The day as finally come. Delta Air Lines has announced some drastic changes on how to achieve Medallion status. Here, tell my story as a current Diamond Medallion and what this means to me.
#aviation #skymileslife #deltaairlines #delta #travel
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39 Comments
I have the delta reserve amex and they are limiting skyclub visits to 10 a year starting 2025. Fine with me since I don't travel much. Maybe this will reduce overcrowding at the skyclubs?
Since I fly Delta several times a year, I am interested in any new information/changes that Delta makes to their programs/policies. This particular one doesn’t impact me personally though I sure would feel as you do if I flew as frequently as you do. It does make me wonder why they have made such a drastic change in the Diamond Medallion program. It would not encourage loyalty. I appreciate ALL of the information that you put out about your flights as well as other Delta information like this one. Thanks so much!
Excellent video. Thanks for the heads up. I had been a Diamond Medallion until COVID ended my weekly commute between ATL and SJU. I am also a 2 Million Miler. It is quite understandable that Delta is looking to further separate the wheat from the chaff. In my humble opinion they had suffered from a bit of Status Inflation as reflected in their overcrowding issues in the Sky Clubs.
You are quite right that many of us will be reassessing our loyalty to Delta, but they are making the proper business decision. As Richard Anderson used to say, they are intent on identifying their money-making customers and focusing on them. I wonder what will happen to Diamond 360.
Thanks for the great videos.
They tried so hard to spin it as a better change, but people see right through them
I fly several times a year with different airlines, including Delta of course. Whatever you decide, I will keep watching your channel. You produce excellent and informative videos. Keep up the excellent work. God bless you.
I'm with you Peter, as a Delta loyalist and silver medallion member. I'm extremely disappointed with the news. Honestly, United has been making a push towards customer satisfaction, I travel out of my way to fly on a Delta aircraft. My nearest airport PHl which is a American hub and i travel up to LGA and JFK for Delta. As a brand Delta is showing zero appreciation for there frequent flyers. i'm really questioning if it makes sense to continue to give Delta my money.
Only fly a few times a year. Use to buy a Day Pass using miles. Then the miles needed to get a Day Pass went up. Now you can't get one at all. Flew to Europe last September First/Business Class. On the Return flight got Bump Out of First Class to Premium Comfort Plus (A350)!?!? I about had a hiss fit about this move. Almost, was not allowed to board the aircraft. Spoke to a customer service rep just before takeoff. She let on more than she should have. Seems like another passenger has a Very High Status and got Priority! Did get to talk to the Purser. She had only one seat in First Class, so I offer it to my wife. She decline. We booked our flight 10 and a half months in advance. We did get a refund, Not a Credit, for the difference between the two classed. But I really prefer to have what I paid for! A sad end to a great anniversary.
No rollover either.
Wow, what a slap in the face for all of your loyalty.
The big miss in the new requirements that no one is saying is in the fact they don’t make much money flying; they want to diversify folks spend across the rest of their travel – hotels, rental cars, etc. it’s frustrating for those of us who really only fly. I am mostly frustrated about the Sky Club changes, but that has a year to work itself out.
Lifetime silver plus a delta gold credit card gets you 2 checked bags at 70lbs which besides upgrades, auto C+ upgrade and RUCs is basically Platinum without having to think or hand wrench or do crazy stuff. So I’d be super grateful for that!
Personally, I’m going to look at my other travel spend to see where I’ll land then decide how to pick my travel
thats exactly why they changed the program, they dont want low level spenders spenders in the lounges
silver medallion is worthless.
Soon to be ex Platinum (after 2025). Gold might be the new Platinum but even Silver will be difficult to do.
I’ve been a Delta platinum medallion member for years, and I’m seriously questioning my loyalty to this airline. This is an idiotic overstep on their part that will cost them- more loyalty program desertions, less inclination to spend more on Delta Reserve Amexes (which I have)…why the fuck would people drop premium bucks for annual fees to have a Reserve card if the chances to score meaningful benefits are limited?! And at this point, their financialized options are more profitable than their profits from plane tickets…how do they profit if people stop spending extra for financialized loyalty programs?!
Ed Bastian, please reconsider or see your company’s profit margin tank…and potentially your CEO status…
Sorry, Peter, as a Northwest Airlines retiree, I get flight benefits on Delta, however, I live in Taiwan and when Delta merged with Northwest, the sad thing Delta did was shut down the Tokyo hub, meaning I no longer get to use Delta. Sorry Delta is continuing certain destructions of what used to be good benefits, it seems sad to me, I’ll continue to be your fan, Peter ❤
I have 3 months to get my Platinum status (Gold now for 2024). After Jan 31, 2025, I don't think I will ever make it above Silver.
Peter I like your videos; so please keep posting those. I am not a Delta frequent flyer but several legacy airlines are seeing overcrowding at sky clubs. I was flying on paid business class ticket from London to US and British Airways main lounge at Heathrow was way overcrowded; something I had never seen in the past. Airlines are realizing these high status tiers have become relatively easy to obtain and that is diluting their product & experience for high paying customers. They are going to give preference to customers who pay the most. This is irking other customers who found creative ways to get the status without spending a lot of money. Did Delta go too far? We will find out in a year or two. My gut feel is that annoying few customers will not adversely impact their top and bottom line. And that is what matters at the end of the day. Sorry for being objective.
Prior to this change, I was planning to alternate from silver to platinum status every other year, as my big vacations flip from reposition cruising, to vacations in Hawaii. This whole situation makes me even 2nd guess my efforts in the past, and opportunity costs of other credit cards (such the Blue Business Plus) and airlines such as Hawaiian. I'll still fly Delta within the continental US, but not with status spending. Flying back from Tokyo next year, which I would have automatically picked Delta, Hawaiian is looking very reasonable for business class. 35% towards MM.
I live in Australia and fly with whoever is offering the cheapest fare that week, which is basically a choice between Qantas and Virgin – I don't have any loyalty to either of them. Both airlines in recent years have suffered from poor management (mostly Qantas) and are trying to win back customers by making sharp airline business decisions like flying on time, not losing baggage on a regular basis, not selling tickets for flights which have already been cancelled without notification and not firing loyal staff who have been with them for decades. The Oz flying public has basically decided that we'll show loyalty when there are signs that it's going to be reciprocated.
The problem with this outrageous increase, is the Delta One/First Class product is rubbish compared to the likes of Singapore Airlines or ANA. I’m Diamond too, but would never waist Monet on the Delta experience.
Anyone that pays for first class are idiots to begin with
I will be a Diamond for 2024, and will likely rollover about 40,00mqm. Under the current system I will be close to starting 2024 as Gold for 2025. Under the new system Delta is offering a 20 to 1 conversion, which means I won’t even be close to Silver for 2025. So much for all the flying and spending I have done with them. Second, my Delta AE Platinum will be less useful as well. I can see Chase benefiting, and I intend to use the Preferred card more. So Delta is losing a loyalist and AE will be losing a fairly big spender. Chase had more travel partners anyway, so I will now branch out to other airlines.
I made silver medallion so easily in 2021 and Gold in 2022 for 2023. I really enjoy the Sky Priority for all flights and higher miles multiplier. I’m grateful to have been able to reach status 3 years in a row, but airlines have to take steps to maintain the balance of experience in the Skyclub and for medallion perks. People fly more than ever and need to adjust accordingly. Great video, new subscriber.
Delta ia trying hard to for customers to spend in their ecosystem. But, I don't think I will be spending $ on Delta vacation, Delta Rental etc as they intend you to. Benefit/$ ratio looks very unattractive. I regretting getting a Delta credit card this year. 😢
I’m a flying Diamond. $20-30k in MQD per year. I’m at 925k miles and expected to hit a million miles early next year. No card spend.
I think they think that I fly them out of convenience, or because their product is so good, so there is little risk in this new change. But the truth is that I fly them for the perks. Not the free bags, that’s not my money. Not the free flights, I can get that from any airline. I fly them for upgrades and sky club access. That’s it. I can get preferred seating on 2 airlines and choose whoever gives the best routes for a given flight. I choose to give Delta loyalty in return for first class seats, and not having to sit at their overcrowded gates in between flights. Due to the nature of my work, I book a lot of high dollar last minute tickets. I don’t flinch at $1,000 main cabin domestic flights. My new strategy will lean on minimizing my time in the air/airport. Given my home airport, unless I’m flying to a few specific locations, I doubt they will be my first choice.
I just wish they made the announcement earlier this year, so I could’ve started working on status with other airlines sooner.
Thanks Peter, we are feeling your pain. Spending 18 and 35k on flights for top tier statuses is insane. I’d like to see if Delta will be offering some type of waiver for Amex cc spend throughout the year as they do now.
Delta should change the name from Skymiles to Skymoney
Peter – first off, complete the million mile level thing. While it may not offer you the high level of perks that it had in the past, that may change. Besides, it’s still something.
Second, let go thinking in terms of the medallion level thing and focus instead on actual aspects of how you fly, what you do when you fly, and how to continue that in the least expensive way possible.
You’ve demonstrated that you’re okay flying in coach. If first class were really all that important to you then you’d always be in first class. But you’re not, so, okay, buy coach seats or C+ seats.
You’ve demonstrated that the Sky Club is important to you. You always make use of it. Since you mentioned that you’re willing to spend extra just to reach a status level (and now that’s not going to be doable) then put that money you would have spent to reaching the higher level into purchasing a SkyClub membership. It’s what, $700 bucks for a year of unlimited individual use? (assuming that has not changed with these new rules). You’ll still have Club access. You fly coach and are okay with that, so essentially all you’re really losing is possible free upgrades (which you don’t always use anyway), checked bags free, and boarding first. But otherwise your trips and experience would pretty much be how you are already traveling.
Whatever you decide I’m sure you’ll still make your content as great as always. I will still be watching, so keep up the good work.
Also, make friends with the Delta Public Relations department. Just sayin. I'm pretty sure they know who you are. Use that.👍
I tried going for medallion status but after looking at the cost vs the benefits I chose to go with the Delta Reserve Amex card. It may not have all the benefits of medallion status but its still pretty great and at a fraction of the cost to reach status.
I've stopped flying on AA and prefer to fly DL. I have not aimed to be a medallion member as I only fly for personal reasons. However, if airlines stop awarding mile accumulation then I will have to decided simply on price/schedule when purchasing flights.
Time to realize people aren’t going to reach top status by cc sign up bonuses and flying in Econ to rack up miles to Diamond, now it’s time to open up the wallet or else board with the rest of the cattle lol.
😂😂😂😂😂… just find the cheapest offer, like the rest of normal people. Loyalty programs are a scam.
There are people who spend $35K/year on Delta but they are now locked away in a padded room
I expect that they will adjust back when the economy goes down again.
Recent changes to all the loyalty programs has moved me to free agency. Status just isn't worth chasing anymore IMO. Thanks for the info + great video!
It’s going to hurt American Express. From what I read, no one is happy. I am only a Silver Medallion and hold the AmEx Delta Reserve Card. One big issue flying out of LGA, I have an issue with the Centurion Lounge in Terminal B. At least at JFK both lounges are at Terminal 4. A coordination between lounges may be a much more feasible solution as opposed to angering your customers.
It’s not people spending $30K+, it’s their corporate employer who spends. And these companies generally have corporate contracts with DL. So the word Loyalty no longer can be used to describe these FF programs. Same goes for credit card spend or hotel/car rental spend.
Delta needs to STOP the “Companion +1 upgrades”!
Delta needs to REDUCE the “MQD’s” that are earned by BUSINESS travelers WHOSE EMPLOYERS BUY THEIR tickets! REDUCE their “MQD’s” by 70%!!!!!!!!!!! LEVEL the playing field!
Smart move on deltas part. Too many people have status and upgrades. Nothing special now. Skyclubs too crowded.. watch other airlines follow this good move