Important Reminder: Don’t Lose Your Delta Medallion Rollover MQMs – Start Planning NOW!

This is such a strange travel year. Those of us wise enough to be fully vaccinated can now, with caution, begin to travel again (those not vaccinated – GET IT DONE – like today!). It was really strange to have all my Delta Medallion totals, other than my rollover MQMs, to be stuck at zero until my first Delta flight a few weeks ago.

The reason for today’s post is an important one with so many flying so little this year. Many of us have large rollover MQM balances (I do as well as you can see from the above). But there are a number of other bits that are very important and may or may not apply to you.

Notice I do not (currently) hold a Delta Amex card that qualifies for the MQD spend waiver ($25,000 for Silver, Gold and Platinum and $250,000 for Diamond). If you have met the spend waiver this post is not for you, but you may want to read it anyway for the reminder.

The next thing to notice above is that 1) I am a million miler and 2) my future status is Silver. As a Million Miler (unless Delta changes things) I will always be a Silver medallion no matter what my MQM total or my MQD spending i.e. Delta is automatically gifting me that status level even if I do not fly at all in a given year. And here is why this matters:

Notice the cut out section from Delta.com regarding the rules on rollover MQMs (that can be found here on Delta.com btw). They specifically highlight the fact that if you are gifted any status (either as a million miler or say as a Medallion Choice Benefit or from a number of other ways) that this gifted status has NO IMPACT on your rollover MQMs.

Let this sink in for a bit please!

This means, even though Delta is saying I will be Silver Medallion next year, I will lose all my next year’s rollover MQMs unless I qualify the old fashioned way i.e. I really earn Silver by holding 25,000+ MQMs and then either spending $3000 in MQDs or via the Amex Card spend waiver (<-LINK).

UPDATE: Delta is extending everyone’s elite status and rolling over MQM into 2022.

Right now I do not have that (the spend portion of the equation).

I have no intention, this year, of putting a single penny spend on a Delta Amex card unless it benefits me i.e. there is some offer that results in a net gain for my spend. So for me the waiver is out for 2021. Next year I will again hold a Delta Amex Reserve card.

But I want rollover into 2022. In fact I want maximum rollover possible.

Why?

I plan to spend enough via points and dollars to just make it over the $3000 spend number. This means next year, when rollover hits, Delta will subtract 25,000 MQMs from my account for reaching Silver Medallion but give me back the rest (north of 100,000 MQMs).

Why am I doing this – this way?

Clearly I don’t want 100,000+ MQMs to vanish. They are VERY valuable to me. Beyond that I have 3 trips booked over about 10 days in January 2022 that will, on their own, yield well over 70,000 MQMs and $15,000+ in MQDs (for net out of pocket under $2500 all-in after points value earned).

Thus, with my rollover and my booked flights, I will by the end of January have earned my 2023 Diamond Medallion status and be Diamond all of 2022 as well (my new status ending 1FEB2024).

Bottom line is NOW is the time to look hard at your totals. Even if you have some kind of gifted status from Delta, make sure you have at least enough spend to reach Silver Medallion ($3000 MQD) to preserve your rollover MQMs! – René

PS – The really sad part about this post is, when rollover hits the first week of January 2022, there will be any number of Medallions who get ZERO rollover and it will be for the reasons above – see why you always need to read the blog! 😉