I am a first year Diamond this year, after being a first time Platinum the year before. Rollover helped get me platinum for 2022, and international work travel in 2022, along with personal travel, got me to Diamond in 2023. I was promoted to a job with more travel required in 2020 (though the travel didn�t actually start until 2021 for obvious reasons!). The point is that with rollover, travel didn�t actually have to start to increase until 2022, when it actually did for many. 2022 was a very heavy travel year in general, particularly in premium cabins. A gold that spent $30K a year on a Delta Reserve in 2020 and 2021, and flew in 2021 and particularly 2022, could pretty easily reach Diamond with some paid J in 2022 - why is likely why Delta increased MQD requirements this year .

100%. There are a handful of sweet spots left in various programs but in time, and likely at an accelerated pace as they dwindle, those too will be gone, replaced by piles of deeply devalued miles many of which will never get spent. Free agency and cash back cards will reign.

I don't really have anything of substance to add, but all this reminded of a conversation I had with a buddy of mine who was an exec at Costco (now retired).

He said that the Costco AMEX relationship was never the most cordial because the two companies had diametrically different view points on how to run a company.

He said, when Ken Chenault (at the time CEO of AMEX) would come to town it was a scripted affair down to how Chenault would enter the building.

The Costco team was not fancy in the slightest and they always found it amusing how Chenault and his team acted all fancy with their suits and ties and very shiny shoes, something that Jim Sinegal always noticed.

My buddy once relayed a story about how Chenault was going over a Power Point presentation about how to increase profit to the co-brand card. Jim Sinegal interrupted Chenault and asked how does this benefit the customer? Chenault was silent for a minute and then said well it I mean it doesn't, it benefits our mutual relationship.

Jim Sinegal said that I am not interested, our customers and our employees are and always will be Costco's number one concern and if we don't benefit either group, we aren't interested and that was that.

Sort of reminds me of this, Costco fought for the customer neither DL nor AMEX did.

Great story! My husband gave up his DL Amex card when the deal with Costco went sour - and I will likely join him next year.

Keep one cheap DL Amex so you can get the 15% discount as you deplete your 900k RDM balance.

Too late. I hope people are wise enough to dump that crap.

This. Next spring I will be cancelling my AMEX Plat and replacing it with a cash back card. I�m using my accumulated miles from my AA/DL/UA on domestic trips, and when I fly international, I buy premium economy and almost always able to upgrade to J.

I've flown both Delta One and United Polaris to/from Europe recently and I don't agree with this assessment at all. I would put both DL One and UA Polaris in the same general ballpark, with the exception of the DL 763. Any Polaris option is superior to Delta One on the 763.

This right here! Someone oughta start a thread to show their AmEx MQM Waiver spend-to-date for 2023, and how that's gonna plunge to zero/near zero in 2024, since it won't be worth the effort. (Yes, I'm sure there's a hunting camera magnate who will show off his 6 digit spend, but look at the millions of us spending under $50,000 on a cobrand Delta AmEx card! And remember, Delta needs planes full of people...which means all purchasers of tickets are important...not just those at the pointy end!)

2021- I organically re-qualified for DM by July 2021, when Ed granted status extensions to the folks WFH, I knew the current predicament we find ourselves in with doubling of Diamond members was inevitable, so I did a UA MileagePlus 1K status match and cleared that within 2 months by purchasing F fares, then Hyatt as a Globalist had a AA Platinum Pro challenge and I cleared that also with F fare purchases. I have the flighty app and my 2021 flight stats was 133 segments with 10 long haul international segments. I played the field with UA and AA part of 2022, while maintaining DL DM status, and sticking around with DM by re-qualifying based on MQD's. I actually increased my flying during the pandemic, as airlines and hotels were desperate for travelers. 2020 was very unique flying as ATL was a ghost town and a majority of my connections was always in the B terminal. The B SkyClub was a quarter filled and all the food was pre-package.

I'm sure the ranks of Platinums probably quadrupled with the $25kMQM waiver and $30,000 status boost for MQM's-- this has been affecting domestic upgrades with the PM Choice Benefit RUC's as I noticed a lot of same last names high on the upgrade list, meaning that couples are traveling together using a RUC.

I have been at Zero AmEx MQM waiver spend since at least 2019. Why would I want more additional useless SkyPennies?

Mike K should be putting all that spend on The Platinum Business Card and aiming for a Centurion Business invite. Why is he wasting his money for DL DM status? If he is truly a big shot, then going private jet charter to HI with his family of 5. He could get a Wheels Up membership which would count towards DL MQM/MQDS.

Before using the word premium as DL throws it around currently, years ago the DL marketing was best in class plastered every where when every brand was using this term. Monkey see, monkey do.

I took my first trip after declaring an open relationship with Delta instead of an exclusive one. Given PM with rollover miles, I have zero reason to fly with them through year end. The grass is not greener. The United experience was terrible - mechanical issues, uncomfortable seats, angry FAs, etc. I missed my new A220 with half as many middle seats. Booking next week�s trip again with Delta.

While the FF program changes are terrible, plus lounge access limitations, there�s no denying a better on board product. But there is a line they can cross if service falls, or if FF program is gutted so much, that there�s no coming back from.

Adding my $0.02 to this thread�.potentially some changes on the table:

1. Increase MQD earn in DL cards - 5:1 for Reserve & 10:1 Plat
2. DL Reserve/Amex Plat gets unlimited SC access with >$50k annual spend
3. Allow additional choice benefits to be earned at $25k MQD, $30k MQD, $40 MQD spend etc. (maintain DM status at $35k MQD)

All these encourage Amex spend which is what DL is ultimately after�

Spend tiers are definitely needed otherwise there�s no incentive after hitting Diamond. Would love to be able to earn more RUC/GUC with more spend.