Comments on: Silver Medallions, Million-Milers: What’s your beef?

By: Charles Rennie

Charles Rennie — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:47:57 +0000

Delta should give one million milers the life time Gold status, two million would get Platinum and those without a live would get the Diamond for three millions or more. It is just a status, you still have to travel the 50,000 miles to make it again, but they would be able to broad with the others in Zone 1. Million milers have put in the flights and the delay at ATL they should be Gold status.

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:22:51 +0000

I live in Cincinnati so I pay 2-3x more for tickets than the rest of the country and have been platinum for years but with the change in mindset about travel have scaled back. Delta really needs to put MM’s above silver and recognize what kind of revenue it takes to get that kind of mileage. although I’m not quite there yet, they need to be treated as a low GM. I can buy 15 tickets and be silver but to get to a million I’ve spent hundreds of thousands. It’s a crack in the program where they fall through.

By: Laura Thompson

Laura Thompson — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 04:46:50 +0000

Over the past 15 or so years I have been Platinum or gold every year. 2 years ago I unfortunatly was diagnosed with cancer and spent a majority of my year fighting cancer and going through chemo. That year I dropped from Platinum to silver and when finally healthy enough to go back to work had the unfortunate reality of what silver status is. No going through the priority line, no boarding the flight early and in many instances the overheads were filled so I couldn;t get my carry on bag on the flight. What upsets me so much is that Delta continued to advertise their support of breast cancer with their pink cans, etc… yet, their highest priority Platinums were dropped like flies to silver when they were sick with cancer! I spent that following year getting back to gold and then the follwing year Platinum status again. I do think that Platinum Status should be good for something……For the most part, I still can’t get an upgrade and am in coach with everyone else. The only thing it is giving me is room in the overhead for my luggage and the priority line through security… I think it would be nice to allow Million Milers access to the Priority line through security and to allow their base of silver to count towards their medallion qualifications. There should be some difference between plain old silver and Million Miler Silver… Just my thoughts as a Platinum customer.

By: Steve Layne

Steve Layne — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 04:10:39 +0000

Does anyone know if there is anyway to acquire miles toward MM more quickly? I assume they are only actual miles flown and that there is no way to increase them other than flying more frequently but information on the whole MM piece is scarce. It would seem that reaching the 2,000,000 or 4,000,000 mark would be important if the Silver status that comes with 1,000,000 is not worth much.

By: Greer

Greer — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 04:11:16 +0000

I have flown Delta since before Eastern folded. I am not a business traveler and have achieved million miler status through customer loyalty. In the past if I called the “medallion number” I got through to someone in a short time frame. I waited 30 mnutes on my cell phone to speak to someone on the “Slver Line”. I was trying to purchase a ticket for over $1400 because the web site was malfunctioning.

I also was able to board after first class. I was able to get an occasional award ticket and occasional upgrades. I have not been able to get an award ticket or an upgrade for a few years despite earning the miles and having them available. It is rare for a Silver Medallion to do so these days apart from an odd time of travel. The structural changes have made the “silver medallion” status next to useless. The only benefit in the last 2 or more years has been being able to board in Zone 2, which is now behind a larger number of people.

These are valid changes in functionality for those of use who have proven loyalty, usually long term. My sister is a flight attendant for Delta since the 1980s and she notes the changes for the worse as well.

I also was not made aware of a “Hartman luggage” gift.

This not a “spoiled person” speaking, this is a long term loyal customer who has been around longer than Jeff and who has watched Delta’s treatment of it’s long term loyal customers decline. Functionally what happens now has no resemblance to how we were treated at the same level in the past.

By: drew

drew — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 22:37:11 +0000

I have read many of the comments, mostly complaints. Be for real. What programs offer better? Do some research and offer better solutions instead of complaining about it.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:27:16 +0000

“Are these customers being specific as to what benefit has been taken away? I’m confused.”
Don’t be confused! What’s in the book doesn’t mean it actually get applied. Silver suppose to have priority check-in, but in Shanghai (PVG), I was denied priority check-in twice along with some other Silver members. We were told, Gold and above only for priority check-in here. Since then, Delta become the choice when there’s no choice for me.

By: John C. Helm

John C. Helm — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:17:05 +0000

Hey Jeff,
Hartman Luggage? When I hit the million mile mark about seven years ago I got a little leather luggage tag and only one, not even the nice blue tag thay use to have. Hartman Luggage, Hmmm I must have been in the Silver Medalion for life line and not the Hartman Luggage line.

By: Kevin Mead

Kevin Mead — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 06:08:36 +0000

Here was my interesting issue – not that I am that worried. As a MM I am lifetime silver, but defected from Delta when they were at a low ebb.

Thought of returning, and was denied a requested status match from my current Star Gold, CO Presidential Platinum as ‘I was already elite.’ Seemed strange, given the fact that without MM status I would have got it.

So me and my $50K spend a year on tickets are staying with CO. Like I said, I am not that worried – and clearly neither are Delta!

By: sharon kakos

sharon kakos — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:22:57 +0000

I am also a million miler & a faithful Delta flyer. I am in agreement that if i’m already silver, why do i still need 50,000 miles to make gold etc. Seems to be a terrific redundancy here.
I understand the value if I fly less than 25,000 but right now in my life, that is not the case. Maybe if enough of us ask, we can make a change.
My home is Atlanta so I am among the many.
Thank you for your time,
Sharon