alin314

Hello - I moved up to Platinum status this year (about Mar 2022)
I've got:
MQM 91,219
MQS: 21
MQD: $2,745
The system says I need 33,781 MQM and $12,255 spend to reach Diamond. At this late point in the year, it'd be a real spending spree, like First Class to Europe, to hit it. Is Diamond really worth that level of spend? I travel a lot but I'm not being paid to travel by a company. It's all on me and my personal business ventures.
Diamond sure looks like but is it worth $12.5k of MQD spend to really get there?

I've enjoyed the near constant upgrades, so that's been good. I see Diamond as obvious business travelers at my local airport, as they even know the TSA folks by name.
Just looking for some wisdom, insight. Do you think Delta will roll over the MQMs again into 2023? That'd make this much easier.

Thanks!

paterwdb

I don't think the MQD spend would make this worth it. While achieving Diamond does basically allow you to guarantee a ton of upgrades using RUCs planned well, and the service for a Diamond is (IME) much more generous on the phone, the $12K of spend just to achieve that would probably benefit you just as well paying for F or taking offers to upgrade next year.

jiburi

If you stop at current MQD, you'd normally get "general medallion member" for 2023. DL no longer values members who accumulate more miles for each dollar spent(91219/2745). While your spending spree might place you in higher status short term, you will eventually get bitten by the fact that DL doesn't value you. Id save your money and maybe top up to Silver or Gold and call it good for your own good.

Jiburi

Return2flight

I note you say you are enjoying the upgrades. If you are getting upgrades at a decent rate I’d say you might not need the jump to Diamond.

MSPeconomist

Note that if you don't earn at least FO status ($3000 MQD required if no waiver), according to the current rules you will get absolutely NO rollover. IMO it would be worthwhile to get to FO for the rollover, even if you just think fo it as an insurance policy for future years.

sydneyracquelle

If it were me I would get a DL Amex card and spend $25,000 on it by 12/31 to keep PM status. No travel required.

alin314

I do have the DL Amex, so I'm already collecting points/benefits from that. How will that card allow me to keep PM status?

DLHubber

I think a lot of people in this thread missed the fact that you said you hit PM in March of this year. Based on your MQDs, that means you already have hit the $25k MQD waiver. You don�t need to do anything to keep PM status for 2023, you�ve already got it and any MQMs over 75k will roll over.

xliioper

Most of us believe there is zero chance of DL rolling over all MQM again into 2023. I would definitely assume it will not happen again and you should factor in the fact you will likely start 2023 with very little MQM in your account if you decide to go for Diamond and just clear 125K MQM threshold. If you end the year with 100K MQM balance by sticking with Plat status, you would be able to start out 2023 with 25K of MQM rollover.

Goodoldflyer

Rollover the miles and keep status for an extra year.

sydneyracquelle

If I were you I would shoot for 2 years of PM over 1 year of DM. So you need to strive for 150,000 MQMs by 12/31/23 (DL will deduct 75,000 MQMs on 1/1/23) and spend the $25,000 on the DL Amex in calendar 2023.

DLHubber

100% agree with this. I�m in the same situation (much closer on MQMs and MQDs, but it would still require a bit of work) and I thought about shooting for DM, but there�s almost no way I�d get back to PM for 2024. Staying at PM for 2023 will make it basically a lock for me in 2024, so that�s what I�m doing.

gitismatty

you need to spend $12k to get a certificate for a possible upgrade. you said your travel is your own. so would you spend less than $12k on buying premium cabin for the travel you will do next year?

flyerfirsts

No he doesn't, he could get the job done with like 3500.

alin314

Sorry, what's FO status?