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Fake News or Real?
I hate rumors but this one I just had to blog about considering all the anger that the mega spend waiver from last year created. For those who do not know what we are talking about let me bring you up to speed.
Last year RenesPoints broke the news that the Amex spend waiver for elite status was going to change. Reports were they were going to simply dump it for Diamond status and the only way you could qualify was to earn $15,000 in MQD credit (either net dollars spent on Delta tickets or via partners).
Then Delta surprised us all by going a different way when it came to the Amex MQD waiver. They left in place the old rules ($25,000 spend across your Delta CO-branded Amex cards) but for Diamond they bumped it up 10x to $250,000 spend. I was thrilled Delta did not, as was planned, simply remove it all together as an option. But gosh, that is a lot of spend that could go on much better travel cards.
For me personally I was strongly considering holding 4 Delta Amex cards, a business and personal Delta Platinum as well as Reserve cards, and spending the 1/4 million across all the cards for max bonus. That is $50,000 on each Delta Platinum and $60,000 on each Reserve to get the spend bonus triggers for each card (2x for each card). Heck, since Amex is offering a 3rd spend bonus this year (on personal cards only) I could have had a bonus on all the spend. But I went another way, that is, flying partners who pay MQD credit based on distance and fare class (price of ticket does not matter).
But is there another way? There is a Facebook Delta Diamonds Group post you see in the screen shot above that a member supposedly called Delta and was granted a 1 year waiver from the 1/4 million spend requirement. WoW! I had to reach out to Delta and ask if they would confirm or deny the above and was told:
“We can’t speak to any individual customer’s experience, but our policy remains in place.” – Delta Corp Representative.
So they are NOT denying it but not confirming it either and the official policy is what was announced last year. So should all of us call and see if we too can get a 1 year waiver? I think there is a better way. One reader called about this and was told by a Delta rep to do the following steps to be considered for the non-published 1 year waiver.
1) Make sure you have at least 125,000 MQMs and that you have at least $25,000 Delta Amex card spend this year.
2) Go to Delta.com and submit a comment / complaint (link here)
3) Mention you are unhappy about the new Amex $250,000 spend requirement and would like to be considered for a 1 year waiver.
I am told your case will be escalated and reviewed on a case by case basis for being granted a 1 year waiver. I was further told this is a one shot deal and another waiver will not be granted next year (keep in mind you are earning the 2019 medallion year now in 2018 that ends 1FEB2020).
For those of us who either A) did the 1/4 million spend or B) earned our MQD spend number this I am sure is a bit of a “thanks for nothing” Delta kinda of move by SkyMiles. Since I earned it flying I am not thrilled this way seems to be open now. But I am sure Delta and Amex have had endless complaints about the mega jump in spend needed for Diamond elite status.
This brings up one more thing that I am thinking about that could happen. Clearly the change last year was bat crazy and way too much. Maybe all the negative reaction has been so bad that Delta may now revisit the requirement and lower it this year (for the following year). We are again in that date range where if they are going to announce a change it should happen over the next month or so.
What do you think? Is this rumor more “fake news” or have you already reached out to Delta and were granted the now not secret 1 year waiver for the 1/4 million Delta Amex spending? – René
