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If you’re already flying Delta on a regular basis, then getting a Delta Medallion status should be your next priority. You’ll be entitled to free upgrades, checked bags, priority boarding, and many more premium services while you’re traveling.
Just like any other airline loyalty program, you can earn a Delta status by flying and earning a certain number of qualifying miles, dollars, or segments. The more qualifying requirements you earn, the higher status you’ll get, which then means more travel perks and benefits.
And yes, it can get confusing, which is why we’re going to simplify all the details that you need to know about the Delta Medallion Program.
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What Is The Delta Medallion Program?
The official name for Delta’s frequent flyer program is called Delta SkyMiles, and it’s a free program that’s available for all people. Once you’ve signed up for a free SkyMiles account, you can start earning airline miles whenever you fly Delta, and you can then redeem those miles for free flights.
As you fly with Delta, you don’t only earn airline miles, but you also earn Medallion Qualifying Miles, Medallion Qualifying Segments, or Medallion Qualifying Dollars. These qualifying metrics would then determine your Delta Medallion status.
There are four elite statuses in the Delta Medallion program, which are:
- Delta Silver Medallion
- Delta Gold Medallion
- Delta Platinum Medallion
- Delta Diamond Medallion
Each status tier comes with a different set of travel benefits. As you move up in status, the more benefits you’ll get.
How To Earn Delta Medallion Status?
As mentioned above, there are three qualifying metrics that you need to earn in order to get Delta Medallion status: Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs), Medallion Qualifying Segments (MQSs), and Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs). Take note that MQDs can be substituted for MQD waivers.
These terms can be confusing, especially for newbie points enthusiasts, so we wrote a separate article on how to understand MQMs, MQDs, MQSs, and MQD Waivers. However, here’s a breakdown of the required number for each status tier.
The requirements are a tad bit complicated because you’d always have to look at multiple metrics just to track your progress.
In fact, American Airlines has updated their AAdvantage program and has replaced its Elite Qualification Segments, Elite Qualification Dollars, and Elite Qualification Miles with one qualifying metric – the Loyalty Points.
Read More: Earn Tons Of SkyMiles With The Delta Dining Program
How Long Is Delta Medallion Status Valid For?
The validity of your Delta Medallion status starts from the day you earn it during your qualification period up until the last day of your Medallion year.
Here are the definition of these terms:
Qualification Period
Delta’s qualification period is from January 1 to December 31. Any qualifying miles, dollars, or segments you earn during this period will determine your status for your Medallion year.
For example, if you’ve earned a total of 75,000 MQMs and $9000 MQDs between January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022 qualification period, you’ll be awarded a Delta Medallion Platinum status for the year 2023 Medallion year.
Take note that you can lose your status if you don’t earn it again in the next qualification period.
“But what if I earned 85,000 MQMs? What will happen to the extra 10,000MQMs?”
In the event that you met the required number of MQMs for Delta Platinum Medallion status but not enough to move up to Delta Diamond Medallion status, your extra MQMs will be rolled over to the next qualification period. This means that you only need 115,000 MQMs to reach Diamond status next year.
Medallion Year
According to Delta, a Medallion year runs from February 1 until January 31 of next year. For example, the 2023 Medallion year will start on February 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024.
Now that you have some context of what these terms mean, here’s an example:
If you earned a total of 75,000 MQMs and $9000 MQDs during the 2022 qualification period, specifically on November 30, 2022, you would receive Delta Platinum Medallion status on November 30, 2022, up until January 31, 2024.
Read More: Delta Premium Select: Delta’s Premium Economy Class Explained
Delta Medallion Benefits
Each Delta Medallion tier offers a set of benefits, and here’s a quick overview of what you’ll get:
STATUS BENEFIT | SILVER | GOLD | PLATINUM | DIAMOND |
Rollover MQMs | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Earn Bonus Miles On Delta Flights | 7 miles per dollar | 8 miles per dollar | 9 miles per dollar | 11 miles per dollar |
1 Choice Benefit | 3 Choice Benefits | |||
Elite | Elite Plus | Elite Plus | Elite Plus | |
Free Checked Bags |
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Priority Check-in |
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Priority Access At Security Lines |
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Priority Baggage Handling |
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Priority Boarding |
| Sky Priority | Sky Priority | |
Preferred Pricing at $109/Year | Preferred Pricing at $109/Year | Preferred Pricing at $109/Year | Free | |
Reclaim My Status |
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Complimentary Confirmed Same-day Flight Changes |
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Preferred Seats |
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Priority Waitlist |
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Comfort Plus Upgrades | 24 hours prior to departure | 72 hours prior to departure | Shortly after ticketing | Shortly after ticketing |
First-class Upgrades on Domestic and Short-haul International Flights | 24 hours prior to departure | 72 hours prior to departure | 120 hours prior to departure | 120 hours prior to departure, higher priority |
Delta One Upgrades on Domestic Flights | Day of departure | Day of departure | Day of departure | Day of departure |
Premier Class Upgrades on Select Aeromexico Flights | 24 hours prior to departure | 72 hours prior to departure | 120 hours prior to departure | 120 hours prior to departure, higher priority |
Companion Upgrades Delta One, First Class, and Comfort + |
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Hertz Elite Status | Five Star | President's Circle | President's Circle | |
SkyMiles Earned Per Qualifying Hertz Rentals | 1000 | 1000 | 1250 | 1250 |
Instacart Membership | 3 months | 3 months | 1 year | 1 year |
Additionally, Delta Medallion members will also receive up to $350 per booking on Delta Vacations Packages. Here’s a breakdown of the discounts:
- $50 discount on bookings worth $1250 – $2499
- $100 discount on bookings worth $2500 – $3999
- $150 discount on bookings worth $4000 – $6999
- $350 discount on bookings worth $7000 or more
All Medallion Members can save up to $350 per booking with Delta Vacations(16), including vacations booked with miles. After selecting a Delta Vacations package, the savings will be applied prior to choosing to pay with money or miles.
Is A Delta Medallion Status Worth It?
If you’re travel patterns revolve around Delta’s flight routes, then it’s worth pushing for a Delta Medallion status. Plus, the discounts definitely add up when you fly multiple times a year.
For example, preferred seating typically costs around $85, and checked baggage fees cost around $30-$40 dollars. If you fly 7 times a year, that’s about $800 per year’s worth of savings.
“What if I just get a Delta co-branded card?”
Yes, Delta offers multiple co-branded credit cards that offer similar perks as what elite members enjoy. For example, the Delta SkyMiles Gold Credit Card comes with perks such as priority boarding and free checked bags.
Meanwhile, the Delta Skymiles Platinum Credit Card includes more perks such as priority boarding, free checked bags, discounted Delta SkyClub rates, and statement credits for TSA Precheck and Global Entry.
Always think about the benefits that you only need. Sure, it sounds nice having a Platinum status, but if you spent thousands of dollars on flights to reach it yet only use half of its benefits, it’s not worth it. You can just sign up for a co-branded card, get similar travel perks, and pay an annual flat fee.
Read More: How To Earn Delta 360 Status
Delta Medallion FAQS
What Are The Delta Medallion Status Tiers?
Delta Medallion has four status tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.
How Do You Earn Delta Medallion Status?
You need to earn a combination of Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs), Medallion Qualifying Segments (MQSs), and Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) to earn a Medallion status.
- Silver
- 3,000 MQDs & 25,000 MQMs or
- 3,000 MQDs & 30 MQSs
- Gold
- 6,000 MQDs & 50,000 MQMs or
- 6,000 MQDs & 60 MQSs
- Platinum
- 9,000 MQDs & 75,000 MQMs or
- 9,000 MQDs & 100MQSs
- Diamond
- 15,000 MQDs & 125,000 MQMs or
- 15,000 MQDs & 140 MQSs
How Long Does Delta Medallion Status Last?
Your Delta Medallion status automatically kicks on the day you earned it up until the last day of the next Medallion year. A Medallion year runs from February 1 through January 31. For example, if you earn Gold status on September 24, 2022, it will last until January 31, 2024.
What Are Delta Rollover MQMs?
Any extra MQMs earned in a year will be rolled over to the next year. For example, a Silver Medallion status only requires 25,000 MQMs so if you’ve earned 30,000 MQMs in 2022, the extra 5,000 MQMs would be rolled over to 2023. This means that you only need 45,000 MQMs to reach Gold status in 2023.
Can I Lose My Delta Status?
Yes. A Delta status is only valid for one year which means that you’d have to earn it again the next year to keep it.
Read More: Delta Partners To Earn SkyMiles With
Bottomline
If you’re already flying with Delta multiple times a year and spending thousands of dollars on flights, it’s a no-brainer to aim for elite status. You could save thousands of dollars on travel expenses that you’d normally pay for, like checked bags, priority seats, TSA & Global Entry memberships, and many more.
However, if you’re just a casual traveler who has a SkyMiles membership but isn’t really loyal to Delta, signing up for a co-branded credit card would suffice.
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