The news that Delta Air Lines will implement a revenue requirement in addition to normal mileage and segment requirements next year to qualify for Medallion status has created quite a stir across the interweb. Message boards, blogs, and the Twitterverse are buzzing with spirited discussions back and forth on this change. Some love it, some hate, and others are indifferent. One thing is certain, it is a change that will lead some Delta elites to look elsewhere. You know how I feel about this. I am not personally troubled by the thought of a revenue requirement for elite status, and I am not changing my flying patterns or mileage earning preferences because of it. However, that does not mean that I am unsympathetic to those who are concerned about it. I think the first program that any chagrined Delta flier should think about is Alaska Mileage Plan.
Alaska partners with an impressive number of airlines, including Delta, and earning Alaska miles on your Delta flights is as simple as entering your Mileage Plan number in your reservation. Most Delta fares are eligible for Alaska mileage credit, and you can even qualify for Alaska’s elite MVP status with your Delta flights. And yes, you can take advantage of those elite benefits when flying Delta.
Now, if all the other airlines rush to follow Delta on this, Mileage Plan might be less of an option for former Delta fliers. If the other airlines don’t follow Delta, I don’t think there is any guarantee that Delta changes its mind on its new revenue-based elite qualification requirements. In fact, I would bet a bottle of very good wine that Delta presses ahead with Medallion Qualification Dollars no matter what. In other words, if you’ve decided to dump Sky Miles, you don’t have anything to lose by taking a close look at Mileage Plan. You may have a lot to gain on the redemption side of things too. No matter what happens, 2013 may be the most interesting year we’ve had in miles and points for a while.
-MJ, January 28, 2013
Alaska might make sense for some DL flyers looking to move away from the MQD requirements (and for the ability to earn and redeem on Alaska’s other partners) but say goodbye to Economy Comfort and some of the other perks of Medallion status.
Also, this probably won’t be an issue for those coming from SkyMiles but I have a couple hundred thousand Alaska miles I keep struggling to burn, simply because I can’t redeem for one way awards on AS partners. I keep concentrating on earning on United for one way Star Alliance awards. The good news is that there are rumblings that this may be changing which would make my existing Mileage Plan balance more valuable to me.
I have also found that for awards on Alaska-operated flights it is a better deal to redeem Korean miles for Alaska RT flights with connections and BA Avios for nonstop coach flights (due to the distance based award chart.) Both Avios and Korean miles are easier to earn than Mileage Plan miles, thanks largely to the category bonuses on Ultimate Rewards cards from Chase and the Ultimate Rewards Mall (as opposed to the Mileage Plan Visa which only offers 1 mile per $, with the exception of Alaska purchases.)
So… Mileage Plan may not be the proverbial “Silver Widget” for everyone, but it may make sense for some. If I were in that situation I would just get a SkyMiles American Express and do some creative spending in order to meet the $25,000 threshold to waive the MQD requirements.
Rob,
I appreciate your comment. Very valuable information.
Partner flights do not count for AS MM status.
That does seem like an option, especially for those just starting out in the elite flyer business. Doe Alaska have a Million Miler type program?
They do, but I do not know if partner flights count towards million mile status or not.
https://www.alaskaair.com/shared/tips/MillionMileFlyer.aspx