On SkyMiles
Well, the internet has been in a state of controlled chaos with the announcement from Delta SkyMiles that there will be a few changes to Medallion Qualification Mile (MQM) earning on partner airlines. Predictions of doom and gloom abound. Admittedly, I was a little surprised that direct-marketed flights on Korean Air, a longterm Sky Team alliance partner of Delta’s, would no longer earn MQMs as of September 1, 2013. Of course, some partners still offer full MQMs.
Based on this a guy like me, who flies primarily domestic with an annual junket to Europe, is good to go. On the other hand, I’m sympathetic to those who have desires or business needs in Asia, because the story is not is good if you can’t get a Delta metal flight to where you need to go.
And of course, there’s this.
That means “NO” MQMs for you.
As a near purely domestic traveler, these changes have no impact on me. In fact, access to Alaska’s excellent west coast network with full MQMs, and Virgin Australia, an airline that serves what is really the one place that I must travel to, benefit me. There has been plenty of well thought out discussion around the blogs about the meaning, hidden and otherwise, of the this latest change and the other things Delta is doing with SkyMiles. You will have to make a choice based on those data points, and your own situation. I have, and I will continue to fly Delta.
Who says Silver Medallions don’t get upgrades from Atlanta during the week?! I love 757s! This will be my last comment on Delta and SkyMiles for at least the next day or two. 😀
On Knives
No knives. I was not passionate about this, as I am convinced that the first stubby-knife wielding person that says they’re taking over an airplane would immediately be pummeled by passengers. On the other hand, a lot of people were passionate about it, and they have won. TSA Administrator John Pistole announced today that the agency is dropping its change to the current knife ban.
On PreCheck
I missed this. TSA PreCheck has expanded at Philadelphia International Airport to include Alaska, Delta, and Virgin America in addition to United and US Airways which were already participating.
According to several posts on FlyerTalk, if you were PreCheck eligible, all you had to do was head over to the US Airways checkpoint and enter there no matter what airline you were flying. Wish I’d caught that last time I departed Philadelphia. At least its official now for the other airlines, and at a nearby checkpoint.
On Commenters
One of my favorite comments rolled in last night.
“Stick with cruising, you seem much more informed,. All of the things you like are open season for this Delta management team, just a few weeks ago people were saying, screw Skymiles, I love drinking in the Sky Club…and now. When your “likes” get touched maybe you will see the light.”
OK, my favorite part about that was the “stick with cruising” bit. The rest is reader opinion that I’m more than happy to appreciate here. Good news! Tomorrow, I’m blogging about cruising! But that won’t last forever. 😀
-MJ, June 5, 2013
Just have to comment on the “stick to cruising” comment. It’s like someone turned on USA channel, because you just got a burn notice ;).
@Jeffsetter,
Live it! 🙂
Hard to say at this point. If this negatively impacts their business here, and I can’t fathom that it won’t, there will be an adjustment of some sort.
I wonder if this signals Korean pulling out of ATL?
Glad I redeemed my 120k on YVR-LAX-ICN-KTM RT on Biz class this past week. I only have less than 1k Delta Miles left…..so fortunate. Just hoping that Korean Air is very reliable as the ICN- KTM is twice weekly flight.
it’s actually a huge blow to Skyteam
KE is one of the relatively few shining stars within skyteam. Take that away and you’re surrounded by a world full of china eastern, aerolineas, and Saudi