With all the changes in the Skymiles program, and arguments for and against the new MQD$, the reality of the situation is really summed up by that now classic line from the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire- "Show me the money!"
Delta shouldn't give a damn about how many miles you fly, how many segments you fly. All it should care about is your annual spend. If it eliminated the mileage requirement (MQMs) and kept the dollar spend requirement, how would that adversely change the program? They could keep the partner airlines earning full redeemable miles, but it wouldn't help with DL status unless you bought a DL codeshare (ie. a 006- ticket).
DL should have kept the mileage concept alive with redeemable miles, but ditch the MQMs completely. A HVC is defined by the value transferred from the customer to the airline, not the mileage!
A bold position, perhaps, but that is the reality. If you spend $12,500 on one full Biz fare to Australia or South Africa, then you are in the top 1% of all customers and thus a DM. If you do not fly again that year, then it is all moot anyway... you do not take anyone else's upgrade, you are not in front of anyone at the Sky Club bar... but you are still a DM.
Delta shouldn't give a damn about how many miles you fly, how many segments you fly. All it should care about is your annual spend. If it eliminated the mileage requirement (MQMs) and kept the dollar spend requirement, how would that adversely change the program? They could keep the partner airlines earning full redeemable miles, but it wouldn't help with DL status unless you bought a DL codeshare (ie. a 006- ticket).
DL should have kept the mileage concept alive with redeemable miles, but ditch the MQMs completely. A HVC is defined by the value transferred from the customer to the airline, not the mileage!
A bold position, perhaps, but that is the reality. If you spend $12,500 on one full Biz fare to Australia or South Africa, then you are in the top 1% of all customers and thus a DM. If you do not fly again that year, then it is all moot anyway... you do not take anyone else's upgrade, you are not in front of anyone at the Sky Club bar... but you are still a DM.