Are DL Platinum Medallions losing award fee exemption benefit?
Jan 6, 2009, 11:59 pm
#1
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Is the following NW message about elimination of the Platinum benefit of award fee exemptions mentioned here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11026004-post248.html a sign of DL Platinums getting fleeced even more too in several weeks?
The award ticket fee exemption for Platinum Medallions is a very valuable benefit to DL Platinums and so I hope there is some mistake involved rather than yet another customer-unfriendly move by DL management.
NW Platinums lose the exemption effective March 1, 2009 according to NW emails.
Given how DL management tries to "harmonize" to the worst common denominator between the DL and NW frequent flyer programs and how DL management is running the show, DL Platinums losing a very valuable benefit at the same time as NW Platinums would seem to be just what the DL Grinch management would order.
Is this yet another sign of DL management thinking of the customers as the enemy or sheeple to be fleeced? I would hope not but nothing DL management does to strip the SkyMiles program of customer value shocks me.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11026101-post250.html
RealDLInsider -- DL management -- would talk about "customer givebacks". Well, is this to now be one of those "customer givebacks" to DL that the head of SkyMiles was mentioning?
A DL Platinum "customer giveback" to DL?
Here's the discussion in the NW forum about this:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/north...beg-3-1-a.html
The award ticket fee exemption for Platinum Medallions is a very valuable benefit to DL Platinums and so I hope there is some mistake involved rather than yet another customer-unfriendly move by DL management.
NW Platinums lose the exemption effective March 1, 2009 according to NW emails.
Given how DL management tries to "harmonize" to the worst common denominator between the DL and NW frequent flyer programs and how DL management is running the show, DL Platinums losing a very valuable benefit at the same time as NW Platinums would seem to be just what the DL Grinch management would order.
Is this yet another sign of DL management thinking of the customers as the enemy or sheeple to be fleeced? I would hope not but nothing DL management does to strip the SkyMiles program of customer value shocks me.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11026101-post250.html
RealDLInsider -- DL management -- would talk about "customer givebacks". Well, is this to now be one of those "customer givebacks" to DL that the head of SkyMiles was mentioning?
A DL Platinum "customer giveback" to DL?Here's the discussion in the NW forum about this:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/north...beg-3-1-a.html
Last edited by Canarsie; Jan 7, 2009 at 2:01 pm Reason: Consolidation.
Jan 7, 2009, 5:51 am
#2
Join Date: May 2003
Location: ATL/MOO (Many Others Often)
Programs: DL GM (2MM), Lifetime Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 2,456
Hmmmmm. For me, this is the last great bennie of being a PM and one that I use often. The PM upgrades are ok though not enough to keep me as insanely loyal to Delta as I have been thus far. If this is taken away though or made a bennie of a higher 4th tier I'll have to fly smarter to get to that 4th tier or start the long dreaded consideration of moving to a non LH, European based carrier.
We shall see...
We shall see...
Jan 7, 2009, 5:52 am
#3
Join Date: Dec 2002
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Thanks GUWonder for posting a heads up about this possible change on the Delta Forum. I might have to remove you from my ignore list (got tired of reading about "fleecing sheeple").
This would be a huge devaluation if it were to occur. I convinced a colleague of mine to do a mileage run in December in order to make Platinum. His main reason for getting to Platinum is for the award fee waivers. He has already used this benefit to rebook some TATL award itineraries booked for him and his wife.
Unfortunately, I'm too busy lately to burn many miles these days (me and my family are sitting on a million RDMs right now), but in the rare situations when I do (and in the future), having award fee waivers is excellent since it makes it practical to book tickets fairly far out, knowing that plans could change as the date nears.
I guess this is one of those "wait and see" situations. I certainly hope that it doesn't come to fruition, but if it does, there will be less and less reason to make PM instead of GM. I currently count this as one of the major incremental benefits.
This would be a huge devaluation if it were to occur. I convinced a colleague of mine to do a mileage run in December in order to make Platinum. His main reason for getting to Platinum is for the award fee waivers. He has already used this benefit to rebook some TATL award itineraries booked for him and his wife.
Unfortunately, I'm too busy lately to burn many miles these days (me and my family are sitting on a million RDMs right now), but in the rare situations when I do (and in the future), having award fee waivers is excellent since it makes it practical to book tickets fairly far out, knowing that plans could change as the date nears.
I guess this is one of those "wait and see" situations. I certainly hope that it doesn't come to fruition, but if it does, there will be less and less reason to make PM instead of GM. I currently count this as one of the major incremental benefits.
Jan 7, 2009, 6:10 am
#4
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Thanks GUWonder for posting a heads up about this possible change on the Delta Forum. I might have to remove you from my ignore list (got tired of reading about "fleecing sheeple").
This would be a huge devaluation if it were to occur. I convinced a colleague of mine to do a mileage run in December in order to make Platinum. His main reason for getting to Platinum is for the award fee waivers. He has already used this benefit to rebook some TATL award itineraries booked for him and his wife.
Unfortunately, I'm too busy lately to burn many miles these days (me and my family are sitting on a million RDMs right now), but in the rare situations when I do (and in the future), having award fee waivers is excellent since it makes it practical to book tickets fairly far out, knowing that plans could change as the date nears.
I guess this is one of those "wait and see" situations. I certainly hope that it doesn't come to fruition, but if it does, there will be less and less reason to make PM instead of GM. I currently count this as one of the major incremental benefits.
This would be a huge devaluation if it were to occur. I convinced a colleague of mine to do a mileage run in December in order to make Platinum. His main reason for getting to Platinum is for the award fee waivers. He has already used this benefit to rebook some TATL award itineraries booked for him and his wife.
Unfortunately, I'm too busy lately to burn many miles these days (me and my family are sitting on a million RDMs right now), but in the rare situations when I do (and in the future), having award fee waivers is excellent since it makes it practical to book tickets fairly far out, knowing that plans could change as the date nears.
I guess this is one of those "wait and see" situations. I certainly hope that it doesn't come to fruition, but if it does, there will be less and less reason to make PM instead of GM. I currently count this as one of the major incremental benefits.
Jan 7, 2009, 6:28 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Huntsville, AL
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Jan 7, 2009, 6:41 am
#6
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According to NW communication, it's March 1st, 2009 -- at least for NW Platinums.
Given DL's obsession with "harmonization" to close arbitrage between SkyMiles and WorldPerks, why wouldn't these award fee introductions for Platinums be done at more or less the same time for DL and NW Platinums?
Given DL's obsession with "harmonization" to close arbitrage between SkyMiles and WorldPerks, why wouldn't these award fee introductions for Platinums be done at more or less the same time for DL and NW Platinums?
Jan 7, 2009, 6:50 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: Skyteam
Posts: 5,759
Which other program currently has an award fee waiver for their top tier members?
Jan 7, 2009, 6:55 am
#8
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Which award fees are you talking about being exempted from?
DL has so many more award fees -- more fees than any of the other North American, Central American, European, Asian, African or South American carriers whose loyalty programs -- it's hard to know which award fees you are talking about.
Jan 7, 2009, 6:57 am
#9
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Jan 7, 2009, 6:58 am
#10
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Which award fees are you talking about being exempted from?
DL has so many more award fees -- more fees than any of the other North American, Central American, European, Asian, African or South American carriers whose loyalty programs -- it's hard to know which award fees you are talking about.
DL has so many more award fees -- more fees than any of the other North American, Central American, European, Asian, African or South American carriers whose loyalty programs -- it's hard to know which award fees you are talking about.
Last edited by Canarsie; Jan 7, 2009 at 2:01 pm Reason: Consolidation.
Jan 7, 2009, 7:02 am
#11
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Since I saw the writing on the wall, I haven't willfully credited a single MQM of activity to my DL account in several months.
Usually I would have another 75k MQMs credited to DL well before this quarter is over too ... but not this year.
I am DL-NW Platinum through to the end of February 2010 and that's scheduled to be the end of many years of being Platinum with DL and NW unless DL management radically changes its customer-unfriendly ways.
Usually I would have another 75k MQMs credited to DL well before this quarter is over too ... but not this year.
I am DL-NW Platinum through to the end of February 2010 and that's scheduled to be the end of many years of being Platinum with DL and NW unless DL management radically changes its customer-unfriendly ways.
Jan 7, 2009, 7:05 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Write to Delta and let your voice be heard. 
This is outrageous.
This is outrageous.
Jan 7, 2009, 7:07 am
#13
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Those are only two of many DL award fees.
To different degrees, AA, UA, AS have top-tiers exempted or subject to fewer and lower fees (even no fees in comparison to DL if talking about date changes) -- and that is just out of the US program.
Out of the foreign programs, many more have fewer and lower fees or fee-free changes compared to DL.
To different degrees, AA, UA, AS have top-tiers exempted or subject to fewer and lower fees (even no fees in comparison to DL if talking about date changes) -- and that is just out of the US program.
Out of the foreign programs, many more have fewer and lower fees or fee-free changes compared to DL.
Jan 7, 2009, 7:10 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2006
Programs: Skyteam
Posts: 5,759
Those are only two of many DL award fees.
To different degrees, AA, UA, AS have top-tiers exempted or subject to fewer and lower fees (even no fees in comparison to DL if talking about date changes) -- and that is just out of the US program.
Out of the foreign programs, many more have fewer and lower fees or fee-free changes compared to DL.
To different degrees, AA, UA, AS have top-tiers exempted or subject to fewer and lower fees (even no fees in comparison to DL if talking about date changes) -- and that is just out of the US program.
Out of the foreign programs, many more have fewer and lower fees or fee-free changes compared to DL.
Jan 7, 2009, 7:19 am
#15
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Makes no sense, but I've little doubt that JeffBob is capable of thinking this way.