We’re officially past 2024’s halfway point. Many of us have had time to travel and spend money on airline reservations and credit cards since the Delta Air Lines SkyMiles Medallion elite status program changes went into effect earlier this year.
I’ve taken several Delta trips, and I have more planned. Plus, my credit card spending has changed radically compared to years past.
Below are my takes on several of the Delta SkyMiles changes. After you’re done reading, please comment about how the changes affected you — or haven’t.
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Explaining Loyalty to Someone
Before we really get started, I want to share with you a conversation I had with someone.
I explained the Medallion program changes to a family member who also flies Delta but doesn’t pay as much attention to the elite status rules as some of us do.
I told her, “You know how you go out of your way to fly Delta? You like the service, you like the planes. Over the course of a year, your Delta travel and (Delta SkyMiles® American Express Cards) spending get you just over the status hump.”
“Right,” she said.
“Because it’s now solely all about how much you spend with Delta,” I explained (or its partners, but I didn’t want to get into that), “your loyalty isn’t valued as much as someone who takes maybe one expensive flight with Delta. That person would get status immediately, whereas you bust your tail trying to earn yours.”
This is a family show, so I can’t print here exactly what she responded. But the late, great Vin Scully would’ve translated her statement as “That’s fertilizer.”
Yep. I agree. But that’s how the world — especially airlines — roll these days.
(Although there are ways you can quickly rack up the MQD — without getting on a flight. We’ll get into that in a minute.)
Increased MQD Requirements
Just two years ago, Platinum Medallion spending required $9,000 MQD. Then it moved up to $12,000 for this year. Then Delta again moved the goal posts, originally requiring $18,000 MQD for 2025 before reducing it to $15,000.
Diamond was $15,000 for 2023, then $20,000 for this year. Delta announced last fall that the Diamond MQD requirement would be $35,000. But their charitable nature overcame them and the current threshold is now a mere $28,000.
Everything up until the 2025 status earning period (which we’re in right now) also required Medallion Qualification Segments (MQS) or Medallion Qualification Miles (MQM). But the MQD requirements for Platinum, Gold, and Silver could be waived if someone spend at least $25,000 across their Delta Amex Cards. (It was $250,000 for Diamond!) Chasing status was actually kind of a fun game.
But now it really isn’t
What bothers me here is the continual jacking up of MQD thresholds. I’ll be genuinely surprised if Delta doesn’t raise them again this fall. After all, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said the airline’s original (and outlandish) MQD requirements they originally announced are the direction where things are going.
My wife and I are still deciding what we want to do about Medallion status. For as much as we’d spend trying to earn it, we might as well just buy Comfort+ seats while settling for Gold or Silver status. First Class upgrades are practically non-existent on the flights we take anyway.
But About Those MQD
There’s a quick, easy way to earn up to $10,000 MQD — at 20% of the cost.
Four Delta Amex cards each give cardholders $2,500 MQD.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Earn 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases on the card within six (6) months of being approved for card membership. (Terms apply.)
- $650 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
- Read more and learn how to apply here
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
- Earn 80,000 bonus SkyMiles after spending $10,000 in eligible purchases on your new card within six (6) months of being approved for membership. (Terms apply.)
- $650 annual fee (See Rates and Fees.)
- Read more and learn how to apply here
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
- Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new card within six (6) months of being approved for card membership. (Terms apply.)
- $350 annual fee (Rates and Fees)
- Read more and learn how to apply here
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
- Earn 70,000 bonus SkyMiles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new card within six (6) months of being approved for membership. (Terms apply.)
- $350 annual fee (Rates and Fees)
- Read more and learn how to apply here
For example, you can get a Delta Platinum Amex and Delta Platinum Business Amex for $700 in annual fees and get $5,000 MQD. (For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, please visit this link. For rates and fees of Delta SkyMiles® Business Platinum American Express Card, please visit this link.)
So, that’s actually good way to earn MQD without spending as much time or money taking actual flights. In that way your Delta Amex loyalty is rewarded.
Credit Card Spending
Gone are the days of my wife and me spending a bunch on our Delta Reserve (her) and Delta Reserve Business (me) for at least the first part of the year. We loved earning the MQM bonuses and MQD waiver. But now that MQM and MQS are DOA, those features are gone.
It now takes $10 in eligible spending on a respective Amex Delta Reserve or Delta Amex Reserve Business card to earn just $1 MQD. Plus, the bonus points earnings for everyday spending are just so not worth it to us.
Nah thanks.
Our Reserve Cards are still on file with some businesses, so we get the odd renewal charges here and there. But we do most of our spending on other cards — mostly those with transferrable and points such as Chase Ultimate Rewards®, Amex Membership Rewards®, and Capital One Miles.
It’s easier to collect those points/miles for premium redemptions when great deals pop up. And if one of those sales happens to be on Delta, we can transfer Amex points to SkyMiles. And we earn more of them by using Amex-branded cards that feature better bonus point categories.
Lifetime Medallion Status for Million Milers
Million Miler status used to be earned through MQM — no matter how you earned them. It could’ve been through flying, credit card spending, or both. Now that MQM are no more, that option isn’t available. The only way to accrue Million Miler status is through butt-in-seat miles.
A Million Miler benefit is annual Medallion status. And Delta actually (gasp!) did a wonderful job rewarding those who were loyal to the airline before and will be going forward.
- 6+ Million Milers receive Delta 360o (previously Diamond Medallion)
- 5 Million Milers receive Delta 360o (previously Platinum Medallion)
- 4 Million Milers receive Diamond Medallion (previously Platinum Medallion)
- 3 Million Milers receive Diamond Medallion (previously Gold Medallion)
- 2 Million Milers receive Platinum Medallion (previously Gold Medallion)
- 1 Million Milers receive Gold Medallion (previously Silver Medallion)
Bravo there to Delta.
Sky Club Changes
This rule hasn’t yet taken effect — but I still want to discuss it and see if you’ve noticed any changes.
We got more into detail about this yesterday.
Starting February 1, 2025, eligible Amex Card holders will no longer have automatic unlimited visits to Delta Sky Clubs. Rather, a “Visit” will be an entry to one or more Delta Sky Clubs or usage of the Delta Sky Club “Grab and Go” feature, at one or more airports, for a period of up to 24 hours starting upon the first Delta Sky Club entry or Grab and Go usage, during an Eligible Card Member’s travel on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight. A single Visit permits usage of Delta Sky Club(s) in multiple airports during the 24-hour period.
If you want unlimited visits, you need to start spending on your respective card ASAP. To earn unlimited visits, you need to spend $75,000 or more on a single, eligible card between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024, and each calendar year thereafter.
Reserve Card Members (both personal and business) will receive 15 Visits per card, per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go, starting February 1, 2025. Once you run out of Visits, you can access the clubs for $50 each visit.
Effective February 1, 2025, The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express will each receive 10 Visits per card. Again, it’s $50 per Visit after your rations expire.
All of this was done to — theoretically — combat overcrowding that became so bad it made national news.
Frankly, I think it’s, well, fertilizer that Delta Reserve and Delta Reserve Business card won’t get unlimited visits unless spending $75,000. American and United don’t do that with their most premium cards.
On the same token, people who have a Reserve card and one of the Amex Platinums (consumer/personal or business) might see they don’t use all their visits — and end up cancelling one.
When the Sky Club and Medallion changes were announced last year, I saw tons of people in our blog’s comments, on social media, and message boards say they’d cancel their cards and/or stop flying Delta.
Well, I think they actually did. At least, from what I’ve seen.
Maybe I’m just lucky but I haven’t seen lines more than five or six people deep at the Sky Clubs that I’ve visited this year. (MSP, LAX, DTW, LGA, ATL.) Then again, all of those airports have multiple lounges. But I’ve noticed less crowding in the clubs during the past several months.
Have I Shifted Business to Other Airlines?
I’ve written in this space that Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR and colloquially known as just “Burbank”) is closer to my Los Angeles home and infinitely less stressful than the hell known as “LAX” (Los Angeles International Airport).
Southwest’s footprint at Burbank is growing. And growing. And growing. For example, they recently launched service to Boise (BOI), Kansas City (MCI), New Orleans (MSY), San Antonio (SAT), and St. Louis (STL). We have family in Boise. It used to make sense for us to fly Delta nonstop from LAX to BOI. But now that we can take Southwest instead, the airline of LUV actually takes priority.
Some people don’t really have any choice but to fly Delta. They might live in fortress hubs such as Atlanta (ATL), Detroit (DTW), Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), or Salt Lake City (SLC). Or Delta pretty much rules the roost at their home airport.
And in some cases, the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.
I know people who practically need to pad their American Airlines trips by a day — because they never get home on the scheduled day. (On the bright side, they can recommend places to eat, work, and sleep in the Dallas and Phoenix airports…)
One of my family members has a long-standing hate affair with Delta. But Delta offers the best options in terms of schedule for his city’s airport. And he’s also a Medallion as a result of flying them so much. (His beef? Delta’s fares that are becoming more expensive and the “(fertilizer) they keep pulling with their elites.” (Wow, this post has more “fertilizer” references than a Home Depot Garden Center advertisement.)
“American’s schedules suck. I’m not going to fly a regional jet Dallas so I can go to New York. Allegiant? No, thanks. Plus, they don’t go most places I need to. And United? Just no.” he said. “So, I’m stuck with Delta.”
Final Approach
I’m not thrilled with all the Delta changes — and have adjusted my travel and credit card spending as necessary. My business travel is still down from pre-pandemic, so my company’s and my personal budgets do a lot of deciding when it comes to travel — and pursuing status. For now, I’ll maybe go after Platinum Medallion. Diamond is way out of budget this year — and I anticipate it will be for some time.
Have the Medallion changes affected you and your travels? Are your Sky Club experiences different since Delta announced the new entrance policies for next year? Please share your thoughts in the below Comments section!
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of Delta SkyMiles® Business Platinum American Express Card, please visit this link.
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Had been Diamond since the NW merger (and Plat there for years).
Now a free agent and loving it!
The changes have actually helped me this year and will be Platinum by September … which is only the 2nd time I’ve reached that level. The “stay” promos have helped since I already have lifetime Platinum with Marriott.
I still fly delta but don’t put nearly as much spend on the cards as I used too. I focus now on bank cards that have transferable points. Capital one venture X has replaced most of my reserve spend. JetBlue mint fares cross country are sometimes quite reasonable also. I tried United but they cancelled a whole day of flights. AA just doesn’t have the connectivity.
I hate to say it, but I’m probably one of the people DL was targeting with their SM changes. Status matched from AA last year, was only planning on requalifying for Plat this year, but now it looks like I’ll easily make Diamond. Will be flying less than 50k miles on DL this year, but I do buy a lot of domestic F fares; and put a lot of reimbursable business expenses on my DL Reserve card (total spend will probably be around $100k this year, so I will also cross the $75k threshold for unlimited SC access next year).
It still stings. It’s demoralizing knowing that someone can take just a few longhaul J flights and have instant Diamond status. While here I am chugging away in main cabin 4-5 times a month and still come nowhere near Diamond.
And yeah, the new SkyClub access rule (starting next year) is totally bonkers. $650 a year on the Reserve card still doesn’t get you unlimited visits!? Pure insanity.
I arrived at ATL on July 7th after an international flight, thought I would go to the Centurion Lounge, but the line was all the way out the door into the terminal. Then I went to the Sky Club Concourse C, no line, plenty of space, much more comfortable.
Real simple. I stopped flying them. I have 2 flights on them all year (as a Plat) so far. They are more interested in being a bank (e.g. the credit card thing) than an airline
Have 2.8 Million Miles with Delta — about half came from Northwest where I was Platinum. There was a 3 year period where I was always upgraded to First Class even out of Minneapolis. KLM was also great as they would upgrade me to Business Class flying back from Europe.
Now I am a free agent. I buy tickets with $$$ and/or more useful points. I just got back from Copenhagen flying in Business Class via 90,000 Amex points roundtrip. You just need a little flexibility around your dates.
Have 2.8 Million Miles with Delta — about half came from Northwest where I was Platinum. There was a 3 year period where I was always upgraded to First Class even out of Minneapolis. KLM was also great as they would upgrade me to Business Class flying back from Europe.
Now I am a free agent. I buy tickets with $$$ and/or more useful points. I just got back from Copenhagen flying in Business Class via 90,000 Amex points roundtrip. You just need a little flexibility around your dates.
Because of the MQM conversion, I’ll be DM until 2028, so no need for multiple DL Amex cards which is saving me $1000 a year in annual fees. Kept the personal reserve card as my one Delta Amex. I will still use the card to help me “earn” PM (despite already being DM) for the choice benefits. Shifting all of my primary spending to Amex Platinum card for the transferrable points and to earn unlimited SC access.
I was at 1,830,000 lifetime miles when they announced the changes. Right away I maxed out Delta Reserve spending when credit card spend generated MQM’s that counted towards lifetime status. I am now at 1,982,000 lifetime miles and will hit the 2,000,000 threshold for lifetime Platinum this year. After that I will only need a credit card that gives me some Sky Club access.
I was actually surprised how much quicker I earned Diamond Medallion this year than in previous years. I have been a domestic weekly traveler for the past six years, so I wasn’t anticipating the changes affecting me that much. A couple months ago when I saw that I was going to easily renew my Diamond status by mid-year, I actually began flying American and United on status matches to determine if I wanted to pursue (and maintain) high-elite status on either of those airlines. Unfortunately, the experience on American as Executive Platinum and United as Premier 1K just felt off. I guess I am Delta guy for good.
The rules have moved me to more Southwest and other airlines based on cost and schedule. Those factors have moved in front of Delta loyalty. Also, lots of waiting time to get into Sky Clubs that I now skip entering and wont pay for a membership unless it comes via another method.
I’ve met the $75K Delta Reserve card spending requirement for club access, and with this year’s one-time rollover, have DM for the first time (through 2025). I’ll not likely make it again with the whopping $280K required spend in a single year. So far I have not shifted spend to other cards, in the naive hope that *maybe* Delta reconsiders allowing rollovers for next year. But if they don’t, in 2025 I’ll do the bare minimum on that card and switch my spending to others. I’m with you on the Burbank preference, but they are still mostly a 9-5 airport. My route is CVG-LAX, and there are just no good options to fly (outside of work hours) via BUR.
For this year I will make Diamond with rollover MQM. I will earn Platinum with MQDs. No need to spend on Reserve card. Using the Chase Sapphire as much as possible. I never count on upgrades to first, but have managed to use most Regional Upgrade Certs (Choice awards) and the 1st class Companion certs from Delta Reserve (which save me almost double what the card costs). I might go for the Business Reserve next year to get the extra companion upgrade and additional lounge passes. I mentioned before, if you previously spent on your Reserve card to get the MQMs ($30K for 15KMQM = 12% of Diamond status), the deal of $10:1MQD is just as good in terms of the % needed to reach Diamond ($30K for 3KMQD = 11% of Diamond status, plus the 2500MQD boost). Evidently plenty of folks still spending on Delta Amex as Delta made $2 Billion revenue on the card in the last quarter .https://www.flyertalk.com/articles/delta-earns-nearly-2-billion-on-american-express-cards-alone.html
I was among those disappointed with the changes made to the SkyMiles program last year.
As a Diamond Medallion based in the DFW area since 2016 (previously AA Executive Platinum), I have made significant changes to my travel and spending behavior:
1. I hold both the personal DL Reserve and DL Platinum AMEX cards for the $5,000 additive MQD retirement per year and the FC and Coach BOGOs. These benefits have been challenging but not impossible to redeem. Aside from the annual fees, I have not spent on these cards this calendar year. Zilch. Nada. Nichevo.
2. I hold the regular AMEX Platinum card, which I use for most of my spending, including travel. This qualifies me for unlimited Centurion Club and SkyClub access and earns highly convertible AMEX points. Also, I’ve only seen stupid lines for SkyClubs at JFK and occasionally, SLC.
3. I also hold the BofA Alaska Visa card, spending enough to get the BOGO ($6K) and likely 8K Mileage Plan Elite Miles ($20K). I will not spend more than $20K on this card.
4. I have DL Diamond guaranteed through 2026, giving me time to see what changes DL will make to their program.
5. I received a status match from AK to 100K Gold MVP (OneWorld Emerald). This is valuable, and I plan to use OneWorld for most of my international trips, crediting to the AK program. Despite the difficulty of flying AK from my location, I will renew 100K Gold MVP easily with international flights on OneWorld and other AK partners. I also obtained the Alaska Lounge+ privilege at a discount (-$100 due to status and another -$200 due to the Hilton AMEX Aspire airline credit). AK’s lounges are great. AA’s lounges are… not.
6. I’ve flown DL for about 40% of my business and personal travel this year, down from well over 90% last year. I typically fly close to 100 segments annually.
7. The remainder of my travel has been with UA, AA, and AK.
8. UA is a contender for my business and will be a solid alternative once their interior and fleet renewal is complete.
9. WN is a non-starter. No way. Pay for Business Select, secure A1, and get a thirty wheelchair and entourage pre-board, no freaking way. WN also likes to “fly over” lines of storms that other airlines will take a detour around. Check out FR24 next time there is a line of storms in TX, OK, or KS. All this nonsense and a rough ride? Nope. This is a big consideration in the South-Central US.
10. AA has been unreliable with rude employees and poor lounges. It’s a dumpster fire and I will avoid at all costs. On a domestic flight in the bright afternoon, everyone pulls down the shades, no IFE, and absorb the grey darkness and this iffy service in any class. Ick.
11. DL has had lower reliability lately but remains my go-to for essential business travel. I use SkyMiles or purchase FC for business and personal travel. However, OneWorld is now my choice for personal travel out west and most international travel (e.g. Japan Airlines, BA, Finnair). DL’s DeltaOne and Premium Select are no longer the compelling products they were once upon Ed’s dream.
12. If nothing changes, I see myself dropping to at least DL Platinum Medallion and continuing either with AK’s 100K MVP or seeing how United unfolds and going for 1K (or better) there.
13. The end result is less business for Delta and their branded AMEX cards.
I think you left out the word “don’t.” (Some people really have any choice but to fly Delta.) I am one of thse DTW captives but fortunate enough to have 5 more years as a DM and lifetime plat thereafter. As far as I am concerned, going forward, the program is virtually dead. What I have is all I will ever have.
Thanks for catching that! I updated the post.
I was a little worried last fall about maintaining my Platinum status with the new program because I knew I would be permanently moved into my house in Florida and not commuting back and forth to NY. I have both the Platinum and Reserve cards and with the bonus to start off the year and my normal annual spending I will have no problem reaching Platinum this year. I haven’t even considered using my MQM rollover because of your suggestion to wait until the end of the year. As a side bar, I wanted to fly to DFW for the eclipse this year and decided to burn most of the miles I had left in my AA account because of the direct flight from TPA to DFW and not fly through ATL. What a mistake both flights were delayed 3 hours, I would have arrived in both cases earlier had I flown DL and would have had better seats. Bottom line is I will continue to fly DL and the changes in the program haven’t really had an impact on my plans.
I am just waiting to get Silver medallion, I don’t know why, but I’m not far from that and then I will drop from the Delta platinum to Delta gold card. Save some money. I do not use the companion certificate and as long as I get the free checked bag I’m fine with the gold card.
I just flew 2 million miles so=Platinum Medallion status… Prob not good for anything…I have 1 million miles I could convert for DM status but if I do so will the rules change again and DM get further demoted..??? recently as I was boarding as a DM,MM in the ??7 th boarding group a GA told me Diamond Medallion does not mean anything anymore!!!!That sums it up and as far as DL $$$$ will not get to see DM status with $28,000!!!
I am at 5.7 million miles on DL. At least now I have 360 for life, as before I was only guaranteed Diamond due to lifetime miles. Complimentary upgrades are less than 30% flying my routes from MSP. I also have a lifetime SkyClub membership I bought 30 + years ago when it was NW. What incentive is there for me to fly DL unless they have best route times and price?
I’m DM through 2025, and so far my 2024 free agency experience has been mixed. For example I status matched to Alaska MVP 100K but overall, for me the OneWorld Emerald perks fall short of DM perks.
I’m wondering whether Delta will make a change and have an MQD rollover system, perhaps on a ratio. I can envision many shifting spending to other cards once they hit their MQD goal, negatively impacting Delta’s 3-4Q revenue.
@Mike L – Seems we’ve taken similar paths in free agency. I’m curious as to what perks DM vs OW Emerald you value.
Real quick: I miss the MQM’s. It was always fun building trips with connections to bolster the MQM balance. That said… I have drastically cut back on Delta. I’ll make Gold this year and that’s it. I’m in the NYC area so United is convenient for me. Picked up their Infinite Card. It’s a few bucks cheaper but comes with unlimited lounge access for you and a guest and United’s version of Sky Priority. I’ll be a semi free agent from now on choosing between DL and United for trips. Asa result, I probably won’t go through my oh-so-generous 15 visits to the Sky Club next year. Plus, if I am on Delta and the airport has a Centurion…can always go there (assuming no ridiculous queue).
Delta Skymiles member since 1987, approaching 2 million miles and was always a loyal Delta flyer. But with all the changes and the continuing Sky peso devaluations have flown AA much more recently including international biz class. Everything else being equal would still fly Delta but everything else isn’t equal anymore. Had Delta Amex Platinum for years and charged $25K+ a year but recently downgraded to the Gold and now use my CSR and other point earning cards and not the Delta card. Just isn’t worth it anymore to earn the Delta miles given the sky high redemption rates.
I have about two dozen Delta flights per year. I buy first class tickets and effectively get all of the benefits of tier status. I buy those tickets via Amex points on a Business Platinum (which gives me lounge access). I credit my flights to Air France. No jacking around with Delta’s tier status system or credit cards. Life is so much simpler.
Delta’s MQD program (which does not carry MQDs forward each year), for me, is a dis-incentive to fly Delta later in the year if I’ve reached my Medallion level for next year. I fly from a secondary market, so my Delta flights are all connections. This year I have reached Platinum with no chance of reaching Diamond. Since there are other airlines from my home airport that offer non-stops, it makes sense for me to take those flights, since any additional dollars spent on Delta this year don’t benefit me.