carzin

I currently have 180,000 MQMs. I am platinum, not diamond, as I don't fly or spend enough to qualify for diamond. As I am spending on my Amex reserve, I will probably earn at least 60k more MQM by the end of the year. Should I start gifting these things? I don't know what Delta is going to do with the huge balance they've allowed to roll over year after year after this year.

xliioper

It's pretty safe to assume they won't rollover all MQMs into 2023 like they have the previous two years. So you'll earn Plat status for next year based on MQD Waiver and start the year with 165K MQMs when they subtract out the 75K for your Plat status as they would do in typical years (assuming you end year with 240K MQMs). You could consider putting spend on a different card which earns cash back or points in another program (I have a 2.625% cashback card I use after hitting $30K spend on Reserve).

vtgambler

Are you concerned they are going to do away with the MQM system and these will be come worthless? I don't see that happening, but maybe I'm wrong.

I'm in a similar situation. I have ~225K MQM and I'm really not traveling that much anymore. I figure it will just get me Platinum for three more years, and then I will see where things stand at that point. I did drop the Reserve card because I can't justify the annual fee anymore, and I think you can get better return on your spending on other CCs. Eventually I'll likely need to apply for another Delta card to get the MQD waiver.

exwannabe

They will continue to be nothing more than bait to get us to spend on MQD/AMEX-spend in order to gain status. Over time they will fade to nothing.

carzin

vtgambler: I don't know how many times they will roll them. By the end of the year, I'll have over 200k, like you. That would essentially guarantee me platinum for at least 3 more years, but part of me thinks they are going to expire some stuff. I think xliioper has the best idea. Get a different card for the rest of the year.

DiverDave

The worst Amex devaluation was when they took away the 15K RDMs that you got when you earned 30K MQMs.

I'm in the same boat, will have close to 300K MQMs by the end of the year and my thinking at this time is that my Reserve is toast.

David

ATOBTTR

Delta implemented "Rollover MQMs" long before COVID. What DL did in 2020 and 2021 was they rolled over ALL MQMs both years so no MQMs were "deducted" from your MQM balance at the beginning of the new Qualifying Year. DL has not made an "All MQMs will Rollover" announcement this year so one can expect the pre-COVID rollover policies to return. I.e. expect a "deduction" from your MQM balance of the MQMs associated with the status you obtained.

To break it down by an example:
You finished 2019 with 100K MQMs and met the PM MQDs or met the AmEx waiver. You started 2020 with 25K MQMs in Rollover
In 2020, DL announced status extensions and full MQM rollover. So let's say you flew 25K MQMs before COVID stopped most people's flying and finished 2020 with 50K MQMs. All 50K MQMs (and your PM status) carried over into 2021.
In 2021, DL announced another status extension and another year of full MQM rollover. So you entered 2021 with 50K MQMs. Let's say you flew 50K MQMs and finished 2021 with 100K MQMs. All 100K MQMs (and your PM status) again carried into 2022.
In 2022, you started with 100K MQMs. Let's say you fly 50K MQMs and hit the PM MQD requirement or AmEx waiver. You'll end the year with 150K MQMs and PM status, 75K of which will be "deducted" for your PM status and your MQM balance over 75K will "rollover" into the 2023 qualifying year. At the start of 2023, you will enter the year with 75K MQMs in rollover.

Of note, in 2022, to maintain any rollover going into 2023, you will have to qualify for at least Silver Medallion via MQDs or get the AmEx waiver. Otherwise, barring a new announcement from DL (unlikely given where air travel demand stands now), all MQMs will be forfeited and you will enter 2023 with 0 MQMs.
Pulling from the above example, let's say you entered 2022 with 100K MQMs and flew 50K MQMs but only earned 4K in MQDs and no AmEx spend waiver, only earning you Silver status. The 25K MQMs for FO status will be "deducted" and you will carryover 125K MQMs in rollover. If you flew 50K MQMs but didn't even hit the 3K MQDs required for FO status, you will forfeit all MQMs and your MQM balance going into 2023 will be 0.

ETA: Once things return to "normal" Rollover likely isn't the big deal some folks make it out to be. Rollover only benefits those who 1) meet the AmEx spend waiver, from which DL benefits from having those Medallions put that spend on a DL co-branded AmEx or 2) occasionally it will allow those who don't hit a higher tier but otherwise meet the MQD requirement to maybe hit it for one year before dropping back down again the following year. I.e. if you fly 100K MQMs a year and rollover 25K MQMs a year and otherwise spend 15K+ MQDs, every couple years you'll hit DM instead of just remaining a PM. But again, you still have to hit the MQD threshold.

MSPeconomist

In the above example, note that FO status must be EARNED to preserve rollover. If you have status only from MM, for example, that doesn't count and DL will take all of your MQMs.

Note also that if you want to hold short in order to preserve more MQMs for rollover, you might want to avoid hitting the MQD waiver from DL AmEx spend and instead decide how many MQDs you want to earn for status. The waiver requirement is the same for FO, GM, and PM, so if you have enough MQMs for PM and get the waiver, you'll be PM with 75,000 MQMs deducted rather than being able to stay at FO or GM with more rollover.

DLASflyer

I'm at 317,000, none through AMEX.

RobertS975

BINGO! They can hand out MQMs all day and it really costs them nothing! But collecting the bonus RDMs that we used to get for achieving credit card spend thresholds had actual value and certainly helped defray the annual card expense for a Reserve card.

josephstern

I'm going to object to the use of the term "massive" here.

And I'm a piker at this - there really are some massive MQM balances on this board and they're probably 5x-10x these numbers.

jrl767

Quote:

Originally Posted by josephstern

… I'm a piker at this - there really are some massive MQM balances on this board and they're probably 5x-10x these numbers.

in all likelihood, the folks with those MQM balances aren’t all that active here in FT-land

Quote:

Originally Posted by josephstern

I'm going to object to the use of the term "massive" here

it’s relative — see above
(could also be translated as “size matters” )

Ryno1234

I may be missing something: but MQMs are only part of the equation. You still have to hit the corresponding MQDs. For example, I just re qualified for Diamond for 2023 last week. All on "butt in seat" miles and dollar spend. if the year ended today, I would roll over 308K MQM, meaning I start 1/1/23 at 308K MQM. However, until i hit each MQD level, I am starting from scratch.

So to me, the rolling of the MQM is almost irrelevant. It's the MQDs that matter each year.

xliioper

There are plenty who are content with PM status and don't particularly feel the compulsion to go for DM (even with large MQM balances). Probably more so with GUC devalue. Hitting the Amex $25K MQD Waiver spend threshold isn't much of a challenge for most.

ijgordon

Well it costs them inflated elite ranks, and potentially missed revenue opportunities (eg, C+ upgrade fees at booking from Golds or SDC fees from Silvers) because people have higher status. But they get kickbacks from all the MQD waiver spend presumably.