Buy Miles to Keep Status
 

I'm approximately 2000 miles away from keeping silver elite status on Delta for next year. I'm really questioning whether its worth it to pay $295 to buy 2500 miles to keep my status for next year. Flying somewhere this week is not an option so I would have to pay up. Additionally, I'm no longer traveling very much, and the clincher, I'm pregnant so I anticipate definitely having a few months where I am not traveling at all. Furthermore, I have no trips planned to go anywhere for the next few months while I can still travel. (FYI, I have to change this!)

And really, what does silver elite get me? I was upgraded once to first class during the past year, and I can check my luggage 12 times paying the fee to equal the $295 I would pay to reach elite status. A better seat? A chance to board early?

Silver status doesn't even get you priority boarding anymore. It also does not let you access the priority TSA line. Really, Silver is worth almost nothing. I'm surprised they haven't phased it out altogether. And keep in mind, there will be even more people with status next year looking for the same upgrades. I'm Gold, DH is Platnimum, and we were all offered the same purchase MQM deals. There are going to be more Elite members than ever before. Delta will do anything for $$$$$$$!

Silver will not get you much more than a free checked bag these days. If you have a Delta credit card, you get the free checked bag with that anyway so might not be worth buying miles. You do earn a bit of bonus mileage with silver status and a discount on economy comfort seats.

I don't have a Delta credit card but I do have a platinum American Express which gives me a $200 credit that can be used for baggage fees, etc on the airline of my choice.

I think that's the problem with it. Silver is worth almost nothing. I've gotten absolutely no benefit from it anymore. Where I fly from, there is no priority TSA line so it only applies to the return half of the trip and when I flew from LaGuardia last week, the regular line was faster than the priority line!

I lost status on American this year, and it looks like as of next year, I'll just be a regular flyer like everyone else on the back of the bus.

I've been Delta Silver for a few years, and I always was able to do priority boarding (after First/Business) and that is huge to me. But - since I needed a couple thousand miles to go to Gold this year, you can't buy Miles for Status - they're good for travel, but they don't count for getting to the next Status level. I ended up buying a Priority Club membership, because they had a little bonus period on that... So - while I have sometimes gotten upgrades when I fly within the US, I don't fly much in the US, and it really isn't what is important - Important thing, having a place to put my little suitcase.... :)

http://www.delta.com/skymiles/about_...ance/index.jsp

It's a shame you need 2000 and not 1500 as you could just buy a Skyclub membership by the end of the year.
http://www.delta.com/traveling_check...omos/index.jsp

Debi, I hate to burst your bubble....but Delta is selling MQMs this year.....yep, the miles that get you Elite status. We got emails in December with the offer. You can also get extra MQMs with the Delta credit card and MQMs by re-uping your club membership. There just isn't much that you can do that WON'T get MQMs this year. And THAT is why their Elite status will be darn near useless in the future.

I am Silver, my DH is Gold, and we have been looking at FF award tickets. The options available to him are much better than the ones available to me. I agree that getting Silver is not worth terribly much - I would not spend $$ to keep it (I have the Delta Amex, so I get my free checked bag through that).

I didn't buy the miles. I just couldn't justify the money. Status doesn't expire until the end of February I think and that's about the time my pregnancy will prevent me from flying. I'll just pony up the luggage fee and whatever else and I'm still betting it'll be less than the amount I would have spent buying the miles just to still be stuck in the back in coach.