2010 Medallion Program
 

FlyerTalkers,

It was great seeing many of you at the Road Warrior event in ATL a couple weeks ago. As I said to many of you there, we’ve worked very hard over the last 12 months to align and ultimately bring together the SkyMiles and WorldPerks programs. Our goal has been and we will continue to create the industry-leading program that you’d expect from the world’s largest airline. I hope that you will agree that these announcements align with that philosophy.

There’s still work to be done and I appreciate the feedback that many of you have and continue to provide over the web and through email. Today however, marks a major step in the integration of the two programs and our airlines – as we unveil details of the 2010 Medallion program.

In short, we’re keeping all the current Medallion program features, several that many of you said to leave in place, including:

• Unlimited complimentary upgrades for all elites in the US48, Canada, Alaska, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and Northern South America
• Priority security access, priority boarding, preferred seating and waived checked baggage charges for everyone in the elite record
• Retaining of the 75,000 EQM requirement for Platinum status (I know this was a hot item of discussion and whether we would raise the threshold to align with AA and UA)
• A 500-mile minimum on all flight segments for all customers
• A 50% elite-qualifying and base mileage bonus on YBM coach fares
• One elite-qualifying mile and base mile per mile flown on all fares in all channels

And, we are permanently adding the following new benefits:

• Rollover MQMs: We’ll be the first airline to allow customers to roll over any Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) earned above a Medallion threshold each calendar year to jump start your elite qualification for the following year. For example, should you earn 40,000 MQMs this calendar year, the 15,000 MQMs that exceed the Silver Medallion threshold of 25,000 MQMs, will all be rolled over and be in your elite bank on January 1st. There is no limit to the amount of rollover and this benefit is effective now.
• Diamond Medallion Status: A fourth Medallion level for flyers who earn 125,000 MQMs or fly 140 segments per calendar year that will offer the richest benefits of any airline – including a popular request (bringing back complimentary lounge memberships)
• No Direct Ticketing Fees: Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members will have ticketing fees waived for all bookings.
• Choice Benefits: Diamond and Platinum Medallion members will choose from a menu of benefits, including the ability to gift Medallion status, bonus miles, Delta Sky Club day passes, and new systemwide upgrade certificates (formerly PMUs) that will now be redeemable on the day of departure.
• Unlimited complimentary upgrades on award tickets

Since many of you asked about the systemwide upgrade certificates at the road warrior event, I thought I would share a few more specifics around these. Up through the end of this year, all Platinum Medallions will continue to receive six Platinum Medallion upgrades just as they do today – no changes. Beginning in 2010, rather than six systemwide upgrades, Platinums will now have the option of receiving four new systemwide upgrades or can choose from a set of optional benefits instead. For those current Platinum Medallions who earn the new Diamond Medallion status, in addition to the four systemwide upgrades, they will receive two additional choice-benefits including the ability to have six additional systemwide upgrades for a total of 10 systemwide upgrades. The new systemwide upgrades will still require the purchase of a YBM fare, however will become usable on the day of departure and will also become fully automated (no more paper). In essence, should a Diamond or Platinum Medallion purchase a YBM fare internationally and there are empty seats in Business Class on the day of departure, we will now upgrade them using these certificates. Further to this, since 80% of Platinum Medallions today do not use the systemwide certificates that we send out, 4 out of 5 customers will actually opt to choose other benefits – in lieu of systemwide upgrade certificates. These other benefits will include additional bonus miles, lounge passes, the ability to gift elite status to anyone else, gift cards and other soon to be announced travel related items.

You can find more details delta.com/newskymiles, but I wanted to be sure you all were among the first to hear about the new program. I recognize we can’t please everyone all the time, but I hope you agree that these changes are a big step forward in making our elite program the best in the industry.

We will be reading the comments on the DL forum and will do our best to answer questions that you may have as they arise.

As always, thanks for your interest in and passion for the SkyMiles program.

Enjoy,
Jeff

As a current Diamond (at around 150K MQM's) I think I can speak for the majority of FlyerTalk members (at least based on conversations last night) and say I'm underwhelmed.

The only new benefits were ones that were removed from DL or NW Platinum members over the past 3 years or so.

- Free SkyClub access used to be a DL Plat benefit until (I believe) 3 years ago.
- 125% bonus mileage for Plat was a NW Plat benefit until 1/1/09
- 6 Systemwide Upgrade Cert's were a DL Plat benefit until this year

The ONLY real change is the removal of ticketing fees for Gold/Plat/Diamond and, IMHO, doesn't distinguish Diamond very much.

Additionally, the systemwide certs only change is day of departure upgrades. No use on less expensive fare classes so, on average, the difference between an M fare (lowest to use PMU) is ~$1,000-1,500 more than a K fare.

I can't see any reason to fly 66% more on DL to achieve Diamond over Platinum and will likely consider status matching over to UA/AA at some point this year to build up mid-tier or top tier status since I see no incentive to achieve Diamond.

Instead of going ahead and adding a tangible benefit (maybe redeem 2 awards at "low" regardless of "cost") that meant something to travelers, they've just put lipstick on the pig.

what is the effective date of complimentary upgrades on award tickets? starting when?

Two SWU's that could be used on any fare (international) would have done it. You could have kept the SC membership and the rest. Honestly, I am at 160k and I will not fly DL any more. For this level of flying I get INT upgrade instruments that I can actually use on MY dime cheap (That is the point guys...I can buy discount Biz on any number of airlines at the same rates as your YBM fares). I think you will find that the folks here handed this to you on a silver (or Diamond) platter and this is just not going to cut it for many who have been waiting to see which way to go.

This is all exactly how I feel. Frankly if you had just added one fare class to at least some of the Diamond SWU's you would have made people happy - this was a huge blunder, if you ask me. I know that for sure now UA is a better deal if you fly over 100k mikes.... My plan is to fly DL domestic only and switch all International to UA/LH.

As soon as they can get it done...but by Spring.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When will these improvements be in place? Why do I have to wait?
SkyMiles and WorldPerks members now can begin earning their way toward these benefits, which will be implemented in spring 2010. Many of our technology resources are focusing on the integration of the WorldPerks and SkyMiles programs in the fall of 2009 as well as merging the 2 operations. As these resources become available they will begin developing these new benefits for you. Our goal is to have them ready for use as soon as possible.

New 2010 Platinum benefit -33% PMU reduction
 

Can someone explain how reducing PMU system wide upgrades by 33% (6 to 4) for platinums is a new benefit?
Some people (DL) never learn.
You never want to take away so called perks from your top customers.

You can use the new ones at the airrport. If there is a seat you get the UG (but you have to be on a YBM). Weak.

Jeff,

Good news on the new level. I like some of the benefits. What didn't happen was the lowering of the lifetime PM to 3mm to align with AA, UA and others.

Why wasn't this considered?

Lifetime Club member already
 

A while back, way pre-merger, when WorldClubs offered the lifetime membership, I ponied up and got one. Since I'm grandfathered (or so I've been told) and now have a lifetime SkyClub membership, the Diamond tier doesn't really get me much more than the Plat already does....

My experience as a former DL Plat is the reason I didn't use my SWUs is they didn't clear outside the 24 hour window! I wonder what the "80 percent didn't use" statistic would be if DL took into account PMs who attempted to use, but were never cleared?

AA and UA don't offer anything more than their equivalent of Gold to be earned via MM status - AA will get you Plat for life at 2 MM (but no chance for ExPlat for life); UA will get you PremEx for life at 1 MM (and Red Carpet Club for life at 2 MM) - they do not have 1K for life.

DL and CO to my knowledge are the only ones offering Platinum for life...I believe CO also requires 4 MM.

That stings and I was thinking the same thing as I was reading the details. Even if I had re-upped my SC membership for next year already I would be PO'ed.

I can't see myself doing 160 segs per year.

Thanks for expanding on the new SWUs. It was not clear in the benefits chart that a DM would actually receive 10 of these. Good news for me...I have no problem in using all these I can get.