When Do Delta MQD Post to Your Account?

There seems to be some confusion about when Delta Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) post to people’s SkyMiles accounts.

Based on the emails and comments we received, as well as social media posts we read, not everyone is up to speed. That’s understandable, given the Medallion program’s overhaul that kicked in last year. So, let’s try to clear up some confusion — and save folks some frustration!

When Do You Get Delta Flight MQD?

In my experience, Delta air travel MQD (and redeemable SkyMiles) post shortly after a flight lands. There were times when the MQD and SkyMiles hit my account while the flight was still airborne. (See, Delta IT? I know you have some skills in you!)

But what if you bought your Delta flight with a Delta credit card?

That leads us to:

When Do You Get Delta SkyMiles® American Express Card MQD?

Four Delta Amexes allow cardholders to earn MQD based on various spending thresholds per card:

• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
  • Earn $1 MQD for every $10 spent on eligible purchases
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
  • Earn $1 MQD for every $10 spent on eligible purchases
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
  • Earn $1 MQD for every $20 spent on eligible purchases
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
  • Earn $1 MQD for every $20 spent on eligible purchases

Those MQD generally post around the same time you meet your spending thresholds. Here are some MQD earnings for my Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card and the purchases for the same period.

Does It Make a Difference If Your Delta Flight Was Paid with Your Delta Amex? Do You Get the MQD Faster?

No and no.

You don’t get your Delta flight MQD until you’ve flown your flight(s). Your MQD will post effective to the date of your trip — not when you bought the ticket.

That’s how it’s been since MQD were introduced about ten years ago.

It does not matter if you bought a ticket with your Delta Amex.

You’ll still get the 10:1 or 20:1 MQD conversion based on however much you spent on your ticket. Those purchases are considered the same as any other Amex purchase (i.e., groceries, streaming subscriptions, utilities, dining, etc). You do earn 3X bonus redeemable SkyMiles for per eligible dollar spent on Delta purchases.

Let’s say you bought a 2025 Delta flight — but purchased it in 2024 with your Delta Amex. You should’ve received the applicable MQD for your Amex purchase. But you won’t get the Delta flight MQD until your respective fights are completed. I know of several people who assumed their 2025 Delta flights purchased In 2024 would count toward their 2025 Medallion status. Sorry to say, but they’re out of luck.

Does the Person Buying the Delta Flight Earn All the MQD?

Here’s another question we heard with some frequency (we’ll paraphrase):

If I buy Delta flights for my family of four, do I get all of their Delta flight MQD because I paid for the ticket?

No. Each passenger earns their own MQD, regardless of who pays for the ticket. (Do you really think most of the “pay for your status to earn it!” and “thin the Diamond herd!” people actually spend their own money on airfare? Heck, no! It’s their employers’ dimes!)

For example, my seven-year-old daughter has earned thousands of MQD during the past five years. (You know, since she became “an adult.”) The little cheapskate hasn’t paid a dime. Conversely, when I pay for my daughter’s tickets using cash, points/miles, vouchers, etc., I don’t earn her MQD.

If you use an eligible Delta Amex to pay for multiple Delta tickets, you’ll receive whatever spending-based MQD you earn — just like you would other purchases.

How Long Does it Take for Delta Partner Flight MQD to Post?

We’ve written about flying Delta partner airlines and crediting those trips to your SkyMiles account. (You can earn better MQD for your airfare.)

Those MQD should post to your Delta account within a few days. It sometimes takes up to a week or two. But make sure to keep paper copies of your boarding passes that have your SkyMiles number printed on them in case something goes whacky.

Final Approach

Because earning MQD on Delta Amexes is relatively new and so many changes took effect in 2024, there’s some confusion about MQD in general. I hope this post helped clear up some of that.

If you have any other questions, please fire away in the Comments section below and we’ll do our best to answer them!

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® Platinum Business American Express Card, please visit this link.