Oh my dearest Delta. You have really lost it this year <-LINK on Delta.com. I mean I thought the prices for buying Delta MQMs in 2014, and in 2013, and in 2012 were bad but almost $3,000 for 10,000 MQMs is just shameful, embarrassing and frankly disgusting. I warned folks this was on the way and that there are better ways to get MQMs (and much cheaper)!
Oh I know some foolish folks will jump on the deal when they could simply for $450 for getting a Delta Reserve card (personal or business) pick up 10,000 MQMs with 1st purchase or for $195 and minimum spend pick up 5,000 MQMs from the Delta Platinum card (personal or business).
Also some bits to think about with this year’s buy MQM deal. You may not be eligible. Some of them are an improvement over last year, some are speculation on my part.
I will end the year with almost 300,000 MQMs. I, and my wife, are not being allowed to buy MQMs. Now my wife I understand and this is good and here is why. In the years past they let folks buy when they would NOT rollover. That is if you were NOT MQD exempt the buy MQMs would just go poof and your money was lost for nothing. This year they block that. Good job Delta.
But what about me? Not that I would be brain dead stupid enough even to CONSIDER buying MQMs at these ridiculous prices but why would they block me as a Diamond? Could it be that the end of rollover MQMs is on the way for 2017 Medallion year and Delta does not want to refund folks for buying MQMs that go “poof” once the change is announced?
And that brings us to more issues. Last year I blogged and questioned if Golds who did the buy MQMs and before the news about the changes to SkyMiles hit should have a chance to get their money back. Please do keep in mind we have not yet had the news of the changes that are sure to be on the way for the 2017 Delta Medallion year. How happy would you be to pay 3K for MQMs and then have Delta spring more changes on you?
And then there is the again ongoing issue of the prices being all over the place. Delta is charging, for the same MQMs, WILDLY differing prices. For most businesses you cannot charge one price to one person and another price to another person just because of who they are, but when it comes to frequent flyer programs they can do anything they want to anyone who play in the program. Don’t like it? Get out!
I have to tell you an Elite Mileage Run is looking better and better to me. I think a “Fun Run” is a much better way to spend the day enjoying all Delta has to offer and lunch or dinner somewhere nice. Heck, if you get a “bumpertunity” along the way then Delta may end up paying you for your run as well!
So are you buying MQMs at these prices? Also what was your “generous” offer from our beloved Delta Air Lines? – René
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I have long said that I think a hardy bunch of fliers could get a state attorney general’s consumer protection division to intervene on their behalf when Delta charges different prices, etc. Of course, Delta could then cancel your membership as they’ve done to others who have sued them.
I think changes in spring that many of us would consider to be devaluations are increasingly likely because Delta hasn’t sustained any losses to the bottom line over the past two years of devaluations. Plus, Delta’s best customers — I’d peg the markets to be NYC, LAX and SFO, at least judging from the amount of love shown to flyers there — are buying domestic first-class or international business-class tickets without regard for benefits or points. I know a London banker who flies LHR-JFK or LHR-BOS in business-class once a week. Do you really think he cares about points? Or what about all the celebrities Delta is trying to get in LAX with its semi-private, exclusive Delta One check-in area? Do you really think Brad Pitt is checking his SkyMiles balance before he flies off to JFK?
My family is blocked from all sales. Hmmm?
A Diamond, a Gold, a Silver and a Non-Elite. Must not like those anti-ComfortPlus Fare posts of mine, huh? Chunk of coal in this guy’s stocking (as if I’d EVER BUY MQM’s) Mileage Running is more fun!
Read EliteMileageRuns, folks! Enjoy real flying; not “armchair MQM’s”
I’m also being told that my account is not eligible to buy MQM’s. That seems odd as I’m a 2015 PM and I’m currently only up to GM status for 2016.
Possibly I’m being filtered out because I’m 23,000 MQM’s away from reaching PM. However, once my second 15K Reserve Card mileage boost kicks in, along with my planned Christmas trip and my mileage run to San Juan next week, I’m golden (or Platinum, as it were).
Interesting. I’ll end the year with ~67k MQM for this year. Not allowed to buy MQM to get to Plat. Very curious.
$495 for 2500 MQMs. Currently gold, a few miles short to requalify for Silver.
I’m about 2300 miles away from diamond and they are making it VERY expensive for me to buy MQM. $2195 for $2500 points. That’s almost a dollar a point. 20k miles is just under $3k. Guess I need to take another flight before the end the year year.
Hmm, currently 70 miles (Seventy) away from DM and they still have the audacity to send an email for me to buy 2500 MQM for $2195.00.
Doing MSP-DFW run this weekend
I’m also being told I’m not eligible for MQMs. I’m currently PM, MQD exempt for 2016 and at a very long stretch I could possibly get DM. Strange??
I’ve not received that yet…and that’s OK. Those are stupid prices! Waaay higher than last year. I’ll fly SLC-ATL for $225 for 3309 MQM…I need 1500 MQM to Gold, and don’t have much time to go anywhere…I’m Silver now.
BTW…I DID get my Hilton MQM..posted a week after check out.
I’m flying LAN-DTW-NRT-BKK and returning right away for $1500 and 19,000 MQMs in mid-December. I see most of the Michigan airports are selling at this price. I also found ORD-AMS-JNB-ATL-ORD for about $1300 and 18,000 MQMs.
@FNT – Oh stop being so reasonable 😉
2016 Feb. MIA LAX $188 5082 MQM 3.7CPM Weekdays
https://www.google.com/flights/#search;f=MIA;t=LAX,SAN,LAS,PHX;d=2016-02-02;r=2016-02-02;a=DL;eo=e
@Andrew – Hey sweet txs!
Sorry Rene but I really don’t understand where you stand when it comes to Delta. You started a blog called Delta Points and all you did was to love Delta while all other bloggers loved AA or United. That was good to have someone that loved Delta however I felt that many times you were totally blinded by your love to them. You seemed too naive sometimes. Then you basically woke up. You opened your eyes and realized that Delta was not that good. However, you then moved from a love to a hate relationship. You now hate Delta. You changed your blog name and all you write about Delta now is bad which I don’t disagree with you after all they are the evil ones led by a CEO that is a joke and likes to brag about HIS airline. However, you just wrote this post screaming about how much Delta is charging for MQMs. I agree with all your words “shameful, embarrassing and disgusting” however this is the beauty of the rules of Economy. Delta is not forcing anyone to buy MQMs. They are simply offering them at a price and if someone wants to buy them, well GFT!!!! It is the same as a hotel to charge $30K for a night in a presidential suite or Porsche to charge over a $1MM for their super car. Someone will pay that price. Thus, you cannot just blame Delta. If Delta is doing all they are doing to their loyalty program is because WE customers are allowing them to do so. If WE all stopped flying Delta and left their planes parked on the gate without a single soul to board them Mr. Anderson would review his tactics and be more customer friendly. However, WE keep loading their planes and paying whatever they ask for a ticket. That is why they feel empowered to do whatever they want. It is because we don’t care. And just to finish, you say in this post that we have over 300,000 MQMs this year. Well, you just validated all I said above. You hate Delta, you feel their tactics are disgusting and still you spend 300K BIS miles on their planes. Maybe it is time for all of us to start not flying Delta anymore and see how they will react.
@Santastico – Year 1 of MQM sales Delta had them for 1k max. Year 2, 2k max. Now year 3, 3k. So next year 4k? Yes this is “shameful, embarrassing and disgusting” as they are fleecing their top flyers AND they are charging some more and some less for the same MQMs.
Sure I am Delta conflicted. They run a great airline with a horrid FF program. Would be nice if they could fix the latter. Txs for your input! – René
Rene’, the correct term is “bats__t crazy”! Also, I think someone should contact the U.S. Civil Rights Commission about medallion discrimination pricing. Is it legal that a Silver is treated as a lower class citizen?!
@Mark R –
It’s an interesting point. Goes to the heart of the argument of obligations in a unilateral contract. I’m actually reading (and listening) to the arguments in Northwest, Inc. vs. Ginsburg regarding frequent flyer programs. I do have a law degree. Delta’s attorneys seemed concerned that the DOT (not the FTC) could potentially intervene. I’m going to follow-up.
When everyone is an elite then no one is. High MQM cost is a good scheme to separate the best from the rest. I’m ending the year with 200K+ MQMs and hope Rene is wrong about possible end to rollovers. I used to reach the top flier status mid-year then switch to other airlines; rollovers locked in my loyalty. Does Delta care about loyalty? Hmmm.
To stop roll-over MQM miles would be foolish. We hit Platiinum this year, but kept flying Delta as our MQM miles would roll over to 2016, even though it was unlikely we would reach Diamond.
If they stopped the roll-over, we would stop flying Delta once we had reached the Medallion status we needed for that year. There are plenty of cheaper airlines that fly to where we want to go!
For those here who need the MQMs but can’t fly and have received the not eligible message, apparently a call to DL can clear you to buy per comment on OMAAT.
@Gaurav – Shudder. Call and give Delta free money? How about a Delta card for MQMs in stead 😉
@Rene: Fully agreed, should have said “for those who can’t fly or get the card”. Just putting it out there for people who have no other option.
@rene: That is “Economics 101”. As I said all Delta is doing is testing how far they can go with customers. They may decide to charge $100K for MQM and if enough customers decide to buy them they won’t stop. The strategy of their CEO is to squeeze as much as they can from their customers and only stop when customers dry out. Then they will push back and fine tune how far they can treat customers as idiots. Problem here is that the more they squeeze customers and take benefits from them the more their planes are full. Thus, they have no incentive to stop the bleeding. If WE all stop flying Delta then they will figure out they went too far. In their mind they did not reach that point yet so they will keep stabbing us until we say enough.
Santastico – I would also add this econ principle – no competition. The best thing that could happen to flyers and especially Delta flyers if for American and United to get their act together and compete with Delta’s service levels.
@DDiamond: That would be ideal but unfortunately AA and UA are just copycats and puppies on the hands of Mr. Anderson. He runs the airline business in this country and “allows” AA and UA to be in business because there is need for competition. AA and UA are a joke. I wish everyday that one of the ME companies acquires UA, AA or even JetBlue and bring real competition to this country. In my case I fly a non US airline any time I can.
It’s absolutely crazy, these prices. I was waiting for BuyMQMs to push me to Diamond. I’ll stay at Platinum. This is horrible. Flat out disgusting.
If nobody bought them they wouldn’t sell them, let alone for such a high price. The reality is there are probably a lot of silvers and golds who do. I don’t fault Delta for trying to make a buck. I know many here do. What I don’t like are rule changes and taking benefits away. I could care less about everything else of the last couple years.
Makes my most recent mileage run (I got back last night) from JFK-NRT-Sin and back the same way for $720, was worth 20,146 miles. According to Delta I could have spent $6,000 instead to “buy” them? No thank you. I even got $600 in C+ upgrades (cost to purchase the seats) on this trip. So one could argue I paid $120 for 20,000+ miles.
I’m at about 100k MQMs for the year (Diamond in 2015), and the site is telling me my account isn’t eligible either.
(I’ve got a 10k MQM flight about to hit, and a Reserve Card threshold about to hit as well, so it doesn’t really matter, but I’m not sure why it’s blocking me.)
@Joey – I am not sure either buy happy you are not over spending and giving Delta money at these crazy levels. Why not get a business Reserve card. Anyone can. Use your SSN! http://www.RenesPoints.com/bpc
I used the link supplied and would be able to purchase 2500MQM for $795 as i need the MQD to keep GM this year, Didn’t buy as I’ve put together some flights that will cut my spend to $515 for 2016 renewal. Can’t get the AMEX cards but looking for one more flight o to cap my year. Doing one for Xmas Day and December 29th, Need to find one flight out of DC for Dec 30/31st so I can roll over 10k to GM.
Well i blew it, upgraded from platinum amx to delta reserve card on dec 8 being promised i would get the additional mqm since i had spent $79k, when that didnt happen on the 25th statement i call amx and skymiles and basically get the runaround game. Not gonna happen. So i am 9,719 mqm short of diamond. Im swallowing hard but really want those global certificates for international upgrades as i only travel to manila 3 times a year. I qualify to buy but are you sure it will count for 2015 if i buy? The business class tickets are 4-5 times coach fares so the $3k buy divided out it is not so bad?
@Steve – Attempted to email you to help but your email is bad.