You only have a year left, it's not so bad. I didn't feel we had more than a few years worth of family flying ahead of us. I just couldn't see my self giving away what it cost to get a three year membership. Imagine the plight of those who bought it in December! I don't drink much. I don't cookies, or danishes nor cheese and crackers. There is hardly any think I can eat there. Does the membership still entitle you to use a Sky Club even of you are not flying on a SkyTeam carrier?

Sorry I don't wear a uniform . Not sure about raehl311

Do you really think it is about being uniformed?
But really, do you have a point?
If you have something to say about the promotion or 2010 Elite programme, we would like to hear.

For the better part of this decade, I used to credit at least 75,000 status miles to my DL account within the first 8-12 weeks of the year. This is the first year in many years where I did not do such a thing, and the only reason I did not do the same thing this year is because of DL management's customer-unfriendly moves that keep on devaluing the mileage program(s) for most customers and then giving charlatan-esque explanations for program devaluations that have negatively impacted the vast majority of Platinum, Gold, Silver and general program members.

Thanks so much for your feedback on our 2010 Medallion program. We continue to read your responses and while we can�t respond to each individual question or comment, we do want to address your major concerns � and clear up any confusion about the issues generating the most feedback. SkyMilesInsider will periodically address some of your most frequent postings and provide additional clarity on an �as needed� basis giving you quicker, informative responses to major topics. So here goes:

� New Day-of-departure SWU: Platinum and Diamond members will be able to choose from a variety of �Choice Benefits.� Included in these options are new Systemwide Upgrade Certificates (SWU). Basically, the new SWU is the same as our current PMU � except you can now use the SWU at the gate if a seat is available on the day of your departure. Platinums who select the SWU benefit will receive four certificates, and Diamonds will receive six. Some of you have asked why Platinums will receive fewer certificates in 2010 than in 2009. While you won�t receive as many certificates as before, we think they should be more usable and rewarding because we�ve added the ability to use SWUs on the day of departure.

� Delta Sky Club & Diamond Medallion: Okay, here�s the deal with Delta Sky Club membership. As you know, Diamond Medallion members will receive a complimentary membership. If you�re a Diamond Medallion and you�re already a Delta Sky Club member, we won�t refund your membership fee, but we will add any remaining months of your membership to the end of your complimentary membership, which will last as long as you�re a Diamond Medallion. And if you�re already a lifetime Delta Sky Club member, your membership status will remain the same.

� Choice Benefits: You guys are wondering how many choice benefits you�ll get to select if you hit Platinum and Diamond in the same year. The answer? Three. You�ll choose one benefit when you reach Platinum and two when you hit Diamond. If you�re already a Diamond and you re-qualify for Diamond status, you�ll choose two benefits when you hit 125,000 miles.

We�ll continue to monitor this forum and address any major questions that come up. Again, thanks for your interest in our new Medallion program benefits.

And what about for those of us who will start out next year already part of the Diamond program? Will we be allowed to select three choices or two?
-RM

I find it very telling that while many (most?) of the posts on this thread and the sister thread on the DL forum complain about SWU's only being available only on Y/B/M fares, SkyMilesInsider chooses not to even mention this concern.

Again, either they don't care about our concerns, or choose not to 'shoot straight' with us. Either way, another missed opportunity to explain/justify DL's position, or better yet - improve this uncompetitive benefit.

Remember how they chose to explain taking away the benefit of unlimited award changes for platinums? Then they gave the benefit back - to the new DM tier? The silence is deafening.

Is UA listening? HELLO! Delta's elite program totally shames UA's mileage plus. Now Delta come to SFO or OAK, and I'am ready to switch should UA continue to sleep on the relative higher advantage of being a member of Delta's elite program.

Precisely. Working in Marketing, I wouldn't even consider it a marketing spin. Its just a repetition of the unfortunate decisions they already announced, which only angers customers. Who do they employ at their Marketing department?

Oh yeah, buried in a weekly spam mail. Classy.

You're right - DL Insider didn't touch on this little discrepancy either (taking free award changes from Plats due to abuse but then turning around and giving the same benefit to DMs). The silence IS deafening...

I might just take my Gold (in 2010)and walk...

Good to hear this -- thanks for clarifying.

Can Diamonds pick the two same benefits (in other words, 2 x 25K bonus miles)?

Shucks, I really was hoping that they were going to add the remaining months of my membership to the end of my lifetime membership, for use after my death In all seriousness though, it would be great if I could instead gift that membership, e.g. to a family member.

Unfortunately, I still feel like DL has stolen a few hundred dollars from me. I paid for a 3-year WorldClubs membership. Since I have paid for that membership, DL has decided to give it away and, apparently to support that, drastically reduce the benefits of that membership, at the same time trying to claim that "All lifetime memberships will be honored". This seems to be a bit of an end-run around that that promise.


Not to mention, it just blows my mind that you would take a customer who spends that much money with your business, have them pony up a multi-year membership fee, and then thank them by refusing a refund when the thing they paid you hundreds of dollars for you later decide to hand out for free!