@K-in-Boston wrote:
@Revelate wrote:I think I'm done flying Southwest because based on that math I hit Gold and damned near hit Platinum last year if I'd just put all flights on Delta.
Since I'm moving to reimbursed travel as long as the Delta flight is approved via policy (usually they are) and ain't nobody going to complain about my 8ish hops to the Bay Area and back if this project ever gets started on Delta it doesn't seem hard to rack up MQS at least as that's 16 right there.
You mentioned something interesting though, if I one (or two, in for a penny in for a pound: if I'm pushing boundaries why not go for it?) hop each direction, let's say the upcoming LAX to St. Pete Florida which is coming up whenever the PM and client get their crap together, that counts as 4 MQS just by itself round trip? I get *paid* for my travel time and it counts for my utilization metrics: there's literally no incentive for me to not waste some time in the air and airports (these days I have connectivity easily anywhere in the US) especially since that often reduces the flight cost from what I've seen in Concur.
I've been doing this wrong, thank you again K, profusely for the necessary slap upside the head.
<smack> As soon as you know you're going to have those flights coming up, do the status challenge then. As long as you complete it within those three months, you keep that status until 31 JAN 2021, but if you make Gold or Platinum in the mean time it'll be effective immediately. If you're milking the travel clock, absolutely try to book as many connections as possible. LAX-ATL-SLC-LGA-DTW-SAN-SFO sounds like fun!
Haha LOL. Miles miles miles!
Well doesn't seem like I can get more than 1 stop in looking at LAX to TPA, but the cheapest fare was through MSP. Also if abusing it I could hop through SLC if I fly out of Long Beach (LGB) to SFO route. I might have less ability to do that, then again assuming Wifi in air I can take a Webex meeting from there. LAX is too large an airport to pull quite that many shennigans from when the flight reservation systems are apprently a little hip to it. Actually I should check the LGB to TPA bit too, I'm about halfway between LAX/LGB and could fly out of either one without issue. Partner flight out of LGB but I think based on rules it counts as I think it was DL flight numbers. Have to triple-check that, may not matter as it doesn't seem like MQS is going to be a problem frankly assuming my flight routine is similar to last year.
This could well be kinda stupid when I don't have much demands for my time outside of work TBH.
@Revelate wrote:Haha LOL. Miles miles miles!
Well doesn't seem like I can get more than 1 stop in looking at LAX to TPA, but the cheapest fare was through MSP. Also if abusing it I could hop through SLC if I fly out of Long Beach (LGB) to SFO route. I might have less ability to do that, then again assuming Wifi in air I can take a Webex meeting from there. LAX is too large an airport to pull quite that many shennigans from when the flight reservation systems are apprently a little hip to it. Actually I should check the LGB to TPA bit too, I'm about halfway between LAX/LGB and could fly out of either one without issue. Partner flight out of LGB but I think based on rules it counts as I think it was DL flight numbers. Have to triple-check that, may not matter as it doesn't seem like MQS is going to be a problem frankly assuming my flight routine is similar to last year.
This could well be kinda stupid when I don't have much demands for my time outside of work TBH.
Which partner is flying out of LGB? Hawaiian is the only Delta partner I see, and Hawaiian only earns on flights within Hawaii. (Can't earn from SFO to HNL for instance, but from HNL to OOG you would.)
@K-in-Boston wrote:
@Revelate wrote:Haha LOL. Miles miles miles!
Well doesn't seem like I can get more than 1 stop in looking at LAX to TPA, but the cheapest fare was through MSP. Also if abusing it I could hop through SLC if I fly out of Long Beach (LGB) to SFO route. I might have less ability to do that, then again assuming Wifi in air I can take a Webex meeting from there. LAX is too large an airport to pull quite that many shennigans from when the flight reservation systems are apprently a little hip to it. Actually I should check the LGB to TPA bit too, I'm about halfway between LAX/LGB and could fly out of either one without issue. Partner flight out of LGB but I think based on rules it counts as I think it was DL flight numbers. Have to triple-check that, may not matter as it doesn't seem like MQS is going to be a problem frankly assuming my flight routine is similar to last year.
This could well be kinda stupid when I don't have much demands for my time outside of work TBH.
Which partner is flying out of LGB? Hawaiian is the only Delta partner I see, and Hawaiian only earns on flights within Hawaii. (Can't earn from SFO to HNL for instance, but from HNL to OOG you would.)
Actually I think partner is wrong word, my apologies. Compass DBA Delta Connection. As mentioned DL flight numbers it looks like = Delta just outsourced.
Sadly Concur doesn't give me the full range of Delta flights so that Tampa trip is just one hop through ATL, on the flipside LAX to LAS to SJC is an option for Bay Area.
Yeah, Delta Connection flights are counted just like any other Delta flight. Endeavor Air, Republic Airlines and SkyWest Airlines are regional partners that operate Delta flights (as well as Compass and GoJet until their contracts expire this year) on behalf of Delta. Extremely common among the big 3 airlines, and the same companies often fly for different airlines. Compass does Delta Connection and American Eagle, GoJet does Delta Connection and United Express, and both Republic and SkyWest operate flights for all three major airlines: Delta Connection, American Eagle, and United Express (SkyWest also operates Alaska SkyWest). Usually passengers have no idea they're not really on a Delta, American, or United flight, as the plane clearly has one of the brands on it, the flight crew is wearing the uniforms, and the interior is the same. Unless you're on a heavy traffic flight, chances are good if you are flying one of the 3 majors that you're on a regional partner operating a flight on behalf of another airline.
Edit: And that would make perfect sense for LGB, as a flight from Long Beach to Minneapolis is going to be on an Embraer or Canadair regional jet or at best something like an A321 or 717. If you're doing LAX-MSP on the other hand, it's probably on a 757 since that is a busy hub to hub route and is absolutely one that would be operated by Delta themselves.
@K-in-Boston wrote:Yeah, Delta Connection flights are counted just like any other Delta flight. Endeavor Air, Republic Airlines and SkyWest Airlines are regional partners that operate Delta flights (as well as Compass and GoJet until their contracts expire this year) on behalf of Delta. Extremely common among the big 3 airlines, and the same companies often fly for different airlines. Compass does Delta Connection and American Eagle, GoJet does Delta Connection and United Express, and both Republic and SkyWest operate flights for all three major airlines: Delta Connection, American Eagle, and United Express (SkyWest also operates Alaska SkyWest). Usually passengers have no idea they're not really on a Delta, American, or United flight, as the plane clearly has one of the brands on it, the flight crew is wearing the uniforms, and the interior is the same. Unless you're on a heavy traffic flight, chances are good if you are flying one of the 3 majors that you're on a regional partner operating a flight on behalf of another airline.
Thanks for all your information @K-in-Boston
Though I guess trying to bring this back on topic, when the best benefit seems to be the 20% discount (Wifi which might be necessary for me) and maybe checked bag in some scenarios, the cards themselves don't look that great compared either base Amex or Chase and hotel cards. I guess a SUB if I'm close but not quite at the end of the year haha.
@Revelate wrote:Thanks for all your information @K-in-Boston
Though I guess trying to bring this back on topic, when the best benefit seems to be the 20% discount (Wifi which might be necessary for me) and maybe checked bag in some scenarios, the cards themselves don't look that great compared either base Amex or Chase and hotel cards. I guess a SUB if I'm close but not quite at the end of the year haha.
You are very welcome. The 20% discount for Delta cards won't work for wifi since it's charged by gogoinflight and not Delta. In a lot of cases, if you have other travel cards with flexible points there's not much need to spend on airline cards as they're more for perks. The exception there would be that for Delta Platinum and Reserve you can earn the MQD waiver as well as earning bonus MQMs for large spend. If status (or higher status) is important, that can be a big factor. For those without cards like Amex Platinum, CSR, Altitude Reserve, Citi Prestige, etc., spending on an airline card can make more sense than cash back or lower earning travel cards.
With the Delta cards you do get the free checked bag for you and up to 8 people traveling with you and you get to board in Main Cabin 1 even if you're flying in Basic Economy and have no status. Platinum offers a free Main Cabin companion certificate each year that should more than cover the AF, and Reserve offers a Main/Comfort+/First companion ticket that should also more than cover its AF. Platinum and Resrve as mentioned have Status Boost (which was Mileage Boost until it was modified today to eliminate the bonus SkyMiles at each spend level, but it also added additional spend levels). Obtaining the MQD Waiver in the current year is a part of the upgrade hierarchy, and having a Reserve card is one of the biggest factors in the upgrade hierarchy as well as allowing non-Medallion members to be eligible for Comfort+, First Class, and Delta One upgrades after Silver Medallions. Reserve also of course offers SkyClub access when flying Delta or partners; great if you don't already have an Amex Platinum charge card.
Wow. K-I-B - That's was a master class in SkyMiles. I'll have to pick your brain sometime because I know I'm not maximizing my benefits.
I usually spend more on my Amex to make sure I get the platinum waiver but it became clear to me that I was going to hit the $9K MQD for Platinum by mid-March last year so I changed my spend to a different card. I'm just waiting on my new Reserve to get in so still using the Platinum at this point - have already done about $5k on it. Still debating on whether I'll keep the platinum or PC it down to a blue. I'm thinking the companion certificate may make it worth keeping.
My brain is here for the picking! 😂
As long as you use the companion certificate, it’ll likely more than cover the AF (even the now-increased one) unless you’re using it on a cheap hop like SEA-SFO when prices are low.
I’m drooling over those MQMs. Wish we could trade MQMs for MQDs so you don’t cut it so close this year. 😛 Unfortunately I never fly for business so the only way I’d ever make Diamond is by doing a couple of those crazy $800 First/Delta One BOS-LAX-JFK-LIM-JFK-LAX-BOS mileage runs that popped up a few months back.
As long as you use the companion certificate, it’ll likely more than cover the AF (even the now-increased one) unless you’re using it on a cheap hop like SEA-SFO when prices are low.
I’m drooling over those MQMs. Wish we could trade MQMs for MQDs so you don’t cut it so close this year. 😛 Unfortunately I never fly for business so the only way I’d ever make Diamond is by doing a couple of those crazy $800 First/Delta One BOS-LAX-JFK-LIM-JFK-LAX-BOS mileage runs that popped up a few months back.
LOL - you and me both! I was $300 short last year so I scheduled a last minute RT to SFO on 12/29 to hit the Diamond MQD.
@Revelate wrote:I still don't really know what I'm doing, doing the Lyft thing, everyone in my little professional services coterie seems to be Hilton so I'll probably give up on Marriot since that's now part of the Lyft ecosystem.
But I was looking through the Lyft promos and tagged the Skymiles membership too because why not and it did get me thinking.
Delta isn't a bad option out of LAX domestic or international. The fact they do both, and my wayward travel may go to both, seems to suggest that wouldn't be a bad airline to wrap my arms around even if nearly got to SW A-List without trying hard last year... but out of curiosity for those of you playing on a travel calendar of like 10-15 round trips domestically, how would you setup on Delta or is it even worthwhile as I couldn't really find the details as to what it took to get to Silver on Delta's site if that is even an option.
Keep in mind I have no problems flying cattle class dometically
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I fly primarily Delta and SW out of SNA and LAX. I applied for the status match on the Skymiles website and was given Gold Medallion status for my A-List Preferred, with 90 days to satisfy the qualifications to maintain Medallion status. I used the Delta Skymiles Platinum SUB to satisfy the earn and am now Gold Medallion for the rest of 2020 and about 30% of the way to at least Silver Medallion in 2021 (and it's only January). I know Delta revamped the earning requirements and modified MQM's (see KIB posts above) so I don't know if it will be as easy. I think that the SUB miles earned through spend will count towards the Medallion challenge in some way. They are also allowing carry-over miles now.
