After a major (and majorly unpopular) overhaul nearly doubled the annual spending requirements, earning Delta Medallion Status isn't right for everyone. But a brand new promotion from Delta could make it a bit easier.
For a limited time, booking hotels, vacation rentals, or rental cars through Delta's dedicated travel site for a trip this summer will add to your balance of Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs), the critical spending requirement you need to hit to earn or requalify for status with the Atlanta-based airline. Each $1 you spend on lodging gets you 1 MQD.
That means $600 in hotel rates or car fees adds close to 600 MQDs to your status tracker since taxes and fees don't count. You'll also earn 2x SkyMiles per $1 you spend (or even more on select rental car companies), adding at least 1,200 redeemable SkyMiles in this example. You just have to book by June 24 – and complete your stay by Sept. 8.
Have a Delta SkyMiles Amex Card? Use up your new Delta Stays credit of $100 to $250 to save on a hotel while earning bonus MQDs with this promotion!
Nowadays, the almighty Medallion Qualifying Dollar is all that matters for earning Delta status … and this promotion gives you a leg up on earning them this summer. But it's not a free-for-all – here's what you need to keep in mind:
- You must book at Delta's dedicated travel site by June 24
- Only rental cars and hotel reservations completed by September 8, 2024, qualify to earn MQDs
- Taxes, fees, and other charges (like room service, for example) don't count
- Travelers must pay with a credit card that matches their name on the reservation to earn bonus MQDs – though there's no requirement to pay with a Delta Amex credit card
- It could take up to eight weeks after completing travel for MQDs to hit your account
Not sure what this status talk is all about? Go back to basics with our Delta Medallion Status guide!
Anything that makes it easier to pile up more MQDs is likely welcome news to loyal Delta flyers. Earn status by flying in 2024, and you'll get your Medallion benefits for the rest of the year, all of 2025, and into early 2026.
It could help take the sting out of some major changes to earning Medallion status put in place for this year, including the hefty increases to annual spending requirements that hit all of Delta's tiers of status. Even after rolling some of the most drastic changes back
Here's a look at the new requirements in place as of this year:
- Silver Medallion Status: $5,000 in spending on Delta or partner flights
- Gold Medallion Status: $10,000 in spending on Delta or partner flights
- Platinum Medallion Status: $15,000 in spending on Delta or partner flights
- Diamond Medallion Status: $28,000 in spending on Delta or partner flights
On the top end, hitting Delta Diamond Status now requires spending a whopping $28,000 each year on flights with Delta or select partner airlines – an $8,000 increase from just a year ago. As part of last year's botched overhaul of earning status, Delta no longer has an annual flying requirement – so there's no need to worry about Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) anymore.
But the one-two punch of this new promo and a handy benefit for top Delta Amex cardholders could help you close the gap.
If you've got the *delta skymiles platinum card* or the top-tier *delta reserve card*, you get an automatic $2,500 MQDs thanks to the new MQD headstart benefit. And after a recent refresh (and annual fee hike) to those cards, you also get $150 or $200 a year, respectively, toward hotel and vacation rental bookings made through Delta Stays.
So let's say you have a Delta Reserve Card and book a $1,000 prepaid hotel stay for this summer. That means you'd get:
- $200 off your hotel stay once that credit kicks in, reducing your total to $800 or so.
- Roughly 950 MQDs or so, since taxes and fees don't count toward this promo)
- Plus the 2,500 MQDs that are already in your account
Delta recently made it much easier to monitor your progress toward Medallion Status by rolling out a brand new SkyMiles dashboard, which tallies up both previous and upcoming flights to track your MQDs.
Bottom Line
This could be a crafty way to make it easier to earn, keep, or level up your Delta status this year.
Book a hotel, vacation rental, or rental car through Delta's dedicated travel booking site for a trip this summer and you can add to your balance of Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs), potentially making it easier to hit Delta's spending requirements for status. Just keep in mind you have to book by June 24 – and only trips completed by Sept. 8 will count.