End of Summer Checklist for Delta Air Lines Travelers

I don’t know about you, but this year is absolutely screaming by at a crazy pace! (My family is about to take a trip we started talking about four years ago — and I can’t believe it’s actually here!) There are less than 130 days left in 2024.

Before you know it, the winter holidays will be here.

So, now is an excellent time to review a few reminders to ensure certificates and credits don’t go to waste. Plus, it’s not yet panic time for earning Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) — we can still plan a few things out before partner airline prices climb even higher.

Ready?

Check Your Delta SkyMiles American Express Companion Certificate Expiration Dates

Four Delta Amexes give cardholders Companion Certificates starting the second year of card membership:

• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card

A Companion Certificate’s expiration date is based on when your Amex card’s annual fee is due. In other words, your certificate might not expire on December 31, 2024. But because this post’s focus is to take inventory of everything, check how long your Companion Certificates are valid. It might soon or it could even be sometime later next year.

We wrote a fairly deep dive into Companion Certificates and some out-of-the-box ways to use them.

eCredit Expiration Dates

Delta eCredits expire at various points throughout the year. Those dates depend on when you initially booked your trips.

Also, Delta Reserve and Delta Business Reserve cardholders each received $100 eCredits last year. Those expire on March 31, 2025.

Remember Your Choice Benefits

Delta Diamond and Platinum Medallion elite status members can select Choice Benefits: travel and credit card perks centered around Delta travel and experiences.

You have until January 31, 2025, to select your 2024 Choice Benefits. But keep in mind a few points.

Global and Regional Upgrade Certificates

Global and Regional Upgrade Certificates must be used during the Medallion year for which they are earned. In other words, you have until January 31, 2025, to take a trip using your Upgrade Certificates earned for this year.

Again: you must complete the trip before January 31, 2025 — not simply redeem them by that date for travel later in 2025.

So, if you don’t think you can reasonably use your Upgrade Certificates, don’t select them. You’re better off picking one of the other Choice Benefits.

Sky Club Membership and Gifting Status

Here are two more Choice Benefits whose 2024 expiration date is January 31, 2025.

Diamond Medallions may redeem three Choice Benefits for a Delta Sky Club Executive Membership. But that’s only valid through the end of the Medallion year. So, if you choose that for 2024, you won’t be able to enjoy it for long.

The same thing goes for gifting Medallion status.

Diamonds may gift Gold Medallion status to two people. Platinum Medallions can give Silver to two people. But those gifted statuses expire on January 31, 2025.

What Benefits Should You Choose?

They’re your Choice Benefits: use them however you want. If you think you can clear upgrades with your Upgrade Certificates, go for it! A Sky Club membership could serve you very well if you don’t have one of the Amex cards that gets you into Delta lounges and you plan on spending a bunch of time in airports during the next several months.

Do you know people who will genuinely enjoy and take advantage of gifted Medallion status as the sand runs out on 2024’s hourglass? Great!

Barring that, consider the bonus SkyMiles or Delta travel voucher options. SkyMiles don’t expire. The travel vouchers expire a year after they’re issued.

If you need MQD, you can also select the MQD Accelerator ($500 MQD for Platinums, $1,000 for Diamonds). Are you staring down an ugly Delta Reserve, Delta Business Reserve, Delta Platinum Amex, or Delta Business Platinum Amex bill? Platinums can select a $200 statement credit, and Diamonds may elect a $500 statement credit.

Delta Stays Credits

Six Delta Amex cards now feature statement credits for eligible hotel and vacation rental bookings made through Delta Stays.

• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: up to $250 each year
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: up to $200 each year
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card: up to $200 each year
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: up to $150 each year
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card: up to $150 each year
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: up to $100 each year

This year’s statement credit opportunity expires on December 31, 2024. But your stay doesn’t have to be completed before the end of the year. You can book a stay now for 2025 and still receive the credit for this year.

This post explains a little more about using your Delta Stays credits.

I Need MQD!

Even though Delta’s Medallion year ends in January 2025, the deadline for earning 2025 status is December 31, 2024. You must reach your desired Medallion tier’s MQD threshold no later than New Year’s Eve. (Flights scheduled to depart at 11:59 PM or earlier on December 31, 2024, count toward 2025 status.)

As a reminder, these are the 2025 MQD requirements:

• Silver: $5,000
• Gold: $10,000
• Platinum: $15,000
• Diamond: $28,000

Besides paying for Delta flights, how can you earn MQD through the end of the year?

Convert Your MQM

Any rollover Medallion Qualification Miles (MQM) can be converted to MQD at a 10:1 ratio. For example, if you have 70,000 MQM, you may convert those to $7,000 MQD. (Members can also convert MQM to redeemable SkyMiles at a 2:1 ratio. You can mix and match the MQM and SkyMiles opportunities, too.)

You have until December 31, 2024, to execute your decision.

$2,500 MQD Headstarts

Four Delta Amexes annually each give cardholders a $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) Headstarts:

• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Current annual fee: $650. For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, please visit this link. )
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (Current annual fee: $650. For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, please visit this link.
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Current annual fee: $350. For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, please visit this link.)
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card (Current annual fee: $350. For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, please visit this link.)

If you were to hold each card, you’d pay a total of $2,000 in annual fees and receive $10,000 in MQD — without stepping on a plane.

Flying Delta Partners

Even though the MQD earnings were reduced as part of the SkyMiles overhaul,

Booking trips through Delta’s partner airlines and crediting them to your SkyMiles account can still yield better MQD returns than your airfare’s actual cost.

You earn MQD based on a special formula: a percentage of the distance you fly — and the rate is determined by which fare class you purchase. For example, most partner business class fares earn 30% of the distance between cities on your itinerary. If your trip spans 10,000 miles, that business class fare will earn $3,000 — regardless of what you pay for your ticket. In this example, you definitely come out ahead if you spend $2,000 or less.

Where can you find decent trips on Delta partners?

We keep our eyes peeled and post interesting trips with decent earnings whenever we find them. Here are a few examples:

• San Francisco to Dubai: $4,374 MQD for $2,160 airfare
• Tijuana (San Diego area) to Amsterdam: $4,368 MQD for $2191.28 airfare
• Chicago to Tokyo: $5,086 MQD for $2,647.30 airfare
• Tijuana (San Diego area) to Honolulu: $3,319 MQD for $1352 airfare

Sign up here for our Mileage Run Mailing List.

There’s also a company that specializes in creating custom-made mileage runs and vacations to earn elite status. point.me (formerly Juicy Miles) is one of the best-known companies for building mileage runs tailored to people’s budgets, home airports, status goals and more. DO NOT WAIT until the final two or three months of the year. Airfares are higher because of holidays — and airlines know people are desperate for status. Get in touch now with point.me’s mileage run department and tell them what you want regarding status, when you’re available to travel, and what you can reasonably spend. point.me has served Eye of the Flyer (and the blog’s various other names…) for years.

Rental Cars, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

Delta Stays is running a limited-time promotion that allows you to earn MQD for certain travel purchases.

Per Delta:

Car Rental, Hotel and Vacation Rental bookings made on www.travelextras-delta.com from August 19, 2024 through September 30, 2024 (for travel dates from August 19, 2024 through October 31, 2024) will be eligible to earn Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) upon the completion of a qualifying car rental, hotel or vacation rental booking. For clarity, this offer does not include any stays or car rentals booked through Delta Vacations.

In other words, book by September 30, travel by Halloween.

You’ll earn $1 MQD for every $1 spent on base rental rates for cars, hotel rooms, and vacation rentals. Taxes, fees, gratuities, etc., are not eligible toward MQD earnings.

This should stack with your Delta Amex’s Delta Stays credit for eligible hotel bookings. Plus, you’ll earn two SkyMiles for each eligible dollar spent.

Book Your Chicago Seminars Trip

I’m one of the speakers at this year’s Chicago Seminars Heritage Edition event. (Yes, there are at least two Chicago Seminars again this year.)

It’s a great event for points/miles and travel enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels to attend. Don’t worry if you’re new to the points and miles world or think you have stupid questions. The speakers and attendees are passionate about sharing their tips and experiences. And you might know something others don’t! So, please join us October 25-27.

We’ll talk some Delta stuff.

Plus, net proceeds go to charity.

Final Approach

It’s already football season — which means the year is coming to a close soon. Check your Delta certificates, Choice Benefits, MQD and plan accordingly.

Do you have any more tips for the end of the year?

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.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, please visit this link.