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If you’ve followed this blog for at least the past few weeks, you know that a number of readers voiced their concerns pertaining to Choice Benefits — perks given to Delta Air Lines SkyMiles members who earn Platinum or Diamond Medallion status.
In October, Delta ran some damage control in response to the airline’s initial SkyMiles overhaul announcement. One concession was that Medallion members could extend their 2024 status for a year — at a rate of 100,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQM) per year. Platinum and Diamond Medallion members would also receive Choice Benefits during their year(s) of extended status.
Plus, Million Miler members who receive annual Medallion status (which most of us consider “lifetime”) saw generous bumps. “Lifetime” Platinum now starts at “just” 2 Million Miles. Diamond is yours each year once you cross 3 Million Miles. Those members are eligible for Choice Benefits.
(A now-former Delta spokesperson initially told us that status extensions and Million Miler annual status were considered earned. But a separate Delta spokesperson recently made the correction that those statuses are considered complimentary.)
People asked us questions along the lines of Do I get both my Platinum and Diamond Choice Benefits if I’m a Million Miler and extend my status? and When do I receive my Choice Benefits?
I asked the folks at Delta for some clarification. Below are the answers they provided.
So, read (and re-read) the questions and answers. Then, apply them to your situation. If you have a hot take, drop in the below Comments section!
Please note: some questions and answers have been edited for context and clarity. (For example, “MM” has been changed to “Million Miler,” “DM” changed to “Diamond Medallion,” etc.)
Reader Chris asked: “As a 2 Million Miler, I have ‘lifetime’ Platinum status which grants me the Platinum Choice Benefit. But I also have enough rollover MQM for seven years of a Diamond status extension. So will I get the Platinum Choice Benefit for my Million Miler status and then also the Diamond Choice Benefits for my 7 years of extended Diamond status? Or will my lifetime Platinum essentially be negated (since it’s complimentary) by the Diamond status?”
Delta Spokesperson: In this very nuanced scenario, the Member would only receive Diamond Choice Benefits as part of his/her complimentary statuses for the length of the Diamond extensions. In order for Members in this scenario to also receive Platinum Choice Benefits, $15,000 MQDs would need to be earned for the respective Medallion Year.
Question: When will Million Miler Platinum or Diamond Choice Benefits will be available?
Delta Spokesperson: Million Miler Status is considered complimentary status. Choice Benefits associated with Complimentary Status are deposited into a Member’s account when the complimentary status takes effect in the account. Complimentary status associated with the 2025 Medallion Year takes effect on February 1, 2025. That is when their 2025 Choice Benefits will be available.
This is not a new policy and has always been the case; although we recognize that more eyes are on complimentary status this year than ever before.
If the rollover MQMs are converted to MQDs and, as a result, the Member earns status because of MQDs; then the Choice Benefits are made available soon after qualifying for status. This is considered earned status. MQDs from the Rollover conversion are not treated any differently than any other form of MQDs.
So, there we have it. Not everyone might love what they learned. But hey, “free” Choice Benefits are better than none.
If you earn Platinum or Diamond status by MQD — including rollover MQM — but don’t see your Choice Benefits, give Delta a call. But if you extend your status, you won’t see them until next year.
Final Approach
I hope the answers about Choice Benefits bring some clarification. If you want to see a collection of our posts pertaining to all the SkyMiles changes, check out this page.
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Why am I being told I cannot convert my MQM’s from ’23 to keep Silver status in 2024?
Please?
What did Delta say when you called and asked them? How many MQM do you have?
You might have had a ton of MQMs but if you didn’t have at least $5k MQD or $25k Amex spend or a foreign address all the MQMs will be forfeited as one must make Silver as a minimum to have any rollover balance.
And if you did meet the.criteria above only PM and DM were eligible for the 100k MQM extensions. Not Silver or Gold.
@Marine – Consider getting a Delta Platinum personal and business card and you get $5,000 MQD credits = Silver Medallion them convert your MQMs to SkyMiles!
So to be clear on the MQD conversion, if you are say Platinum and could convert to hit Diamond, assume it could cover the balance of 2024 and all of 2025. Correct? I believe you said you were waiting to do this until late in the year, perhaps December. Any specifics? I would like the upgrade certs from Diamond and if the above is true, it could be two years of certs. Correct?
Thanks for all you do and for keeping Delta honest in this. Great airline with a less enticing loyalty program.
In your example, if you organically reach $15,000 MQD during 2024, you can roll over MQM toward reaching Diamond status. This part is nothing new: whenever you earn status, you have it for the rest of the during which you earn it (i.e., the rest of 2024), then all of the following year (2025). Delta’s Medallion year through January 31 of the next year, so you actually get an extra month (i.e., January 31, 2026).
I’m waiting to see how many MQD I earn through travel this year before converting any MQM. For example, if I reach Platinum organically but know I won’t hit Diamond, there’s no need for me to roll over any MQM. That’d be a waste. I’d instead choose the 2:1 SkyMiles conversion.
Does that make sense?
I should have mentioned I’m 2M so Platinum for life, thinking of the upgrade certs via Diamond. Might have more value than mile conversion??
I say go with Diamond. If you can hit it now with rollover MQM and don’t think you’ll hit it organically relatively soon, then sure, go for it and enjoy!
On Feb 28, I converted enough MQM to MQD to qualify for 2025 DM. I received the PM and DM 2025 Choice Benefits within 48 hours.
Delta’s response to Chris’ “As a 2 Million Miler…” question is perplexing. They said he would NOT receive PM CBs because he used rollover MQMs to extend DM status, and he would continue to NOT receive PM CBs for all the years he extended DM status? He would have received PM CBs had he not extended DM status using rollover MQMs. So, he is being penalized by using one of the MQM options Delta offered?
Think of someone that was a high 2MM that extended Diamond status for multiple years. Then at some point they cross to 3MM. This person would never get Platinum Chiice Benefits. So it would make no sense for a 2MM on a Diamond extension to get Platinum Choice Benefits if someone that has a higher MM threshold wouldn’t.
PJ: I am a Diamond (lifetime) and a 6 million miler and Delta 360 and as of today have not received my 360 material and it does even mention on my boarding pass that I’m a 360 member so when boarding the flight for international they board Delta One and 360 members, but I get stopped everytime because my boarding pass does not mention Delta 360 because the gate agent only sees the boarding pass. I have mentioned several times to Delta Corporate office and nothing is done. Why advertise something when Delta cannot provide the service.
So confused, I rolled over MQM to extend my diamond for two years. Am I not getting choice option as diamond before February 1st of 2025 year?
Correct.
If use the 100K MQM rollover to extend status, are those choice benefits available immediately, or do we wait until next year? For example I extended DM for 2 years with 200k MQMs- my account shows DM status earned for 2025, but when are those choice benefits available (I do not see them currently when logging into the choice benefits site). Thank you!
February 1, 2025
Hey Chris,
Apologies if this the question is not in the correct Post. If I convert my MQM’s that will get me to PM Now, which of course opens up Choice Benefits for PM. Then when I reach DM later this summer via a trip, that also then open Choice Benefits for Diamond? Anotherwords, if I reach PM then DM via MQM conversation and then flying, does this mean I have BOTH PM and DM Choice Benefits? My fear is if I choice PM benefits now I won’t be able to choose DM benefits later this summer when I become DM thus loose out on Global Certs etc.
You’ll get both PM and DM benefits if you hit DM. I don’t believe you’ll get your DM benefits until next year.
Thanks so much as I had never been DM prior and I maybe 1 of the few examples for how the MQM conversion will most certainly help.