conde

I agree that Delta sees its competition being AA and UA. On the other hand, most people who want to pay for quality premium lodging options such as Four Seasons, Oberoi, Taj, Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula, Rosewood, etc., they are not staying because of loyalty programs. Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, IGH and others have loyalty programs, but a good number of people will book for luxury stays outside of that framework. Getting back to the Delta, or any other US domestic airline, if one wants a better experience (I agree that Premium is relative and Delta isn't competitive with select Asian and Middle Eastern airlines on premium product or service), its available at a price. Sure, being a Delta Medallion feels good, but people should think carefully about what they are really getting. If credit card spend went elsewhere, the opportunity cost would likely unlock better value.

I will continue to fly Delta. After next year, my participation as a Medallion member will be a thing in the past. It will be quite liberating not thinking about making minimum cc spend to get an MQD waiver.

For disappointed members... What are you clinging to?
Delta made their move. The next move is yours.

SeaHawg

Ding ding ding! As a DM waiver customer/business owner, this is my calculus as well. This is why I am willing to go one year and evaluate if there is any difference in 2025-2026. Yes, 350k spend on my cap1 could net me 700k extra transferrable points which is the equivalent to 6-10 J one-way TATL trips through Air Canada or Flying Blue deep discounted awards�

synzero

I find this dubious, for the following reason: spending $350K on a Reserve just to get DM for a single person is one of the least efficient ways to spend money there is. I mean, for a sole proprietor, maybe it makes sense if they value status with a single airline more than nearly anything else, but for a CFO running a business with many employees, I can tell you while they tolerate employees using business travel to get status, they really couldn't give a rat's ... what level of status their employees attain. They want to get people from A to B efficiently, and they don't want their employees wasting company money, much less are they going to divert all their company spend to one card. So we're basically talking small business here, sole proprietors or family businesses where the business = one person. So great, maybe that niche is going to do this - but it still is pretty absurd even in that case unless that's the only thing you value. If I had $350K to funnel through credit cards, I sure as hell wouldn't put it all through a Delta Reserve card. With that much spend you can do things way more intelligently and book yourself as much first class travel on points as you want on MANY airlines, not just SkyTeam, with the terrible points redemptions you get with SkyMiles.

I just don't see the logic here. These changes hurt almost every category of flier except the casual fliers who don't care about status, for which the changes mean very little except maybe less crowded SkyClubs in ATL and JFK.

Visconti

While I wish DL the best of luck, I think they're way over their skis this time. In my view, once this has been fully implemented, the PMs/DMs will drop enough where you'll start seeing some desperation elite promos, most likely via Corp channels. This strikes me as just replacing older less valuable consumers with younger ones with a longer runaway with potential OPM spend, at best.

While unflattering, we're only as good as our last at bat. If a road warrior has spent X for the past 30 years and about to retire, what's his/her value moving forward? Compare this to his counterpart starting 30 years younger. I suspect, they think the Mills will fall for this, and I think they're right.

buckeye91

Nothing like buying a RT domestic first class ticket to SFO from OH and getting a �premium� canned wine�.

smartytravel

They continue being so deceptive about "premium". I've said on this forum so many times: there really isn't anything premium about Delta in any of the travel classes.

At best, it's an average airline with an average experience.

For truly premium, people should go elsewhere.

GrayAnderson

Bluntly - why do you wish DL the best of luck? Are we at the theatre and we all missed it? ;-)

Visconti

Ah, before the pandemic, one of my larger investments were in DAL, both on a personal and institutional level. While I no longer have the investment because of the uncertainty during the pandemic, I know many who are still heavily vested in their success. So, it's a professional courtesy, I suppose. Except for the Dodgers, I don't think I've really wished ill or failure on anyone or institution. I'm generally just indifferent absent a financial interest.

As a consumer of theirs, I matter very little. And, in the long run, they matter very little to me too.

smartytravel

Delta sure loves drama in many acts.

computerpro3

When a biz owner is spending a couple million a year through a CC, it is not practical to spend that volume in the most theoretically efficient way. I am telling you right now that a lot of the popular high value rewards cards WILL NOT give you a credit limit that even makes it possible to pump this much money through the cards. While Chase is the worst, almost every credit card company besides Amex will shut your account down if you make multiple payments per month (credit cycling).

You know the only brand that doesn't? Amex. I guarantee you they have a disproportional amount of biz customers who spend millions per year on their cards because they have no other choice. I am one of them. We sometimes spend $10k+ PER DAY on advertising on CC; I would have to pay off my Chase card every 3rd day which would get my account shut down - Amex gives me no fixed limit, but I have carried $500k balances no problem with them between all of my combined business cards.

Everyone saying nobody is going to put 350k spend through a Reserve is missing three key factors:

• Those who have the ability to pump millions in spend through ANY CC are likely locked permanently into the Amex ecosystem due to their uniquely high limits and allowing of credit cycling
• When you are spending millions per year on CC, the time and effort involved to get every last possible dime of efficiency out of $350k spend is just not worth my time and effort
• Since most high spenders are locked into the Amex ecosystem, the rewards rate that you are really competing against is 1.1x on platinums. I have four gold cards that I get 4x on with a 150k cap, but I blow through that in a few months. After that, it's 1.1x for me (cashback through Schwab Amex Platinum).

geraldj100

So I�m a 2 Million Miler about 1/2 way to 3M. Any idea on impact on these come 2025?

Repooc17

Impact of 9/14/23 Skymile changes on 2 Million Miler Status

BogusRogus

Also my question - how does the DL reserve now work for Centurion lounges?

beachmouse

85% of US air travel is Domestic to Domestic routes. A fair amount of the remaining D to I is North American where you’re competing against Air Canada, Aeromexico or other US carriers on Caribbean routes.

The amount of overlap with Singapore or Emirates’ route networks (or similar five star airlines) is os small there’s no real reason to spend extra money trying to compete with those on quality.

BogusRogus

I really don't think so. I'm Platinum with the reserve card and rarely upgraded. Just be Silver, use another card for cash back spend, dump the $550 fee, and just buy lounge access instead. You're way ahead.