The Many Things Even Delta Medallion Frequent Flyers Get Wrong About SkyMiles 2025

The beginning of the new year has seen the full force implementation of what Delta Air Lines announced back in 2023 for Medallion flyers. While we are now earning Medallion Qualification Dollars for the 2026 elite qualifying year many fliers are still so confused about just what impact the changes are having on them and the rules. In a sad way this really is “funny” because Delta’s new program was supposed to make the rules so simple after the old qualifying system. Let’s dive in.

As mentioned, the simplicity of the new Delta Medallion program should be appreciated and yet many don’t get that the only thing that matters is what you are paying for the ticket and that price does NOT include the total price but only the base price that officially is going to Delta. That price is the MQD you get credit for. That said there are a number of subtle ways around this simple rule that so confuse flyers. Like what?

Partner booked tickets still earn MQDs based on distance flown. What this means is depending on the class of service booked directly, or via a travel agent partner directly, with the partner airline earns a percentage of distance converted to an MQD number. Very few elites understand this and are confused when they book a partner via Delta and do not get the expected bonus points because, well, they booked on Delta.com instead of booking on the partner site or a travel agent that also booked on the partner site instead of on Delta.com. (This is something we’ll revisit in the upcoming days.)

The next one fliers simply can not comprehend is that you only get Delta MQD credit when the flight is flown. I can not begin to tell you how many readers think that when they book a flight, and even more so with a Delta Amex card, that they expect to get a flight’s MQD credit as soon as the charge hits their statement. That is simply NOT the case. Yes, they will get bonus MQD credit for the purchase price but not the flight’s MQD total until they fly the flight.

Then we have rollover — or I should say the lack thereof. Delta was, as far as I know, the only airline that wisely rewarded you by allowing you to retain extra elite points by sending them into the next year as long as you met the requirements in place. But with 2025 in place, any kind of rollover is gone. I am shocked, and I do mean shocked, how many high end elites think that Delta will or did or should have rolled over their “extra” MQDs above their earned status level. The hard truth is Delta does not let you retain extra spend and everyone, no matter how much they spend each year on Delta tickets, starts the year at ZERO MQDs! (Although remember that four credit cards give SkyMiles members $2,500 MQD per card!)

Another one that blows my mind is how so many are confused about when the Medallion year ends vs. qualifying dates. The simple fact is that you hold your status you earned until the last day of January each year. As of February 1st, if you did not reach whatever level, you fall back to a lower level or even just a general Skymiles member. But so many readers seem to think, for whatever reason, that what they earn in January will count on the previous year – this is not true. As of the stroke of midnight on the 1st you are earning points for the year after with the caveat that if you attain whatever level of spend you get the status “free” the current year and then fly the status the year after.

I could deep dive into the minutia of the rest of the program and the things even top elites get wrong again and again but these are the obvious ones Chris and I come across on a regular basis. Bottom line is if status with Delta matters to you – you need to understand at least the basics of the program. Then you can focus on the rest and try to maximize the perks that are made available to you for donating so much of your hard earned cash to Delta Air Lines and hope that your loyalty dollars are just maybe rewarded by the other side! – René