With just two months left in 2023, time is running out to qualify (or requalify) for Delta elite status.
If you haven’t already, check your elite qualification details, add up your travel for the rest of the year and see where that puts you in terms of elite status for next year. If you don’t reach your goal, you still have time to close the gap.
And while this post will focus on qualifying for Delta Medallion status this year, keep in mind that major changes to Delta elite status will take effect next year.
Here are some ideas to earn what you need before the end of the year.
Last minute earning strategies
Time is short, but if you don’t think you’ll quite reach the earning threshold of your elite status level, there are still some good options to put you over the top.
Please note that starting January 1, 2024, Delta will consolidate all activities earning Medallion status into Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs), eliminating Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) and Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs) – although the company is some of them have withdrawn. changes following widespread customer outrage.
Next year, MQDs will track not only your eligible travel spend on Delta and its partners, but also other methods such as your spend on Delta-issued credit cards and car rentals, hotel stays and Delta vacations.
However, it will be ‘business as usual’ until December 31, which means you only have a few months to reach the desired level according to the old criteria.
Related: What’s Delta Air Lines’ Elite Status Worth?
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Spend on a Delta cobranded credit card
Some Delta cobranded credit cards allow cardholders to earn MQMs or unlock MQD waivers, both of which can take you to a higher Medallion level.
To start, you can earn bonus MQMs through calendar year spend on four of Delta’s cobranded credit cards through December 31, 2023:
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Earn 10,000 MQMs after you spend $25,000 on qualifying purchases in a calendar year, plus an additional 10,000 MQMs after you spend $50,000 in a calendar year.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card: Earn 10,000 MQMs after you spend $25,000 on qualifying purchases in a calendar year, plus an additional 10,000 MQMs after you spend $50,000 in a calendar year.
- Delta SkyMiles Reserve® American Express Card: Earn 15,000 MQMs for every $30,000 in eligible purchases you make with the card in a calendar year, up to a total of $120,000 (60,000 MQMs total).
- Delta SkyMiles Reserve® Business American Express Card: Earn 15,000 MQMs for every $30,000 in eligible purchases you make with the card in a calendar year, up to a total of $120,000 (60,000 MQMs total).
Plus, you can spend $25,000 on these cards to earn an MQD waiver for Silver, Gold, and Platinum status. Or you can spend $250,000 for a Diamond MQD waiver. This completely waives the MQD requirement, meaning you only need to meet the MQS or MQM requirement to earn status in 2023.
However, from January 1, 2024, all these benefits will no longer be available.
These are high spending thresholds, but you may also be spending more on your cobranded credit card than you think. Check your total spending level for the year to date and see if you are within reasonable distance of any of these thresholds. You may want to consider temporarily paying bills and other expenses with your cobranded card if you’re close to one of these thresholds.
Please note that this year’s expense and bonus MQMs must be credited to your account to count toward qualifying for elite status for the 2024 status year. So be sure you know your statement cut-off dates and make sure your expenses appear on a statement issued before the end. of the year.
Related: Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex Card Review
Status Challenge
Historically, Delta SkyMiles has been one of the most generous programs regarding status challenges.
Unfortunately, the SkyMiles Medallion Status Match Challenge is “temporarily unavailable,” according to the Delta website – likely due to all the changes to the program. Keep this option in mind for next year and beyond if you still want to improve your Delta status.
Choice benefits status
As mentioned above, Delta’s Choice benefits for Platinum and Diamond members include the ability to grant Medallion status to other members. Platinum medalists can choose to gift silver medallion status, and diamonds can gift gold status to other fliers. So be nice to friends or family who might be able to give you a helping hand at the club.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Delta Choice Benefits
Fly privately and earn Diamond Medallion status
Delta has a partnership with Wheels Up, a private jet subscription service. Historically, when you fund a WheelsUp account with $50,000 or more, you automatically receive Delta elite status.
Of course, this isn’t the cheapest option for earning Delta elite status. However, if you or your company does use the service, bypassing all other requirements and going straight to the top can be a good option.
Related: The 8 Cheapest Ways to Get the Private Jet Experience
Book an award ticket
One of the best changes to the Delta SkyMiles program in recent years is that award tickets booked in Main Cabin or higher now earn MQDs and MQMs. This was originally introduced as a temporary benefit in 2021, but later became a permanent benefit of the program. This can make earning status much cheaper.
If you have a stash of SkyMiles in your account, consider redeeming them to close the gap to your desired elite status level. This can save you money and make elite status as easy as booking a single award flight to the destination of your choice.
And don’t forget, select Delta American Express cardholders automatically receive a 15% discount on award tickets managed by Delta.
However, there is one major exception to keep in mind: only Delta-ticketed and operated award tickets earn elite status stats. For example, if you use Flying Blue miles from Air France-KLM to book an award ticket, you won’t earn elite status even if you add your SkyMiles number to the itinerary. Likewise, booking a Virgin Atlantic ticket with SkyMiles does not grant elite status.
Related: Your Complete Guide to the Delta SkyMiles Program
Earn affiliate MQM and MQD
Since achieving elite status this year requires you to earn both elite-qualifying miles and segments And If you reach the spending thresholds, mileage credits aren’t necessarily the useful eligibility tool they once were if you fly Delta Metal.
But the upside is that you can still use affiliate rates to earn MQDs quickly. This is because these flights earn MQDs based on a percentage of the distance of the flight, not how much you spend.
If you go that route, know the earning rates for the specific carrier and fare class you purchase, and keep in mind that many will be devalued next year. Therefore, you will want to complete these flights by December 31, 2023, and then keep your boarding passes and flight confirmations to ensure they are credited correctly.
Related: How (and Why) You Should Check Your Loyalty Accounts Regularly
In short
Even though the year is coming to an end, there is still time to rise to the next level of Delta Medallion elite status.
The most important thing is to know where you are now and how little time you will have left after you pay for the rest of your planned trip for this year. Once you know how many additional MQMs or MQDs you need, you can use these strategies to ensure you earn the elite level you want for next year – especially since 2023 is the last year you’ll qualify with MQMs and MQSs.