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Early autumn is when Delta Air Lines usually announces significant changes to its SkyMiles elite status program. Well, we already have the answer to a major question for 2027 status. (And I need your help with data points!)
Will Delta Raise the MQD Levels for 2027?
It’s been a few years since Delta’s infamous rollout of the enhanced Medallion® program. Remember the one? When someone could literally take one flight and be “more loyal” than someone who regularly flies Delta.
Since then, Delta lowered the Medallion® Qualification Dollar (MQD) thresholds for elite status — after backlash that made front-page news.
We’ve expected Delta to raise the MQD requirements. That’s how loyalty programs, in general, work. Not just Delta’s. I figured we’d learn sometime around or before next September that Delta would raise 2027 Medallion® status thresholds.
I’m delighted to tell you that I’m wrong on both matters!
Delta announced Tuesday that MQD levels will remain the same for 2027 Medallion® status! (#KeepClimbing!)
That’s right. So, during 2026 (the earning period for the 2027 Medallion® year), the figures are:
- Silver: $5,000 MQD
- Gold: $10,000 MQD
- Platinum: $15,000 MQD
- Diamond: $28,000 MQD
Choice Benefit Enhancements — Good and Bad?
Delta also announced changes to several Platinum and Diamond 2026 Choice Benefits:
- Medallion®® Status Gifting for the 2026Year
- Diamonds: Gift Gold Medallion®® status to four (4) people — up from two (2)!
- Platinums: Gift Silver Medallion®® status to four (4) people — up from two (2)!
- Please note: 2026 Medallion®® status expires on January 31, 2027.
- Bonus SkyMiles
- Diamonds: 40,000 SkyMiles (up from 35k)
- Platinums: 35,000 SkyMiles (up from 30k)
- Delta Travel Voucher
- Diamonds: $550 (up from $350 — that’s a generous leap!)
- Platinums: $350 (up from $300)
- Expires one year after being issued.
- Delta SkyMiles® American Express Statement Credit (only for Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card products)
- Diamonds: $500 statement credit (down from $700)
- Platinums: $250 statement credit (down from 400)
What? No increases to Starbucks Stars or the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Contribution? 😉
Gifting Gold status to four people is pretty bonkers. That leads me to wonder how many elites Delta lost during the past few years. It kinda stinks that the Amex statement credits went down. But the travel voucher and SkyMiles values going up is an OK compromise.
Let me put it this way: Delta was far more customer proactive than they could’ve been. The pessimist in me says this is all to setup big changes for 2028. Delta can say, “Well, we did X, Y, Z for you in the past few years, so now it’s time to raise MQD…”
I do wish vouchers could be used toward upgrades. (Hint, hint, Delta C-suiters reading this post. 😉 )
Buy MQD
In years past, people could purchase Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQM) toward whatever their status goals were. This was called “Elevate Your Status.” (René had an opinion about these.) But then MQMs tragically died last Medallion® year. And Elevate Your Status pretty much went away during the COVID years. (When Delta extended people’s status for a few years.)
I still think about them from time to time. I treasure the memories I have of MQM mileage runs to Asia, Europe, and wild goose chases across the United States during weekends. *sigh* We’ll always have Paris.
Since the new SkyMiles program took effect, MQD couldn’t be purchased without flying or holding a credit card. The closest was having one of the four Delta Amex cards that give cardholders $2,500 each just for being members.
Delta just relaunched “Elevate Your Status” to purchase MQD. You can buy MQD — if you’re targeted.
Here’s where I need your help.
I’m not eligible to buy MQD.
If you are, would you please tell us in the below Comments section what options you were given? Thanks!
Final Approach
Delta dropped some announcements for their Medallion® program. I think it’s very much net positive. What are your thoughts?
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and and may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened. This relationship may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some 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.
I have the option to buy $500 MQDs for a cool $1,500 bucks.
Good lord.
Thanks, Darwin!
That’s stupid crazy!
But, at least, one now has a choice…
I’m a diamond through 2032 because of the one-time offer I received due to all my MQMs. This actually incentivized me to fly LESS and spend LESS since I don’t need to worry about re-qualifying year in and year out. Besides 360, the only Delta status that’s worth anything is diamond and even then it’s really only about customer service or service recovery when things go bad.
A friend of mine mused that maybe Delta lost more active flyers than they anticipated — and that’s one reason why the status gift is now four recipients instead of two. Same with travel credit and SkyMiles increases.
Chris,
You give the geniuses at SkyMiles far too much credit. Populations are the highest they’ve ever been. Barely anyone has fallen out of the ranks because of how easy it is to get status from credit cards. Mr. Joseph Cuck came up with the 4x gifted status because he knows Silver and Gold status have no cash costs to the company. The credit card statement credit devaluation is solely because there are too many Platinums and Diamonds and far too many that selected the benefit. Delta is cutting a big paycheck to American Express for this…that is cash out the door that looks terrible when they have to report this cost to investors. The fact they are devaluing means they know populations will remain massive. Quit giving SkyMiles management credit for rationality…they’re morons. The gaslighting that they are listening to customer feedback is a hilarious lie.
I was offered 396 MQD for $1,200
@Ed – Simply insane.
I could purchase really any amount of MQD $1000 or less, but at a 3x multiple.
I received nothing.
I know I’m in good company though.
I was offered 991 MQDs for $ 1,000 to reach Gold. I’m a Million Miler so Gold will be automatic for me in 2026.
My offer was 700 MQDs for $2,100.
Is the statement credit automatic on Delta skymiles cards???
No. You have to manually select as one of your Choice Benefits.
I just qualified for Diamond, and it’s painful to see first class seats being sold for almost nothing while I’m waiting to be upgraded. It really makes you wonder whether status is still worth it.
I have a post about that coming up in a few days.
Worse is when a lazy gate agent lets first-class seats go out empty when you’re No. 1 or No. 2 on the upgrade list. Your loyalty to Delta is worth $27.
We were number 5 and 6 on upgrade list. Number 1 and 2 seemingly rejected the upgrade (I’m assuming because seats weren’t together). Delta app had 2 seats remaining in comfort+, number 3 and 4 showed as upgraded, but we were never called to the counter and asked if we wanted the seats 1 and 2 rejected. Flight started boarding, so I walked up to gate agent and asked for the upgrade. She told me the seat numbers, I said yes. Got upgraded. Had I not asked, we wouldn’t have been upgraded. I don’t know if it is a training issue, or lazy/overwhelmed agent.
Debi —- that kind of reminds me this.
My Delta status for 2026 will be Member, as it will be for 2027 and beyond. Loyalty is a two-way street and I have seen no oncoming traffic for a couple of years now. My 400,00+ miles? Make-a-Wish donation.
@Pat – Didn’t Delta have a commercial saying that a few years back… 😉
$500 for $1500 – cheaper to take the “one last trip” to retain my status than “buy” the points.
No deal here.
An observation about all the things that increased and decreased:
Increased: Everything that increased, Delta has control over what that costs them.
– Status: As mentioned in the comments, Gold status – how often does that amount to an upgrade? doesn’t include the improved customer support line. Result – negligible increase in costs.
– SkyMiles increase – no problem, they are dynamically priced anyway, so devaluations can happen in real-time with no front-page news.
– Travel voucher – again, Delta is in control of the prices.
Decreased: The Amex statement credit. Real dollars.
Results: Likely, the was an overall decrease in costs.
From the delta website:
How much do MQDs cost?
The pricing for MQDs is $3 USD for 1 MQD.
Chooose is based in Norway, so your MQD purchase may incur a foreign transaction fee. Please check with your card issuer if you’re unsure whether a foreign transaction fee applies.
Not even a US company they’re donating to, plus you pay foreign transaction fees.
Thanks, HubDev!
Perhaps I am spoiled. I’ve been Diamond since the inception and my 4 going on 5 million miles guarantees me Diamond status going forward. I will miss the $700 toward my AMEX, but relish $550 for flight credits (3x $550 + $350 Platinum = $2,000). I do have two qualms – rate of mileage accumulation toward next million miler status and skyclub issues. It now takes twice as long to accumulate miles toward million miler thresholds and many of the clubs are still overcrowded. Complaining about choice benefits is like looking a gift horse in the mouth.
“Complaining about choice benefits is like looking a gift horse in the mouth.”
Pretty much. It’s part of my job to analyze the changes but yeah. My complaint with stuff like Upgrade Certificates, tho, is they can be such a pain to use. And flight credits don’t count toward upgrades. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a gift horse… 😉
LOL. Some rewards are worth more than others if only because they are easier to use. Doing the math, some rewards are hard to understand. Two choices for a skyclub membership that costs $660 or 66K miles? The international upgrades have the most potential value, but as you mentioned are difficult to use.