DLASflyer

Even if it does extend status, Delta need to focus on bringing new folks into the fold. The modern business/leisure frequent travelers who will be the core customer base in the future.

BMGRAHAM

I predict that vaccine rollout will speed up considerably and that travel will start to get back to normal by the summer. It should be noted that nothing has changed to make travel less accessible. It's as safe as it was last year. What has changed is the increased regulation such as testing and quarantine, which I don't believe are both necessary. Testing should negate the need for quarantine and let's hope there is no requirement for testing on domestic flights as flying has shown itself to be very safe even during COVID.

I do hope that Delta will modify requirements, specifically reducing the MQD and MQD waiver requirements for re-qualifying Diamond members.

Often1

Key is that they spend. PRASM is what matters and that doesn't happen through BE. Whether business or leisure, it is people spending on D1 / F who can guide long-term survival.

This is not to suggest that it is all binary. Simply that the focus has to be on the long-term and not on surviving as it is today.

ethernal

While one can debate relative risk (if spread is hugely endemic in the overall population, treating travelers differently may not make much sense) but testing and quarantine go hand-in-hand. PCR tests take too long to get results, and rapid antigen tests are not super reliable (and they are wrong in the worst way: they can create both false positives and false negatives). They're risk reduction meant to catch 70% of cases, not 100%. Quarantine covers the 15-30% of cases that are not caught (and vice versa.. quarantine is not perfect; people cheat, and even getting to a quarantine location can create exposure).

International travel is going to continue to suffer hard. For developed countries, we may see travel pathways with vaccination-only requirements if both countries have very low endemic case loads. But the issue is going to be that the pandemic is going to continue to rage in emerging countries as vaccine distributions will be low there. There will be huge fear of vaccine-resistant strain propagation (e.g., South African variant). As countries get to virtually eliminated local spread at high rates of vaccination, they may even double down on inbound restrictions if there is evidence of increased vaccine resistant strains.

ekozie

I've booked a lot of my travel - just under half? - for the coming year, since all of the early bookings are at rock-bottom prices with almost guaranteed scheduled changes. MQDs are going to be tough for me.

I'm expecting lowered, but not waived, requirements OR a big promo in Q3 and Q4, assuming the virus is under control by then. This big question I have is, if DL decides to go with a promo, whether they include flights booked and flown before the promo period or all flights flown during the promo period.

ethernal

Yes, I'm not flying but looking at the routes I used to fly - without corp discounts, the route I fly would be $1300-1400 r/t. I hit around $40-45K in spend in 2019. Same routes this year are going for $500-600 without corporate discounts, even less with. Even if I was traveling the same routes with same advanced booking, I'd barely squeak by MQD target this year.

Somethings gotta give on the MQD target. But again, Delta will provide steer once they have more data.

MSPeconomist

However, DL would keep 100% of their DMs with foreign addresses due to their MQD waivers. If they're flying, they're more likely than ever to be flying on partners rather than DL since almost all DL operated flights have either origin or destination in the USA and it's very difficult for anyone who isn't a USA citizen or USA resident to enter or transit through the USA. The only subgroup that might be flying longhaul DL flights would be USA citizens who are overseas residents, and even this can be almost impossible for those who are resident in many countries.

SDQBound

This is true for those who are based in Europe or some places in Asia. However, those of us who have a foreign address and travel frequently from/to South America and the Caribbean aren't affected at all by US entry regulations as long as we have a negative test.

passmf

I organically qualified for PM in 2020 and rolled over just short of 100k MQMs, so am PM thru Jan 2022. I have yet to fly this year so have $0.00 MQDs and have not hit the AMEX spend threshold. I looked at account on delta.com and it is showing me as qualifying for SM thru Jan 2023 (year 2022) along with spend messaging on what is needed to move to GM. Not sure if this is a known bug or perhaps a preview of what delta might be thinking for status 'extension' for 2022. Not a full extension but perhaps a lower medallion level based upon MQMs only? Just speculation on my part based up what I see in my account only.

ATOBTTR

It's not a "bug" - just somewhat confusing in the way it displays. I'm pretty similar - I am sitting at 85K MQMs so once I hit the AmEx waiver, I'll be a PM. But what it's display right now, since I have not hit the MQDs for at least FO nor the AmEx waiver, DL.com is saying I have to complete one (either MQDs or the waiver) to reach Silver, since that is the first level one would reach. Of course if you hit the AmEx waiver before the MQDs, you will go right past FO and GM and straight to PM since the FO/GM/PM AmEx waiver is all the same (unless I'm misunderstanding what you're saying in which case it may be something wonky).

ETA: CGNC below noted your 1 MM status - that is probably why it already shows you as having Silver.

CGNC

Might this be recognition of your 1MM status and the fact you'll 'always' have SM? I see the same and always assumed this was the reason.

passmf

Ugghh, sorry totally forgot the 1MM!

MSPeconomist

On the DL app, I now see GM status for 2022 (due to 2MM) and the bars show what's required for PM. This changed within the last 24 hours. In January, it just indicated that I would be a general member for 2022, with bars displaying requirements for FO status. I'll hit the MQD waiver soon and based on past experience, it will change me to PM for 2022 within about a day.

jamesteroh

I am able to do the $250K spend due to some huge charges I have in January and February. Makes me mad I did it last year because in March covid and didn't need the spend and could have put that $250K on another card that provided a lot more benefits than 250K skypesos. I have the spend in already this year and am worried Delta will extend status again.
At least I'm closer to my next million mile cornerstone

jamesteroh

Or at least award those people who still reach the status anyway. I would be diamond for this year even without the waiver. Would be nice if they would have given me something like a couple more GU's or another benefit. Or allowed people who had their status to keep it another year for upgrade and seat preference purposes but only given the choice benefits to people who maintened the status through MQM's and spend.