Time is Running Out to Select Your Delta Choice Benefits! (What Are You Picking?)

If you earned Diamond or Platinum Medallion® status for the 2025 SkyMiles year and haven’t yet selected your Choice Benefits, you have about ten days left to pull the trigger. (January 31, 2026, is the deadline.)

What’s available and what should you choose?

Let’s take a look at what’s available —a nd discuss some of their values. Remember this is my opinion (and I’d love to hear yours in the Comments section!). Choice Benefit value can vary depending on your home airport(s), preferred destinations, spending habits and financial situations, job-related travel perks, personal preferences, and more. What you think is great might be worthless for someone else — and vice versa.

Where Do I Select My Choice Benefit?

On the Fly Delta app. There’s no longer the option to select them on the Delta website.

How Many Delta Choice Benefits Do You Get?

People qualifying for 2025 Diamond Medallion® status can pick up to three (3) Choice Benefits. Platinum Medallion® may choose one (1).

But in reality, Diamonds who earn their status by accruing enough Medallion® Qualification Dollars (MQD) also may select a Platinum Choice Benefit. Diamonds who receive complimentary status (i.e., via Million Miler) don’t get to choose Platinum benefits — unless they actually earn at least Platinum status, too. (Though I heard some people who received complimentary Diamond also received Platinum benefits.)

What is the Deadline for My Choosing My Choice Benefits?

I mentioned this above, but it bears repeating: You have until January 31, 2026, to make your selection.

Choose your benefits today if you’re afraid you’ll forget.

Where Do I Select My Choice Benefit?

This link will take you to the page on Delta’s website. You’ll need to log in (if you’re not already) and then you can pick your Choice Benefit(s).

What Are the 2025 Choice Benefits?

Here are your options for 2025.

• Upgrade Certificates
  • Diamonds: Four (4) Global Upgrade Certificates or Eight (8) Regional Upgrade Certificates or Two (2) Globals and Four (4) Regionals
  • Platinums: Four (4) Regional Upgrade Certificates
  • Please note: the Certificates must be used for flights departing no later than January 31, 2026.
• 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: $700 statement credit
  • Platinums: $400 statement credit
• Delta Sky Club Memberships
  • Diamonds: One (1) Executive Membership (This requires all three of your 2025 Choice Benefits) or one (1) Individual Membership (This requires two of your 2025 Choice Benefits)
  • Platinums: Not Available. Stick to your eligible Amex Card.
  • Please note: Membership expires on January 31, 2026.
• Medallion® Qualification Dollar (MQD) Accelerator Toward the 2026 Medallion® Year
  • Diamonds: $2,000 MQD
  • Platinums: $1,000 MQD
• Medallion® Status Gifting for the 2024 Year
  • Diamonds: Gift Gold Medallion® status to two (2) people
  • Platinums: Gift Silver Medallion® status to two (2) people
  • Please note: 2025 Medallion® status expires on January 31, 2026.
• Bonus SkyMiles
  • Diamonds: 35,000 SkyMiles
  • Platinums: 30,000 SkyMiles
• Delta Vacations Promo Code (Flight + Hotel)
  • Diamonds: $500
  • Platinums: $400
  • Expires one year after being issued.
• Delta Travel Voucher
  • Diamonds: $350
  • Platinums: $300
  • Expires one year after being issued.
• Starbucks Rewards Stars
  • Diamonds: 6,000 Stars
  • Platinums: 6,000 Stars
  • Unused stars expire six months after they are deposited into the member’s account.
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel Contribution
  • Diamonds: $250 SAF
  • Platinums: $250 SAF
• Wheels Up Private Flight Credit
  • Diamonds: $2,000
  • Platinums: $1,500

Let’s Scratch Off Three Right Away

I’m going to strike three Choice Benefits before we go any further.

• First, let’s get rid of the Starbucks Rewards Stars. 6,000 stars would get me 30 Venti Cold Brews. Those run about $5 a pop at my local Starbucks. That benefit is worth about $150 to me. No, thanks.
• Next, I’m saying no to the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Contribution. I have no idea if Delta even cuts a check for carbon credits (or whatever the contribution does). I’d rather they donate the money to one of my favorite charities.
• Finally, the Wheels Up credit is worthless for me. I don’t know how much a “cheap” flight on Wheels Up costs. I’m guessing this is one of those “If You Have to Ask, You Probably Can’t Afford It” situations. I live near one of the world’s busiest private airports and see Wheels Up tails every time I drive by. But even this doesn’t move the needle for me.

Three Others That Are Probably Not Worth It Now

Three other benefits expire at the end of the 2025 Medallion® year — which is also January 31, 2026.

• Upgrade Certificates
  • Even if you find a flight you actually want to use your Upgrade Certificates for and there’s open inventory (hilarious—good luck), it can take hours to days for Delta to issue your Upgrade Certificates. But by then, the inventory will likely be gone. And keep in mind, your trip must be flown by January 31. It’s risky. You can also apply Upgrade Certificates to put you toward the top of the standby Upgrade Lists. If you’re flying between now and January 31, it may or may not be worth it for you.
• Gifting Medallion® Status
  • If you know someone flying a bunch of Delta flights during the next few days and you really want to treat them to exit row (or other preferred) seats, Zone 5 boarding, and a first free checked bag, then knock yourself out.
  • Gifted status doesn’t come with an “MQD advance.” In other words, if you gift someone Gold Medallion®, they don’t also receive $10,000 MQD. They get the benefits of Gold status but if they want, say, Platinum Medallion® next year, they still must earn all $15,000 MQD organically.
• Sky Club Membership
  • Pretty much the same thing as both options above. Will you and up to two guests be living on Delta planes for the next several days? Then this could be worth it. I guess?

  • 

What’s Left?

After that purge, we have:

• Delta SkyMiles® American Express Statement Credit
• Medallion® Qualification Dollar (MQD) Accelerator Toward the 2026 Medallion® Year
• Bonus SkyMiles
• Delta Vacations Promo Code (Flight + Hotel)
• Delta Travel Voucher

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

Don’t Laugh: Delta Amex Statement Credit

I’ll be 100% honest: I rolled my eyes when this Choice Bennie was announced a few years ago. Of course, there’s an Amex tie-in!

But I think it’s actually pretty valuable to some people.

Diamonds can have a $700 credit applied toward one of their eligible Delta Amex cards. Platinums can elect for a $400 credit. Heck, spend $700 or $400 on a trip and basically get it credited back to you. That’s more valuable, I think, than the $350 or $300 Delta Travel Vouchers. But that’s just me.

Or just save some money on your bills.

MQD Accelerator for 2026

If you’re worried about hitting Medallion® status next year, this might help you out. Diamonds can choose a $2,000 MQD deposit (up to three times!) and Platinums can pick $1,000. You could combine that with the Delta Amex cards that offer $2,500 MQD each. That’s a lot of MQD for not leaving your house.

I know a Diamond who was $1,700 short of Diamond for 2026. A few taps on her Fly Delta app and voila! Diamond for 2026.

Bonus SkyMiles

SkyMiles are pretty worthless for premium redemptions, especially for overseas trips.  I feel like I could redeem fewer points and miles for a trip to space aboard a billionaire’s rocket than for Delta One between LAX and Paris.

That said, I’ve found some decent domestic awards (yay?) — especially thanks to the TakeOff 15 discount. Flash sales sometimes offer great bargains if you jumo on them in time.

Plus, SkyMiles don’t expire until you do.

Delta Vacations Experience

I still haven’t used Delta Vacations, even though I said I would. People who’ve used Delta Vacations: please tell us if you like the service and if this Benefit be of, well, benefit.

Delta Travel Voucher

Hey, free travel on Delta’s dime. Why not? Keep in mind the voucher is valid for 12 months — versus SkyMiles which live as long as you do.

Final Approach

What’s your take? Which Benefit(s) will you pick? Please share your thoughts in the below Comments section!

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.