Delta is Selling Medallion® Dollars to Elites — So They Can Buy Lesser Status Than They Already Have for 2026

Delta Air Lines recently reintroduced its Elevate Your Status promotion after a several-year hiatus.

If you’re a few Medallion® Qualification Dollars (MQD) short of an elite status tier, Delta will sell you a prescribed number of MQD at a premium price. We’re seeing a ratio of about $1 MQD:$3 USD, with some exceptions. In other words, plan to spend about $3,000 to get $1,000 MQD. (Or get one of the four Delta SkyMiles® American Express Cards that give cardholders $2,500 each just for being a member.)

Those are crazy prices. Then again, desperate people will pay stupid money to get what they want.

Here’s when it gets crazier.

Delta is offering MQD buy-ups to some elites so they can qualify for a lesser status in 2026 than they already did!

For example, our very own René deLambert holds annual Gold Medallion® status (a Million Miler perk).

Delta presented him with this hot offer:

For just $900, he can buy $300 MQD and “unlock” Silver Medallion® status for 2026. He already has Gold Medallion® — a level higher — indefinitely.

Which begs the question, why would he do that when he doesn’t need to? (He didn’t, by the way.) Why would Delta give him that offer? Do they need the $900 that much?

A reader who used rollover Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQM, may they rest in points) to extend his Diamond status through January 2027 received an offer to buy MQD so he can, yes, qualify for Diamond status. Remarkably, his offer was 1:1. He needed only, like, $2300 and Delta would sell him the $2,300 (or whatever) for that price.

Is this another famous Delta IT glitch? (The “null” current status is interesting.) Is Delta hoping to sneak one by Medallion®s who are clueless about their annual status? I’ve met a few, trust me, they’re out there.

This just looks like a straight-up money grab — whether it’s intentional or not.

Rollover MQD?

Here’s where selling MQD for “lesser status” would be maybe make a modicum of sense. And I say “maybe” very lightly.

If MQD were to rollover like MQM then I can maybe see some justification. But that’s really stretching it.

Final Approach

Delta is approaching some elite status members and offering them the opportunity to “buy down” or buy the same status they already qualified for.

Have you received one of these offers? What do you make of the situation?