Every once and a while, I get emails from readers with various questions about my thoughts on something travel related. Historically, I’ve kept them to myself for no real reason, so I’ve decided they might make interesting blog material. For every one question, I’ll bet 10 others have been wondering the same thing anyway. With that, on to the question. Reader M. asks:
“I need some help. I want to have your thoughts on Delta medallion membership. I am a silver this year and am about 2k shy of making Gold. I could take a quick trip but I am not sure if I should go for the gold or take the rollover miles of about 24k and go for it next year. I am based out of LAX so the upgrades as a silver are nil.
My problem is that I will make silver again next year for 2013 but I don’t think I will come close to 50k in trips. My trips for next year are LAX-JFK twice, YYZ once, FLL, once, SLC twice, and finally DUB or Rome with a stop in London.
As you seem to fly Delta often I would like your thoughts.”
And MJonTravel responds:
“Thanks for reading, and your note. I’d have to say the answer to your question from my perspective is an unhelpful “it depends.” đŸ™‚ I’ll begin with saying that the difference between Gold and Silver is, in my opinion, noticeable. Sky Priority service when the upgrade doesn’t clear is reason enough to have Gold in my book. (even though I expect I will only be a Silver next year)
Based on your travel plans, it appears that alone is enough to make Silver for the following year. Might as well go for Gold and enjoy the benefits next year, even if you only are able to maintain Silver in 2013. If you weren’t going to fly as much next year as it appears you will, then I might recommend banking those extra miles to rolling over into next year and having an easy climb to maintain Silver again in 2013.Â
Just my thoughts.”
How do you feel about my advice? Do you have a different take on things?
i made 25 mqm’s in 2011, then rolledover 19k mqm to 2012 and made another 30k mqm so now i have about 49k of mqm’s.
if i wait for 2013, will all my 49kmqm roll over? or just 24k mqm’s?
(in other words when i made those 6k mqm’s this year, did that go right away for my silver for 2013 or beacuse i was silver in 2012 this is all counting for gold?)
thanks
It looks like you have at minimum 33,000 MQMs planned for 2012 (2013 qualifying year) which already guarantees you keep Elite status through February 2014. You can get more if you book out of the way hub connections (LAX-ATL-JFK or LAX-MSP-FLL) which usually price similarly to the non-stop. Go for Gold status for 2012. If you roll over: You end 2011 with 48,000 miles You start 2012 Silver with 23,000 miles You won’t make Gold until very late in 2012 assuming your International trip is last You will end 2012 with about 55,000 miles If you take a flight in… Read more »
Agreed with all above. I went to the Delta Plat promo (3 flights before EOY), and got my plat status while I could just roll over some MQMs to next year. Enjoy it when it lasts, worry about next year until next year.
MJ I just do not for the life of me understand why anyone would not: A: go for the top status they can. B: for a little money get a bunch more mqm’s C: worry about status for next year next year. Here is the deal. AMEX makes is so simple to get SILVER. You can get the RESERVE card and get 10k mqm to start and then with either gift cards or other ways(buy gold coins etc etc that cost very little to turn into cash) to spend the 60k to get 30k mqm more. Thus silver done for… Read more »
If you have a lot of travel planned early next year, to get to gold in the first few months of the year, *maybe* wait if you think you can’t requalify next year. Otherwise, the difference between what Silver gets (barely more than an Amex cardholder) and what Gold gets (priority security, free SDC, better upgrade odds, 100% mile earning bonus, international lounge access) is pretty huge.
You want to get to gold. The difference is rather dramatic.
Agreed, enjoy the benefits now and worry about the rest later! Keep in mind that DL could end the rollover MQM feature some year in the future, so I don’t count on rolling over 2011 MQMs into 2013.