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How’s this for a gamechanger? Delta Air Lines announced Thursday that SkyMiles award travel will permanently count toward elite status earnings.
Earn Elite Status with Award Travel — For Good!
SkyMiles award trips have earned Delta Medallion Qualification Miles, Segments, and Dollars since Spring 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic leveled air travel. The move was originally supposed to expire at the end of the year. But Delta extended the feature through 2022.
Now, it’s permanently in place.
SkyMiles members received emails with this news:
That makes SkyMiles a little more valuable. And it’s also a good marketing move on Delta’s part — especially to drive people toward acquiring co-branded American Express cards. (Which have some potentially lucrative welcome offers night now.)
Another Change: SkyMiles Earning Cap Eliminated
Delta revenue tickets were previously capped at earning 75,000 SkyMiles each.
This wasn’t a problem unless you (or your company) have deep pockets and spend a lot of money on Delta flights.
But Delta did away with the 75,000 SkyMiles cap. So, spend away without any fear of earning “only” 75,000 SkyMiles.
Final Approach
Don’t worry about award tickets earning elite status only through 2022. That feature is permanently in place. Plus, you’re no longer limited to earning only 75,000 SkyMiles per paid ticket. (That was never an issue for me but if it was for you, then congratulations — on so many levels.)
What do you think about these changes?
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Sounds great. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. This move puts Delta ahead of many peer programs. Historically, not a place Delta wants SkyMiles to be.
Lifting the cap is a good thing. I’ve regularly bought $5000-$6500 business-class tickets 30 or 45 days out. I’ve seen prices as high as $10,000 for Detroit-Tokyo pre-pandemic. It never made sense.
Now if only Delta would fix the regional upgrade certificates, which are basically worthless by allowing them to be used for economy to premium-economy on all international flights or economy to business-class on flights to Iceland and South America.
Are you hiring? Asking for a friend. 😉
Doesn’t this further “Devalue” Medallion Status(i.e. More Diamonds”
Nothing is ever permanent with Delta. Remember Global Upgrade Certs.?
What is definition of Award Travel? Looking at Delta site that would include booking flights with SkyMiles or MIles+Cash? Yet when I tried ‘booking’ an international flight that flew only Delta metal, it showed 0 MQM and 0 MQD.
Delta seems to consider Miles + Cash as Award Travel, so you should be good. I think the 0 MQM and 0 MQD is just another Delta IT glitch.