100% EQMs on Delta LUT fares from 1/1/05
 

Did not see this posted, so apologize if it was. I guess it is a good news for NW folks :)

Just wandered on the NW web site that says:

Elite Qualifying Miles at 100%: M, H, Q, K, G, Z, S, X, V (L, U, T effective January 1, 2005)
Elite Qualifying Miles at 50%*: L, U, T (effective November 18 - December 31, 2004)

Edited to add:
Sorry - I found it in the Major Changes to a DL Skymiles thread. Sorry for a dupe.

That's all right. We're all trying to better inform this ff community so keep up the good job of finding information to better our flying experience.

Jiburi

I know a number of people here have been burned by the many flip-flops on this, so a word to the wise:

* the LUT issue has changed back/forth at least three times in the past 6 months
* if you are booking a ticket far in advance on a DL LUT fare, don't count on 100% EQM -- if the rule changes after you book, you can NOT rely on NW to honor the rule at the time of booking

Now let's see the CO QISWTXL rule change!

I think this change is "safe" ... at least for 2005...

I doubt it...If you think about the dates it dropped last (nov 18-Dec 31), that was perfectly timed with the Turkey Day and Christmas travelling period. I think this change was to bring in more money and will happen again at the end of the year...

I am willing to bet it did make them some good extra cash in the busy season. Think of all the fliers trying to make status that now have to only book on NW. Honestly, I prefer doing a MR on DL because I can set up an ORD-DFW-ATL-SEA and back run for $200 and get 7000 miles if LUT = 100%. Since it was changed, I just got off an ORD-DTW-MEM-PHX-DTW-MEM-FLL-MEM-LAS-IND-MSP-ORD run for 10300 miles and $450 (although F all the way does make it worth it).

Its all about the dollar (or Euro or yen or peso or whatever currency you use)
Gary

I think it's either a miscommunication between the alliance partners or just Delta being so secretive with their big changes, so even their partners didn't have a clue.

I don't think NW was trying to shaft us, even though I got shafted and thought the same regarding the holliday period that was "targeted." I think the real reason that the rule was changed was that DL, effective Jan 1, now allows 100% EQM on sLUT (as the expression goes) fares. Prior to the rule change, DL gave only 50% EQM on those fares. This change brings them in line.

For me, this means my business will stay on Skyteam next year. I was going to bail and go to Oneworld because of the weak Skyteam presence on the west coast. I travel LAX-LAS often enough where the lack of 100% EQM on Skyteam was getting irritating. The only real Skyteam presence is DL through SLC, but they are price competitive. That means an RT brings me over 2000 EQM. A few of those coupled with my East Coast/Midwest trips makes Gold not far out of reach.

I don't think it's anything so conspiratorial or sinister...

NW, DL, and CO are "independently" attempting to maintain consistency among the EQMs awarded.

On CO-operated flights, CO awards 50% EQMs for cheap fares to CO FF accounts, so NW and DL do the same for theirs.

On NW-operated flights, NW was awarding 100% EQMs for cheap fares to its FF accounts. However, DL and CO were only awarding 50% EQMs for their own flights to their own FF accounts, so they likewise gave 50% EQMs on NW-operated flights to be consistent with how they treat their own FFs on their own metal.

On DL-operated flights, DL was awarding 50% EQMs for cheap fares to DL FF accounts, so CO did the same, and NW was merely moving in line with that scheme.

When DL announced their changes, NW was just moving back in line. And as part of their changes, DL now offers 100% EQMs on NW flights but only gives 50% EQMs on CO flights, as CO only gives 50% EQMs to CO FF accounts.

Keep in mind NW had announced the 50% EQMs on DL and backed off several times due to confusion and inconsistency in their announcements and rules on the web site. They'd finally straightened it out in November and gave the appropriate notification, when a few weeks later, DL changed its mind about the whole process.

* FF = Frequent Flyer

** CO offers 100% EQMs to CO-operated, CO FF accounts when booked on co.com.

*** Kudos to anyone who can follow my logic here. But IIRC, there are limits on how much the three carriers can actively "align" their FF programs as part of their codeshare agreement, so I wouldn't be surprised if they "telegraphic" moves to one another based on their announcements, and let their codeshare partners read about it like everyone else.