Call me a disgruntled Delta Diamond ... well, almost a Diamond.
19.09.2023 - 13:37 / thepointsguy.com
In recent years, Delta Air Lines has been the trailblazer in the U.S. airline industry.
The Atlanta-based carrier has been the one that all the others want to mimic. Whether it's Delta's impressive premium load factors or the carrier's top-notch on-time performance, Delta has earned the envy of its competitors.
Yet there's one area where Delta has lagged: its SkyMiles loyalty program. Not only has the program been one of the least rewarding of the major U.S. airlines, it's also been one of the only ones to still (partially) reward travelers for how much they flew.
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American Airlines and United Airlines ditched traditional status-earning metrics in recent years, and now it's Delta's turn to play catch up. Last week, the airline announced perhaps its biggest loyalty update yet with the introduction of a revamped Medallion program that rewards you exclusively for how much you transact with the airline and its partners.
If this concept sounds familiar, it's because Delta is basically copying American's revamped AAdvantage loyalty program that launched last year. And now that the two airlines are going head-to-head on similar elite-qualifying criteria, it's worth considering which program is more rewarding.
Hint: It's American's program, and here's why.
Customers speak out: Delta changed its frequent flyer program — and customers are truly furious
If you're looking for the quickest way to earn status, you'll want to stick with American. As part of Delta's revamped Medallion program, the airline is increasing status thresholds to levels that many flyers now think are unattainable.
In fact, Delta's Medallion thresholds are consistently higher than American.
Accounting for the 10x multiplier difference between Loyalty Points and MQDs reveals that reaching status with American is easier than it is with Delta.
For top-tier Executive Platinum status, you could spend $200,000 on American Airlines credit cards to earn it. To get Delta top-tier Diamond status? You'd need to spend $350,000 on the Delta Reserve card for the needed 35,000 MQDs.
Not only are the status thresholds lower with American, but it's also much easier to earn Loyalty Points than it is to earn MQDs.
That's because Loyalty Points can be earned for so many more transactions than MQDs.
The list includes:
Meanwhile, Delta will only award MQDs from a subset of these activities: flights, cobranded credit card spending, and packages for rental cars, hotels and vacations booked through Delta.
Earning Loyalty Points from American's shopping portal has become a fan-favorite feature for many TPG readers and reporters, and this opportunity alone makes Loyalty Points
Call me a disgruntled Delta Diamond ... well, almost a Diamond.
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