gift cards being extended, it might not matter much.

mattp1987

Unless they roll over all MQMs again like they’re doing this year, you’d need to make sure you actually qualify as FO to get the rollover at the end of 2021. The ideal situation in that case would be to finish 2021 with 80k or more MQMs and 3000-5999 MQDs. Then you’d qualify as FO for program year 2022 and roll over 65k or more MQMs. If you then spent $25k on the Delta Platinum card in January 2022, you’d requalify as Platinum through Jan 2024 before your 2021 status expired.

In my case, I won’t be going that route. I’m currently GM and will finish 2020 with ~60k MQMs that will all roll over. I’ll then spend $30k on my Delta Reserve as quickly as possible in 2021 to make PM through Jan 2023.

TrojanTraveler

I’m more than happy to travel during the pandemic on Delta, but with quarantines, there aren’t many places I can go. And wide open international travel is going to take awhile.

GagaPilot

Agreed. I’m not optimistic in any wide open international travel in 2021 (though I would be happy to be proven wrong). Most likely I think we will see some loosening of restrictions and “reduced” quarantines until a large portion of the population has been vaccinated (regardless if the traveler has been vaccinated or not). For me, I can’t justify using a large portion of my holiday to quarantine. So my travel would be limited to domestic and any international location with no restrictions.

Living in AK, but with a home in FL, I find myself racking up the MQMs. In the past MQDs racked up too as I bought F on most of the trips, but this year with the limited offerings in F, I’ve booked Y on all but one trip. As a result my MQDs are the lowest I’ve seen in years. I’ll make the $25K waiver on my Plat card and score some extra MQMs, so will start out well for 2022 qualification, and should easily make PM again for 2022 based on current MQMs and the assumption of the MQD waiver being met. But beyond that, for 2023 qual it’s highly unknown.

TrojanTraveler

There’s also the appeal of international travel. Even if there are no quarantines, say, in July, masking in areas could still be required. Spending a long time at a destination in a mask doesn’t hold much appeal, especially in hotter climates.

I always hit the DM MQD spend. I just don’t see how I’m going to be able to do it on a bunch of US transcons. I have been fortunate in life and don’t mind paying for int’l business class, but for domestic flights such as Delta One, I usually don’t see the price/value proposition. The distances just aren’t that far. Well, maybe from AK to FL...

rogo

Virtually no one would hit MQD in 2021. Virtually no one. Whatever you think the "correct" number of Diamonds is, Delta manages that number rather pointedly. The last change they made kicked off a few people who only churned $25,000 on cards and didn't fly a ton.

If they hold constant, the $250K/$15K MQD waiver/threshold, they would conservatively lose 80% of Diamonds next year. There is no way they want to do this. They will make a change.

If they are making any mistake at all, it's not announcing that change now.

I have, personally, been forced back to some travel late in this year due to some family health issues. Between March and recently, I had zero travel. I'll end the year with 4 transcons in the last part of 2020. I have $2200 MQDs (extensively travel in Jan-March). Even a rollover would make Diamond totally inaccessible next year. The first half of the year -- at minimum -- is going to be a maybe slightly better version than now. You can't play "catch up" on flying if you fly 2-4x monthly or take 1-2 big international trips a year.

There will be a change for 2021.

sydneyracquelle

Someone on this board yesterday had 100+MQS (segments) and nowhere near the required $15,000 MQDs. If the target is that far out of reach then everyone will just stick with the easy to get PM (with $25,000 Amex spend and MQM rollover) and just become a free agent.

VFR

If you have a DL AX Platinum card or a DL AX Reserve card and are spending $25k on it to get the MQD waiver, Delta probably already considers you an engaged customer, and therefore less of a risk of becoming a free agent. It's not the case that they don't need to incentivize engaged customers, but they don't need to give them everything.

I think we are going to see (from every airline with a loyalty program) a lot of targeted status bumps based on how fragile a customer is -- a customer in Chicago or New York is a lot more likely to fly someone else than a customer in Atlanta.

allseas1586

As much as I don’t want to move my flying to UA, they do offer a lot more service out of the NYC market currently, at a cheaper price. Might be worth a status challenge with them next year.

Also unfortunately from a MQD perspective, my business travel to Europe and India is looking to be on hold until 2022 at this point.

Billy Mumphrey

It's all about partner airlines for me. I only have 25 segments and expect to hit $15k in MQDs next month. Mostly cheap business class flights to AMS and other cities in Europe on KLM that calculated MQDs based on distance. Wouldn't even be close with just my domestic travel on Delta.

MCO Flyer

How is this possible with most EU International boarders currently closed (unless you have EU citizenship)? DL can’t really expect people to earn status on mileage runs during a pandemic.