I do not see how this helps you as a SM. It may not be negative much but where are the postives?
The 125k MQM will get 62k RDMs

Yes, you will be among the minority that is unaffected; so will we after a tweaing of cards and spend patterns.
But you may need to hit the 350k mark and not 250k next year - less the balance from flying.
The treadmill on th hamster wheel got a bit faster.

A very calm analysis. But the Bold part has us strategizing how to adapt.

Summary of thread:

"I am happy with the changes"

​​​​"No, you are wrong."

I wasn't honestly sure which airlines had bid-for-upgrade programs, but if Google results can be trusted :p some airlines frequently touted on FT as being superior to the US3 are included...

Ah, not sure if it's a pure bid, but NK has something similar? The only true bid I participated in was the old SF based VX (Virgin America) where the app allowed one to make offers for available F space. Of course, this was an airline whose policy strictly prohibited any non-revs/upgrades from flying in F, which I thought was a great idea.

PS - I can appreciate where non-revs disagree, but my perspective is solely from that of a customer.

I've been reading the other threads and feel for those who have lost during this transition. I am mostly happy with the changes that are being enacted.

My travel is mostly last-minute, nonstop short-haul flights that cost $600-800 a ticket. I travel at least weekly. Under the old program, I struggled to make PLT since I only earned 1000 MQM per trip. Overall, I spend $40k/year on tickets yet yield ~60k "natural" MQM and ~70 segments. I expect to make diamond on my flight spend alone under the new program. I have to use my employer's corporate card for travel, which has been fine because I get Membership Rewards. I can't get C+ seats on roughly 1/3 of my tickets due to the vast number of PLT and Diamonds that have bought tickets before me. I'm frequently #7-20 on an upgrade list for 0-2 seats. I'm happy about the program because I expect that I'll be in C+ on more flights in the future and will have a chance at an F seat once the herd is thinned out a bit. I am perplexed by people who think that their Diamond made on super-inexpensive longhaul flights + Amex waiver are more important to DL than someone who travels like I do. I suspect the only folks who are more valuable are the ones who are paying refundable First and use the DL Amex Reserve for absolutely everything.

Where I lose in the new program is with the Skyclub. I have access through the regular Amex Platinum card. I now need to buy a membership or charge 75k/year to the (an) Amex card. I strongly prefer my CSR for spending for the bonus categories and to diversify my points earned. Plus, it's just easier to use (Costco!).

I've been in FF programs since the 1980s and have seen a lot of change. I think the airline industry disruption during the first Gulf War taught me that "loyalty" means something different for me than for a corporation. As a result, I've always felt more transactional about my relationship with US -> UA -> AA and now DL. I've learned to never hoard my miles and to understand that the airline isn't going to love me back when I'm old and broke. Nor will Tesla, Hermes, Nordstrom, or any other "brand." And neither will my employer when I no longer produce value in multiples of my salary.

I think most people will not like the changes overall, though a small percentage may benefit. After my initial disappointment and irritation, I realized how I can utilize these changes to my benefit. It won't get Delta or Amex any more money. I will merely compile all Amex charges onto one single Amex, instead of five, four of which I can cancel. I don't have to spend 20K on flight spend any more to get DM, I can spend far less. The only habit I will change is cancelling credit cards and spending less on Delta flights. I don't think this was a win for Delta/Amex as far as my family goes.

Is it a benefit to 1% and the 99% are shafted, again?

Very possibly. But I do think that some people can figure out a way to game this to their advantage. And it may not be to Delta/Amex's advantage. Part of that gaming is with no rollover MQM's, no MQM's for Amex spend, and the impossibility of getting higher status for many, is that they can feel they can purchase tickets on other carriers and utilize other credit card options. Since Delta has taken away so many benefits for many, people will not go through they gyrations of trying to obtain status when it's unreachable anyways.

Having had the weekend to read all the ranting around here, and also reflecting on things more reasonably, there seems to be somewhat of a path forward for Delta and myself as a soon-to-be free agent. I am a 1.5 million miler, with about 90-100K BIS miles flown per year (ex-pandemic), mostly international. The new "status" for me seems to be 2MM. When I fly TPAC, the Skyteam lounges in ICN, TPE, etc. make a real difference. (In ICN, for example, the Prestige Lounge is not nearly as crowded as the PP Matina Lounge by Gate 250 and the 7/11, and they open as early as 4:30 AM just as the LAX flight arrives. In LAX, let's not even talk about the Centurion Lounge - the KAL Lounge is peaceful and quiet). By 2026, I will lose Sky Priority because I will drop to FO, because there's a snowball's chance in Hell that I would spend money on any Amex DL cards. It will suck a bit, but there are other options to SEAsia.

It should have taken me between 3-5 years to reach 2MM, but now it may be 10-20 (perhaps more). Korean Air and China Air are actually quite good, but so are Japan Air, CX, SQ, NH, BR, etc. If the price is right, I MAY fly ST and credit the paid flights to Delta. Hopefully, this price-based and performance (as opposed to 'loyalty') rationale will pay off, and I will live long enough to see it.

So thanks again Delta. You made me realize how I need to be more loyal to myself. If our paths intersect, so be it, but I wouldn't be too sure. The world is bigger than you, despite all your attempts to suck everyone into that maelstrom you call your Delta ecosystem.

People mention "loyalty." A reminder these programs are NOT loyalty programs but marketing programs.

I feel like the path that DL has taken will be the path that other airlines take, sooner or later. With this, I feel like it will just be a matter of time before the FF programs become obsolete.

Pre-pandemic, most of my friends would bank their miles as points on generic cards. I never understood why they would not bank it on only one alliance? One of those friends recently flew on a half-paid, half-redemption on SQ. The other one flew JL in business with all her miles. Imagine my envy!

After mapping out all my flights for next year, I will make it to Silver again easily with MQDs to spare. No more rollover MQMs? Not worth it anymore! Why have I been restricting myself to mostly DL all these years???

basically it's a microcosm of the world in general.

Clutching at pearls dejavu again and again
 

Seems like a lot of pearl-clutching by a MINORITY of Skymiles members reliant on their AMEX to get them lounge access and better Medallion status for domestic upgrades. Per Delta, 70% of Skymiles members do NOT have a Delta-branded credit card (https://www.fastcompany.com/90934980...ards-its-a-lot).

Ease of climbing the elite-tier ladder got more difficult, but this has always been the case for all airlines year by year, and every "frequent-flyer" worthy of the label ought to be used to it.

I recall the similar furors when Delta stopped publishing award redemption charts. And when checked bag fees were introduced. And when in-flight drinks stopped being free. Wonder how many of those who promised to stop flying Delta actually left.