Rapid Travel Chai

Delta announced big changes to SkyMiles for 2024. They haven’t even bothered much to sugarcoat the stream of negative changes.

As a Diamond Medallion, 2-million miler, this series of quick posts explores the state of SkyMiles and airline loyalty programs.

Posts in this series:

• Airline Loyalty Program Managers Don’t Use Their Own Programs
• Have Revenue-Based Loyalty Programs Worked?
• Solve Your Sky Club Overcrowding Problem on Someone Else
• Huge Middle Finger to Your MQMs
• Table of Uses for SkyMiles Versus Everyone Else
• Delta Doesn’t Want Any More Million Milers
• How About this MQM Conversion Option?
• More to come

Rollover MQMs will convert at terrible levels to MQDs or redeemable miles. Rather than a one-time gesture that may have alleviated some of the negative response to the SkyMiles program changes, Delta went to special effort to insult travelers that have high MQM balances. It is hard to decide which is worse: the 20:1 conversion to MQDs or the 2:1 conversion to redeemable miles. Maybe Delta will get enough complaints that it reconsiders, though more likely they stand firm. How about a third option?

What if MQMs can convert to new Million Miler miles at a 1:1 ratio? This will create some goodwill with flyers that had expected to use rollover balances with credit card waiver to have several upcoming years of elite status. The cost to Delta is some number will qualify for annual complimentary status in the Million Miler program when otherwise they would not now, or perhaps ever.

Looking at my case, 2.5 million Million Milers currently, my 750k MQMs converted to lifetime balance would close half the gap between annual Gold and annual Platinum at 4 million. With the heavily increased status qualification requirements, I doubt I will organically fly 750k more miles with Delta and partners (or if so, that I would want to credit the flights to Delta). The marginal benefit of Platinum over Gold is not enough to motivate me. If I was sitting at 3 million or more, though, I might choose this hypothetical option.

I expect there will be quite some complaints on the sunsetting of Rollover MQMS, so if Delta is listening, here’s one idea to float.