Frequent Miler's latest team challenge, Million Mile Madness, is almost done! The last two weeks Greg, Nick, and Stephen competed to earn 1 Million SAS miles by flying 15 airlines. But who completed the challenge with the most Speed, Affordability, and Style?
We’re in the home stretch of 2024 and so time is running out for securing elite status with calendar-year elite programs like Delta’s. I originally wrote this post in late 2023 to show how easy it would be to earn Delta status in 2024. But now that we’re late into 2024, I figured that the same information could be helpful in securing elite status before its too late. This is especially true since Delta is very likely to drastically increase their elite requirements next year. For now, though, you can earn up to Gold Medallion status just by having certain Amex credit cards. Here’s what you need to know…
Delta Elite Status Overview
| SILVER | GOLD | PLATINUM | DIAMOND | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miles per dollar earned on paid flights | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 |
| Free domestic upgrades to 1st Class | Begins 24 hours before departure | Begins 72 hours before departure | Begins 120 hours before departure | Begins 120 hours before departure |
| Free domestic upgrades to Comfort+ | 24 hours before departure | 72 hours before departure | Shortly after ticketing | Shortly after ticketing |
| CLEAR membership discount price | $159 | $159 | $159 | Free |
| Dedicated phone line | Priority | High Priority | Higher Priority | VIP Line |
| Free companion upgrades | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Free preferred seat selection | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Waived bag fees | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Waived same day confirmed or standby change fees | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Sky Priority boarding | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Sky Priority expedited checked bags | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Sky Team lounge access on international flights | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Hertz elite status | Five Star | Five Star | President's Circle | President's Circle |
| Waived change & cancellation fees regardless of route | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| 2024 Choice Benefits: | Choose 1: | Choose 3: | ||
| Upgrade certificates | 4 Regional | 4 Global (or 8 Regional or 2 Global & 4 Regional) | ||
| Statement Credits (for Delta Platinum and Reserve Cardholders) | $200 | $500 | ||
| Starbucks® Rewards Stars | 4,000 Stars | 4,000 Stars | ||
| Delta Sky Club Executive Membership | N/A | Requires all 3 Choices | ||
| MQD Boost | 500 MQDs | 1,000 MQDs | ||
| Gift medallion status | 2 Silver | 2 Gold | ||
| Bonus miles | 20K | 25K | ||
| Delta Vacations Flight + Hotel Cert | $400 | $500 | ||
| Sustainable Aviation Fuel Contribution | $250 | $250 | ||
| Delta Travel Voucher | $250 | $250 | ||
| 2025 Choice Benefits | Choose 1: | Choose 3: | ||
| Upgrade certificates | 4 Regional | 4 Global (or 8 Regional or 2 Global & 4 Regional) | ||
| Statement Credits (for Delta Platinum and Reserve Cardholders) | $400 | $700 | ||
| Starbucks® Rewards Stars | 6,000 Stars | 6,000 Stars | ||
| Delta Sky Club Individual Membership | N/A | Requires 2 Choices | ||
| Delta Sky Club Executive Membership | N/A | Requires 3 Choices | ||
| MQD Accelerator | $1,000 MQDs | $2,000 MQDs | ||
| Gift medallion status | 2 Silver | 2 Gold | ||
| Bonus miles | 30K | 35K | ||
| Delta Vacations Flight + Hotel Cert | $400 | $500 | ||
| Sustainable Aviation Fuel Contribution | $250 | $250 | ||
| Delta Travel Voucher | $300 | $350 | ||
| Wheels up flight credit | $1,500 | $2,000 |
- Unlimited complimentary upgrades (when available, upgrade from coach to first class on domestic flights). Higher status leads to better chance of upgrades.
- Waived same-day confirmed fees and waived same-day standby fees (switch to different flight on same day as ticketed flight). Requires Gold or higher. Info about getting value from same day changes can be found here: Leveraging Delta’s Same Day Flight Changes.
- Complementary Preferred seat selection (choose exit row seats with lots of legroom)
- Complementary Comfort+ Seats (more leg room, free drinks, better snacks).
- Regional upgrade certificates. While these rarely confirm before the flight, waitlisting a regional upgrade puts you to the front of the line for upgrading at the gate. This is great to use for flights where upgrades are most important to you. For example, I use these for flights of about 3 hours or longer. This is a choice benefit for Platinum and Diamond status. Upgrade certificates can be applied to both paid and award tickets.
- Global upgrade certificates. Use these to upgrade from economy to Premium Select, or from Premium Select to business class on any flight when upgrade space is available. When you upgrade from economy to Premium Select, Delta will put you on the business class (Delta One) upgrade list 24 hours before your flight. This is a choice benefit for Diamond status only. Upgrade certificates can be applied to both paid and award tickets.
- Free award changes and cancellations. This used to be huge, but now all awards originating in North America are free to change or cancel for all members. With Platinum and Diamond status, that benefit extends to flights originating elsewhere. Requires Platinum or higher for free changes on awards originating outside of North America.
2024 Elite Requirements
Delta elite status is be based entirely on MQDs (Medallion Qualifying Dollars). MQDs are defined primarily as dollars spent on Delta flights and Delta Vacations (MQDs are earned once you actually travel, not when you purchase the travel), but they can also be earned through holding certain credit cards, spend on certain credit cards, and as Choice Benefits for Platinum and Diamond elite members.
In 2024, the following MQD amounts are required to earn each level of elite status for the 2025 Medallion year. Once the thresholds are met, you get elite status immediately, and it will last through the rest of 2024, all of 2025, and through January of 2026:
- Silver Medallion: $5,000 MQDs
- Gold Medallion: $10,000 MQDs
- Platinum Medallion: $15,000 MQDs
- Diamond Medallion: $28,000 MQDs
Shortcuts to Delta Medallion status
In addition to earning MQDs through spend on Delta (and partner) flights and vacations, the following options are available: MQD Headstarts, MQDs from spend, promotional MQDs, MQD Accelerator Choice Benefits, and MQM Rollovers (2024 only). Each is described below…
MQD Headstarts
For each of the following cards, you get $2,500 MQDs towards Medallion elite status:
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
It’s possible to have all four of the above cards and to therefore get $10,000 MQDs (enough for Gold status) automatically. Note though that these are credit cards and Amex limits each person to 5 or 6 credit cards total (charge cards, or what Amex likes to call “Pay over Time” cards, like the Amex Gold Card and Green Card do not count towards this total). Due to the credit card limit, it can be difficult to get all four qualifying Delta cards. More about Amex credit card limits can be found here.
MQDs from Spend
You can earn MQDs with spend as follows:
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Earn $1 MQD per $10
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Earn $1 MQD per $10
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Earn $1 MQD per $20
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card: Earn $1 MQD per $20
If you’re interested in earning MQDs from spend, the Delta Reserve cards are a much better option than the SkyMiles Platinum cards since they earn twice as many MQDs for the same amount of spend. Plus, that spend counts towards the $75K needed to get unlimited Sky Club visits.
Promotional MQDs
Delta periodically runs promotions where you can earn MQDs from things like purchasing hotel stays or car rentals through Delta, buying things from a Delta store, etc.
MQD Accelerator Choice Benefits
Each year, Platinum and Diamond Medallion members get to pick Choice Benefits. Platinum members can select one Platinum Choice Benefit. Diamond members can select one Platinum Choice Benefit and 3 Diamond Choice Benefits. One option at each level is to select an MQD Accelerator:
2024 Elite Year Options. For those who have status now thanks to earning it in 2023, these selections will help you earn status now (in 2024) for the 2025 elite year:
- MQD Accelerator Platinum Choice Benefit: $500 MQDs
- MQD Accelerator Diamond Choice Benefit: $1,000 MQDs
2025 Elite Year Options. For those who earn status in 2024, these selections will help you earn status in 2025 for the 2026 elite year:
- MQD Accelerator Platinum Choice Benefit: $1,000 MQDs
- MQD Accelerator Diamond Choice Benefit: $2,000 MQDs
With the 2025 options, a Diamond member could select both the $1,000 MQDs for their Platinum Choice Benefit plus $2,000 MQDs for the Diamond Choice Benefit. Additionally, they can presumably use all three of their Diamond Choice Benefits this way for a total of up to $7,000 MQDs
MQM Rollovers (2024 only)
Prior to 2024, elite status was earned through a combination of MQDs and MQMs (Medallion Qualifying Miles). And, MQMs above the threshold needed for status rolled over from year to year. That’s no longer the case, but for the transition Delta offered the following options for your rolled over MQMs (and you can mix and match):
- Convert to miles at a 2 to 1 ratio. For example, 50K rollover MQMs will become 25K redeemable miles.
- Convert to MQDs at a 10 to 1 ratio. For example, 50K rollover MQMs will become $5K MQDs.
- Members with MQM Rollover balances over 100,000 can also choose to extend their 2024 Medallion Status for 1 year per every 100,000 Rollover MQMs.
Platinum and Diamond members with 200K MQMs or more rolling over will most likely prefer to extend status. However, those with fewer MQMs and those with leftover MQMs after using your 100K MQMs to extend status will have to choose between getting redeemable miles or MQDs.
An Easy Path to Status
Step 1: Get both Delta SkyMiles Platinum Cards
Make sure to get both of these $350 cards:
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
As long as you haven’t had the above cards or the consumer Delta Reserve card before, you should be able to qualify for the current welcome bonus for each card. That should more than make up for the first year annual fee for each card. Then, in subsequent years, perks like the annual companion ticket, discounted awards, and hotel rebates can make up for the annual fee.
In order to apply for a business credit card, you must have a business. That said, it’s common for people to have businesses without realizing it. For example, if you sell items at a yard sale or on eBay, then you have a business. Similar examples include: consulting, writing (e.g. blog authorship, planning your first novel, etc.), handyman services, owning rental property, renting on airbnb, driving for Uber or Lyft, etc. In any of these cases, your business is considered a Sole Proprietorship and you can apply for a business credit card using your own name as the business name, and your Social Security Number as your business Tax ID (also known as EIN).
Once you get the two SkyMiles Platinum cards, you will be given two $2,500 MQD “Headstarts.” $2,500 MQDs + $2,500 MQDs = $5,000 MQDs = Silver status. Boom. You now have Silver Medallion status!
Step 2: Get both Delta Reserve cards
If you have enough credit card “slots” (i.e. you currently have no more than 3 Amex credit cards), then you can apply for each of the $650 Delta Reserve cards:
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
As long as you haven’t had these cards before, you should be able to qualify for the welcome bonuses which will go a long way towards making up for the first year annual fees. For subsequent years, the card perks like Sky Club access, companion tickets, etc. may make up for the annual fees.
Once you have both Delta Reserve cards, you will be credited with another $5,000 MQDs for a total of $10,000 MQDs. Boom. You’ll then have Gold Medallion status!
Step 3: Spend towards higher level status
If you never set foot on a Delta flight, the above steps will get you to Gold Medallion status. You can then put spend on one of your Delta Reserve cards to earn additional MQDs towards higher level status. This is true for the Delta Platinum cards too, but at half the MQD earning rate.
In fact, any spend you do in order to earn welcome bonuses will add to your MQD count. As a reminder, the Delta cards earn MQDs at the following rates:
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Earn $1 MQD per $10
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Earn $1 MQD per $10
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Earn $1 MQD per $20
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card: Earn $1 MQD per $20
Example: If you have $10,000 MQDs from the MQD Headstarts and you want to get to Platinum status (which requires 15,000 MQDs), you can get the extra 5,000 MQDs with $50,000 spend on Delta Reserve cards.
The Status Match Option
If you have status in another airline, you can apply for a Delta status match. If accepted, you’ll get Delta elite status for a 3 month trial period. Then, if you earn the target number of MQDs during the trial period, you’ll get to keep that status through January 2026.
Full details can be found here: Delta’s excellent 2024 status match.
Conclusion
If you’re willing and able to apply for a number of pricey Amex cards, you can earn up to Delta Gold elite status without stepping foot on a plane and without even putting any spend on those cards. If you want to earn a higher level of status that can be done through spend on your Delta Reserve cards.
Of course, earning elite status isn’t worth much if you don’t fly Delta often so I don’t recommend doing this if you’re not going to fly Delta. If you do fly Delta a fair amount, you’ll earn additional MQDs from flying. Even when redeeming SkyMiles you’ll earn MQDs (at a rate of $1 MQD per 100 Sky Miles spent). So you’ll potentially reach an even higher level of status through the combination of credit card MQDs and flight MQDs.
Overall, Delta elite status is really easy to earn in 2024. That may change next year. As I write this, we don’t yet know to what extent Delta will increase elite requirements in 2025, but given that United just increased their requirements by ~20% I think you can expect equal or worse from Delta. Stay tuned.
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Hey Greg if you earn silver for 2025 in 2025 will the Reserve Biz card’s 2500 boost be added bringing you closer to Gold or is it just helping you qualify for Silver first as if you started with no status?
It adds to your status just like qualifying flights do. So yes it would help you get to Gold
How long does it take to for the MQD HeadStart to show up if I sign up for a card? I’ll be close to $2500 short of DM and may sign up for another card if it gets me into Diamond.
Delta needs to make hotel portal MQDs permanent.
The Amex Delta Reserve’s earning structure needs to parallel that of the Citi AA Executive.
Nit pick: the AF on the Delta Platinum cards is $350, it’s being shown as $250 above.
Great article!
Thanks! Fixed
What makes you say this: “…Delta is very likely to drastically increase their elite requirements next year.”? I would be surprised if they changed the requirements again this soon, but your ear is closer to the ground than mine!
In 2023 they first rolled out much, much higher requirements for 2024 but then after a big outcry they reduced them to what they are now. But they hinted that the higher requirements were still coming, just not in 2024. It’s certainly possible that they’ll raise requirements a little each year rather than in one fell swoop. We’ll see!
It should be noted that step 2B is not an option. I’ve been waiting for it to kick in for a couple months, but I now realize it won’t. Deep in the terms it says:
Card Members who upgrade from an Eligible Platinum or Platinum Business Card to an Eligible Reserve or Reserve Business Card will not be awarded an additional $2,500 MQD deposit for the Reserve or Reserve Business Card, and Card Members who downgrade from an Eligible Reserve or Reserve Business Card to an Eligible Platinum or Platinum Business Card will not be awarded an additional $2,500 MQD deposit for the Platinum or Platinum Business Card.
Thanks for this! I’ll update the post.
great post! I would like to upgrade my delta Amex platinum to reserve to get the 10:1 conversion rate of my annual spend (60k). Delta rep told me I need to upgrade by Jan 10th to get the boost benefit. I didn’t ask if I get 2 headstarts if I have 2 credi cards. I would rather not pay 2 fees. Do you think I could get the boost only if I apply by the 10th if Jan? I know the conversions starts Feb 1 but I am not sure if I need to hurry to upgrade. Thaoughts? Platinum medallion in 2024 if that makes a difference.
There’s nothing in the terms about the Headstarts that suggests that you need to get the card by Jan 6. In fact, there are specific terms about how long it may take to get credited with the Headstart if you get a card after Feb 1. So, no need to hurry in my opinion.
I am $102 short on MQD for Platinum this year with 3 weeks to go. Short of travel, is there anything I can buy with Delta that will get me the MQD? I don’t have their credit cards
A flight !
I have around 102K excess MQMs and will start 2024 as platinum. I anticipate getting to Diamond in late 2024. Will I be able to apply my 100K MQMs as a Diamond earned in 2024 to extend the Diamond level in 2025.
I think this question is slightly different than some of the other questions in that I will start 2024 as platinum and then earn diamond in 2024 and I want to extend my newly earned diamond status in 2024 to 2025…. Thanks
Great question. Unfortunately no. Unless details change, you will only be able to extend 2024 status earned in 2023
???? If someone starts 2024 as a Platinum and earns Diamond status during 2024, doesn’t that status start immediately and extend through 2025 (or actually Jan 31st 2026)?
Yes that’s correct but the question was about exchanging rollover MQMs for extra years of status. If Dirk could do that (he can’t) he’d have Diamond through Jan 2027
Greg…Delta talks about MQM rollover to MQD’s or Miles or a COMBINATION of both….OR 100k status extension…..BUT, not if it’s possible to use in COMBINATION of all 3…. rollover to MQD’s AND 100k status extension AND miles.
Below is my situation and preference.
BTW…..my preference would be for Delta to allow me rollover MQM’s to LIFETIME MILES. That would put me at Lifetime Diamond and I wouldn’t have to worry about any of the above.
Thanx
Greg (also)
I’m 99% sure that you can do all three. You have to make all of your choices in 2024 though, so I don’t think it makes sense for you to convert any MQMs to MQDs if you already have Diamond status. Instead, use as many 100K MQM rollovers as you have available to extend your diamond status out multiple years and then convert the remainder to miles.
Re: rollover to lifetime miles. That won’t happen. All MQMs you have have already counted towards your lifetime miles so Delta won’t let you roll them over and count them again.
If I extend my 2024 status for two years with 200,000+ MQMs will I get choice benefits for each year?
Yes
Thanx for the reply.
Greg G – platinum (lifetime) and flying colonel
In 2024 will spending with the Amex Platinum Reserve card still earn skymiles and if so, will those skymiles count towards earning million miler or in my case 2 million miler status. Also, will converting excess MQMs this year go towards earning million miler status?
Yes, in 2024, Delta Reserve spend will still earn SkyMiles. No, those miles won’t count towards million miler status. Starting in 2024 there won’t be any way to progress towards million miler status with credit card spend.
And, no, rollover MQMs from this year won’t go towards million miler status (they already counted towards million miler when you earned them originally)
If you are a million miler and get gold stays automatically— do additional MQD’s earned build from there? I’d do you start with $10,000 so only need $18,000 of the other to reach diamond?
No, you’ll start with 0 MQDs each year regardless of your million miler status
Great information. I’m going to hit Diamond this year…finally!! Because SC access is important to me and I travel several times a year and upgrade to FC, I’m going to apply for the Delta Business Reserve. Two questions, should I wait until 2024 to apply so my MQDs don’t reset, and is there any downside to getting the Business Reserve vs Delta Reserve (I have an LLC). I’m going to probably keep my AmEx Platinum card as well for restaurants/hotel points, etc. TIA!!
They will let you upgrade the business delta platinum to the reserve within 1 year, but not the personal. I currently have an upgrade offer on my Delta Business Platinum to Reserve and its been open only a couple of months.
Good to know!