KDCAflyer

Thread to share 2023 airline/elite status plans.

I'm planning to go all in on AA, and won't work to keep DL Platinum for 2024. For me, it comes down to the following factors:

-My travel patterns have changed pretty significantly in 2022. Based on where I'm flying these days, AA's DCA nonstops are a lot more convenient than connecting on DL. I can't justify DTW or ATL connections in place of 1.5 hour nonstops to the Midwest.

-DL and AA are a lot closer than they used to be in terms of reliability and service (at least in my opinion). 2019 Delta was head and shoulders above AA in almost every way. Now that's no longer the case. The Admirals Clubs have gotten better, and AA is back to providing full onboard service in economy, unlike Delta. In terms of operations, DL still has a slight edge, but I've had very few delays on AA this year.

-Elite status: DL Platinum just isn't what it used to be. From swollen elite ranks lowering upgrade rates, to a reduction in benefits overall (SkyClub access changes, free award redeposit now mostly being meaningless, and phone service being significantly worse). It's not worth me going out of my way to keep anymore. Meanwhile on AA, I can easily achieve Executive Platinum with the new LP system, and even pre-pandemic, AA EXP > DL PM.

Interested to hear other folks' plans. There are aspects I'll miss about Delta, but ultimately airlines are about transportation, and AA just serves my needs better at this point.

ND76

I will have about 350,000 rollover MQMs in 2023 (after DL deducts 75k for 2023 PM status). I will pay my taxes on AMEX to make the $25k spend requirement. I'm guessing that my travel may only be 5 or 6 round-trips in 2023 as my personal life slows down. I intend to do what I have to do to remain PM until all my rollover MQMs run out, which would get me to January 31, 2029, when I will be 74 years old and at that time revert to lifetime (one year at a time) GM. I'm just over 800,000 MQMs away from lifetime platinum, which I have no chance of reaching.

KDCAflyer

I'm about 400K away from 1MM. Hopefully someday Delta makes sense again. I'd like to hit that milestone.

Repooc17

Going from Plat to Silver after January 2023. I have purposely booked away from Delta due to some poor experiences.

I am a free agent ex-NYC, and will continue to be in 2023. I am heavy on transcon and domestic flights, my booking preferences: schedule and price.

Let's where 2023 takes me. Aside from Delta, I have requalified 75K with AS and 1K with UA. I don't focus on one airline.

sydneyracquelle

To me the dealbreaker is always nonstops. No airline or alliance or status is worth spending an additional 2++ hours to connect when nonstops are readily available to where I want to go from my home airport.

KDCAflyer

Yeah I do a lot of flying to the Midwest, as well as FL and TX. All of those destinations require connections ex-DCA on Delta.

Another big factor in AA's favor is that gate 35X is gone, as are all single-cabin RJs. I preferred connecting over dealing with that mess and CRJ-200s on 2 hour flights. Now I mostly get E175s, which are nice (and AA's CRJ-900s mostly have new cabins too).

kpbadger

I’m sitting on about 175k MQMs and will drop from extended diamond to silver in Feb 2023. Flying for work is non-existent now (maybe a few flights next year) and family vacations curtailed due to covid. My plan is to spend $25k on Amex in January to unlock platinum for the next 2 years. I’ve been mostly WFBF since the pandemic.

We’ve had some bad Delta experiences this year that I attribute to understaffing, and then sad boxes, worse phone support, monumental struggles to use RUCs, and even things like Sky priority checkin randomly being closed at large airports have soured me on Delta. We are going to try AA for our spring vacation and will likely end up free agents. (For me 20k MQD is out of reach, and they killed the skyclub credit card guest pass choice benefit anyway, so I do not anticipate ever returning to diamond.)

mbluecpa

I’m at 172K MQM and will never make the Diamond MQD threshold, so Platinum it is. In 2023 I’ll aim for MVPG on AS through a combination of AS and AA but include with DL in the mix where nonstops, timing, or price make sense.

Mhyduchak

260,000 MQMs to end the year. My new position is 50% travel but shaping up more like 75% for Q1. Will easily hit the new $20k spend including international partner flights to quickly get there.

Honestly a very good year with Delta besides the general Covid pains we all know. Main thing keeping me here is the great SkyClub in my small Midwest airport. I know everyone there now!

dcstudent

This. Being Atlanta based I'll be flying Delta 90%+ of the time no matter what I think of Delta.

drjeffrock

Totally agree. I qualified for PM next year, but I will likely lose all status with DL in 2024.

Air France is sort of forcing my hand by restricting La Premiere award tickets to platinum status holders. (I earn a lot of miles via cc spend.) I'll probably end up crediting my mostly-J sometimes-F international flights to FB instead of SM.

I won't mourn the loss of status with DL one bit. I used to use my RUCs LAX/BNA, now it seems like all the time periods I search require a GUC. I get it. WFBF, and I do.

It just feels silly to chase status to get 4 RUCs to use on a flight like LA to PHX/SFO/LAS, all flights I would be perfectly fine sitting in coach.

Stripe

AA still has plenty of ERJ-145s. They are certainly not as bad as CRJ-200s, as they have a single seat option, but they are still pretty tight and there is no F. Maybe you don't see them out of DCA but they are common out of ORD to midwest destinations.

ryw

As a newly transplanted ATL hub captive, looks like most of my flying will be on DL next year. In previous years on the west coast I'd maintain basic status on WN for short haul flights, and silver on DL for transcon and long haul flights. I was able to push for GM for 2023, which seems to be about as high as a level I'll be able to get with my flying patterns.

I have to make some decisions about 2024 though. Flying for work and leisure next year is probably going to be less than pre-pandemic for me. I think I'll be likely to end 2023 having close to enough MQMs for GM, but be about $2000 short in MQD (which unfortunately lines up with DL increasing the MQD threshold by $2k for 2024). I have to decide if it's worth getting a DL AmEx and putting on the spend to get the MQD waiver, or just resign myself to being Silver. (Between being at ATL where everyone has status, and GM/PM no longer having SkyClub access on international economy flights, I'm not sure there's going to be much actual difference between Silver/GM in 2024!).

jrl767

I’ve been dual-status for the past 5 years (DL PM and AS 75K)

I’ll be rolling over ~110K MQM, and I’m expecting to fly at least one monthly SEA<>WAS thru September for business (plus a few SEA<>LAX) … AmEx waiver (largely on out-of-pocket upfares and some tax-deductible charitable contributions) should let me requalify for PM next year via about half the TCONs; AS upfares, leisure travel, and a couple strategic MRs should get me to 75K again

DLHubber

The last RUC I used was LAX-DTW a couple months ago. It’s all so relative. I tend to book my flights a few months out, and get plenty of RUC availability.