I do not have the patience to read every one of the detailed posts on this voluminous thread but I was one of the participants in the discussion mentioned by opushomes last week in Oregon.

The consensus that really emerged that evening was that DL was no longer a good choice for the international leisure traveler. I also now understand that NW WorldPerks was much more hospitable to this group than DL's program would be and their best choice would be to look elsewhere for the kind of service and perks that they have lost in the transition.

As a short haul domestic business traveler and up and down the East Coast commuter flying numerous segments on a complete mix of fare classes, I am feeling well-treated by DL with nearly 100% upgrades and much assistance and cooperation from the agents in the case of IRROPS and also when searching award availability for my three or four annual international long weekends.

To keep my upgrade percentage where it is, I do use virtually all of my PMUs on domestic transcons where most or all of the front cabin is usually sold and prudence dictates that a seat should be confirmed in advance. The K and Q fares carry only a quite reasonable premium over the LUTs and I consider the PMUs to be quite valuable for this purpose. They also come in handy the once in a while that there absolutely is no award availability and we need to travel internationally without trying to meet the conditions required by the I fare. Only time will tell whether the same day provision will come in useful for us. Others whom I know use them up when their company buys them YBM tickets.

Therefore, at this stage, I will continue on with DL and give the Diamond status the test of its first year to see if it is suitable for my purposes. As usual, everybody's MMV.

Or perhaps DL is unwilling to put it directly back into award inventory, preferring instead to redo the current beancounts & possibly sell the seat for real $$$.

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As frustrating as this scenario may be for some, as a for profit entity, one would expect them to.

Yes, but then how is DL saying that they are losing so much money from the award changes.... DL is generating more revenue when they do not replace the reward inventory and instead sell the seat....

This is double dipping --- charging to redeposit + causing it to become a revenue seat...

So you suggest that if someone were to cancel their low mileage Y award ticket a few weeks before on a flight that is otherwise sold out (or oversold) that ticket should go back into the for sale inventory? I disagree with you.

And please show me any other airline who automatically puts canceled award tickets back into inventory as award tickets because I doubt you'll find one. With the dynamic pricing models that airlines (and hotels, rental car companies etc..) use, it's difficult to do so.

There is an airline paging you to their program right now. If you look you will find thier thread. Happy flying!

That is definetly the logical thing to do. It is a for profit business.

I think you've really hit the heart of the matter. DL's official descriptions, at least so far, are all about having designed a "best in class" overall program--- meaning some kind of measure of "average" benefit offerings across all levels from general member to top tier.

They appear not to understand so well, however, that each individual has a fairly set particular pattern of flying and is concerned mainly with his/her marginal benefits level, as compared to the alternatives of competitors. Being "number one" on average does little good if the folks at the top tier(s) perceive they might be better off somewhere else. Arguing "but we're the best, as a whole program" rings rather hollow, to those flyers..

I agree with you that DL's GM is a very good and competitive product. It compares well with AA, UA and CO and if you have an AMEX card (Plat or Reserve) it is relatively easy to reach.

I would also opine that PM was not a bad product either at 75k MQM. We used to be able to cancel an unlimited number of award tickets (which considering how bad the online award reservation system was almost a necessity), got access to Skyteam lounges and got 6 PMUs. The benefits are less now but they are still pretty good IMO.

The problem is not GM or PM it is DM! It compares poorly to AA's ExP and UA's 1k and requires 125k MQMs vs. 100k EQMs. DL has tried to make it different with "choices", "DOD PMU use", and "rollovers" but we all know that the main issue is "real SWUs" and that most PMs do not care about DL's PMUs, after all 80% are not even used.

I see DM as a PR fiasco. DL cannot hope to attract 1k or ExP elites with what they are offering, and PMs flying >100k are strongly attracted by UA and AA products. With a few exceptions this appears to me as a one-way street.

I agree with you on everything here except for one point. I think that DL does understand that each individual has a fairly set particular pattern of flying and is concerned mainly with his/her marginal benefits level, as compared to the alternatives of competitors.

I think Delta has specific customers in mind WRT the Skymiles program's structure. I also think that DL expects to lose some top tier Skymiles members, while gaining some others from other programs. Obviously DL thinks they will gain more than they lose with these changes.

We will see how it shakes out in the long run.

Are you suggesting that some UA's 1k or AA's ExP are going to switch to DL to become DMs?

I am sorry, but unless your new home is in a major DL hub and you have no other choice, I just don't see it.

Obviously I don't know which forum users are the 'connected' ones. There's still no reason for DL not to just clearly say what's going to happen.

I agree.

Maybe that is because you are not a part of DL's target market.

I'll be a DL DM next year.

I used all of my PMUs this year, and none of my AA eVIPs.

I will be EXP next year again, so maybe I will be able to find a use for one or two of the new eVIPs.

I flew in UA business class in the last year, and decided never again.

Just because an airline and FF program are not ideal for you does not mean that it is not the best choice for someone else (and I am not located at any airline's hub).

I don't deny that DM may attract dual top-elites like you. Still I don't see elites who are either 1k-only or ExP-only being attracted by DL's DM.

If you consider the large number of elites flying about 90-120k MQMs per year, and tend to concentrate their business in a single airline to reach top status. How can DL possibly attract them with DM? I just don't see it! Furthermore, for this group I think on the long run it will become a one-way street out of DL. Maybe they are not the most profitable group for DL, but I think they are the vast majority of PMs and dual top-elites like you are a minority.