I resisted the idea of making AAdvantage revenue-based because it would possibly increase corporate

Delta has finally come out of the closet celebrity cruise ships with phase one of its long-rumored revenue-based SkyMiles program. celebrity cruise ships Luckily, we are getting a full year s notice. For travel this year, you will continue to earn status for 2014 as before. However, celebrity cruise ships beginning with flights in 2014, status for 2015 will be based miles flown and dollars spent.
To achieve Silver Medallion, you must fly 25,000 miles and spend at least $2,500 celebrity cruise ships on Delta. If both are not met, you will not earn status. For Gold Medallion, you must spend at least $5,000; for Platinum, at least $7,500; and for Diamond, you must spend at least $12,500.
MQDs are based on money spent on Delta-marketed  flights only (taxes and fees excluded)—this does NOT include money spent on ancillary fees for bags, upgrades, in-flight food/bev, etc. Spending on Delta-marketed flights will include partner and code share flights those tickets with an 006 prefix. So, for example, dollars spent on a Delta-marketed Alaska Airlines flight will count. Delta says that passengers will be able to track their MQDs on the new SkyMiles dashboard introduced as part of its recent website redesign.
One way around the new rules: Spending at least $25,000 miles in a calendar year on any Delta SkyMiles American Express card exempts you from the spending thresholds (but not the mileage/segment requirements).
Meeting or beating these new spending thresholds may be easy for some, but for others, not so much. For example, to attain or maintain Gold status (50K miles + $5K spend), you would have to buy an average of ten $500 Delta tickets over the course of a year. How easy or hard do you think this will be? Please vote in our poll!
Delta is betting that this will weed out the flyers that game the system for status or simply buy the lowest fares. In the end, the new spending thresholds are going to hurt leisure travelers (who bring Delta the least revenue) celebrity cruise ships most. Big spending business travelers might find that with fewer Medallions to compete celebrity cruise ships with, it's easier to board early and upgrade.
As usual with SkyMiles changes, Delta says that we ve been asking for this here s a line from the press release announcing the changes:  These changes are a result of considerable research that we ve conducted including conversations with hundreds celebrity cruise ships of customers, many of whom expressed a desire to see the Medallion program truly target our best customers, said Jeff Robertson, vice president – SkyMiles. Adding a revenue component to the SkyMiles Medallion program ensures that our most valued customers celebrity cruise ships receive the best program benefits and a more exclusive experience.
Steve: "Delta is the best at making these kind of changes, calling them improvements and saying celebrity cruise ships that we, their most frequent and loyal travelers, asked for/demanded them. Yeah, uh-huh, dat s right."
Ed: "Will silver medallion status continue for million milers? I am retired and don t travel as much any more. Will I lose my silver medallion status in 2014?" (We are awaiting an answer from Delta on this one…)
EARNING MQMs TO CHANGE. As if the Medallion Qualifying Dollar requirement were not enough, the ability to earn MQMs will become more difficult for some folks. M fares will no longer earn 150% MQMs, dropping instead to 100%. The Y and B fares still earn 150%. Luckily, all other economy fares earn 100% MQMs. If you are privileged to purchase first or business class tickets, you will soon earn 200% MQMs. Reinforcing the revenue-based trend, Delta's incentive is to reward the flyers that bring Delta the most money, which makes sense. But, it is tough price to pay for of those who have learned to love the older, celebrity cruise ships easier way.
COMPETITIVE RESPONSE? While low fare carriers such as AirTran, Southwest, JetBlue and Virgin America have embraced the revenue-based trend, it is yet to be seen if American, United, or US Airways will follow along. Since most other legacy carriers are in varying states of uncertainty or disarray compared to Delta, it's unlikely they will enact such changes in the near future. However, if you are ready to bail on Delta, United will be happy to match your Delta status —but you must act fast. This offer expires on Jan 31. The deal requires you to fly United for a pre-determined number of miles within 90 days. Your new United status will be instant allowing you to enjoy upgrades and other perks during your qualification flights.
You tipped us off that this was coming. As others have said, it probably won t be too tough for most of the higher level elites to meet the spending level. And, especially if you have the AMEX Platinum SkyMiles celebrity cruise ships Business card, you should be able to knock off the $25k easily (and pick up 10k MQMs in the process). I too wonder what this will do to my lifetime status. Retirement time isn t too far off and, while there will be travel to do, it certainly won t be of the road warrior ilk and that will change things for me. Finally, most of my international celebrity cruise ships travel is booked in M fare as that is the lowest upgradeable. Cutting out the 150% will hurt not sure I m willing to pay the premium for B fares just to get the bonus MQMs. I ll probably do that on a case by case basis.
As someone stated earlier, this shouldn t be a problem for the higher tiers. Tho now retired, I was making between 6 and 9 international trips a year where only 1 or 2 annually were purchased as business due to short notice requirements and I was the top tier for 14 straight years. As I look back at travel expenses, we were spending between $45k and $55K per year as I had to have refundable/changable tickets. However for those just travelling in the US with hard company rules on ticket purchases, or just travelling for leisure this could be difficult.
celebrity cruise ships A new credit celebrity cruise ships card that would combine Delta and your prefered hotel and rental car company and park-n-ride vendor and other providers would be a nice thing if the points could be directed to the various programs and of equal value. (hint hint marketing)
We re not your road warriors who travel for work so ticket costs come out of our pockets, not a business expense. We bounce between silver celebrity cruise ships and gold depending celebrity cruise ships on how many trips we make to visit kids, grandkids, family funerals, vacations, etc., as we don t travel frequently celebrity cruise ships for work anymore. The Amex card with its 10k miles for charging $25K annually has helped us make silver/gold in the past, and looks like it will help with the MQDs (another 3 letter acronym!). Do I like it? No but what is the alternative? Do we want to use one of our free Amex companion fares to go to Vegas or pay for both tickets celebrity cruise ships to maximize MQMs MQDs? The one big thing I don t like is the fact that when I pay for my kids, grandkids, or father to fly to a family event it helps with my Amex charge total, but those MQMs go to someone who rarely travels. I would like to be able to choose either the traveler or the purchaser get the MQMs ( now MQDs) for flights, rather than only the traveler. celebrity cruise ships How about that, Delta?
I resisted the idea of making AAdvantage revenue-based because it would possibly increase corporate travel expense, even with policies requiring use of lowest available fare. I don t quarrel with the concept that revenue should be the standard but I think there are better ways to deal with this, perhaps, with reduced mileage earnings on less than standard fares. I submit that loyalty derives mainly from an airline s overall performance. With a dollar standard only, first class will be filled with lawyers and consultants whose clients are billed for travel expense.
I resisted the idea of making AAdvantage revenue-based because it would possibly increase corporate travel expense, even with policies requiring use of lowest available fare. I don t quarrel with the concept celebrity cruise ships that revenue could be the standard but I think there are better ways to deal with this, perhaps, with reduced mileage earnings on less than standard fares. I submit that loyalty derives mainly from an airline celebrity cruise ships s overall performance. With a dollar standard only, first class will be filled with lawyers and consultants whose clients are billed for travel expense.
Wow! Thanks, Rolfe! For those of you who may not not it, Rolfe Shellenberger worked celebrity cruise ships for American Airlines, and is widely credited for inventing the AAdvantage celebrity cruise ships program the first frequent flyer program. The TICKET has some impressive celebrity cruise ships readers! Chris
it will be interesting to see if DL decides to prostitute celebrity cruise ships themselves at the end of the year to allow once again flyers to buy status when they are close to next level. They have diluted the program already with antics like this -
I have 258,000 miles rolled over and I plan to retire in December. So I will get screwed for year 2016, so instead of spending 50k on China and South African flights this year, I will use Star Alliance,. I would have spent 50k this year on Delta so my status would stretch into 2017 or later, now Delta gets nothing from me so Delta loses and I lose, great marketing skillset from Jeff Robertson.
Retired, I take a half dozen RT s a year domestically and maybe as many as 2 Intl flights. I barely keep silver status. Silver gets you squat. Delta will upgrade Manti Te O's fake dead girlfriend before they will ever upgrade a silver. I have always said that Delta can go ahead and slurp their Diamond/Platinums, they deserve it. It s just the cold-blooded way they have decided to spit upon Silvers Golds no matter how long they have been loyal DL customers. celebrity cruise ships I have flown SW a few times, at lower fares, and the world didn t end.
As someone who does travel for business but only enough to maintain Silver status this is not much of an impact since I will still be in zone one with anyone that has a Delta gold or platimun AMEX, anyone celebrity cruise ships that pays for early bording and any other delta revenue generater. If this reduces the congestion in zone one then maybe its a good thing. If it doesn t then the mad dash is on to board.
As a longtime FF (my number is 200*******, my wife s in the 100 s), I can only tip my hat and call Delta My