Business of Loyalty: Delta Makes Top Elite Status Tougher to Reach for Credit Card Holders
Photo Credit: Delta appears to be narrowing the focus of its top-tier elite program to only target those dedicated to flying the miles and making the spend to earn elite status. Delta Air Lines
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It's now going to be extremely difficult for some of Delta's frequent flyers to earn top-tier elite status.
Among the changes recently made to legacy airline loyalty programs, the addition of revenue requirements for elite status has been the most difficult pill for frequent flyers to swallow. Effectively, the constraints require passengers earning elite status to meet minimum revenue targets each year before they get their credentials. For lowest-tier status, that's typically $3,000 in spend (exclusive of taxes) while highest tiers require upwards of $15,000 annually.
One exception to that rule has typically kicked in if the frequent flyer subscribes to a co-branded credit card like the Delta SkyMiles credit card or the United MileagePlus card (American's card only awards some qualifying dollars after a certain annual spend is met). On Delta, if passengers spent $25,000 annually on that card, the revenue requirements for elite status would be dropped. United had the same constraint, though that waiver didn't apply for top-tier 1K status — that had to be earned through flying and spend
