My wife and I recently settled on a Delta Medallion status plan for 2022.
Please note: As of January 1, 2024, there will be new ways to earn Medallion Status.
Factors We Took Into Consideration
We made the decision after looking at our budget, travel plans, and schedules.
Our daughter returns to school soon. So we’re returning to the world of tuition, school supplies, and all that.
My wife will begin a new job not long after our little girl resumes pre-school.
My schedule is pretty flexible. Mrs. Carley’s schedule, though, probably won’t permit a bunch more travel until maybe mid-2022.
So all of those factors played into our decision.
Hi-Ho, Silver?
Mrs. Carley and I will drop down to Silver Medallion to start 2022.
Thanks to Delta’s MQD, MQS, and MQM bonuses this year, we’ll easily meet the $3,000 MQD for Silver to start 2022. We entered 2021 with a decent stash of MQM, so we’re fine in that department.
(Side note about my daughter: she might get close to the $3,000 MQD mark. She and I may have to take her first mileage run! 🙂 )
Then (At Least) Platinum
In January, we’ll roll over nearly enough MQM to qualify for Platinum.
Both my wife and me holding Platinum Medallion status works fine for our family of three. I prize legroom — but my daughter can’t sit in exit row seats until she’s 15 (she’s four now). So the automatic Comfort+ upgrades are important to us.
Meeting the Spending Requirement
Are we going to hit the Delta Amex $25,000 MQD waiver? Or will we accrue at least $9,000 MQD? (Please note: this benefit will no longer be available as of January 1, 2024. There will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the Card. Learn more at delta.com/
“Yes,” is the answer, I guess.
I plan to go the MQD route. Most of my work can be done wherever I have my laptop, some electricity, and Internet access. So I can work during flights, in airports, hotels, coffee shops — and pretty much anywhere else. So I’m scouting Delta partner runs where I can score thousands of MQD for a reasonable price. (I may have to chat with my friends at Juicy Miles and see what they can whip up for me 🙂 )
But Mrs. C can’t just pick up and go on an MQD run. So we will spend $25,000 on her Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. We should knock that out before her schedule opens up a bit in summer 2022.
The sooner we hit Platinum, the longer we can enjoy our status. (For example, René plans to fulfill his Diamond status requirements before the end of January 2022. So he’ll be set for a couple of years.) Then we’ll load up on MQM during 2022 and 2023!
What Credit Cards are We Using Now to Earn Points?
For the most part, we’re sticking to American Express® Membership Rewards® and Chase Ultimate Rewards® cards. I’ll use those points to help pay for some of the Delta partner run trips I take in 2022.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express‘ 35% Pay with Points rebate on business class airfares will save me a chunk of Membership Rewards points. And I can also redeem my Ultimate Rewards points into 1.5 cents each when spending them on travel purchases through Chase, thanks to my Chase Sapphire Reserve® card.
I mentioned earlier that my wife has the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. I hold the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. The only times we use those cards are for the statement credit promotions this year and Amex Offers. If we need to buy anything during a Delta flight, we’ll take out one of those cards because they earn 20% back on purchases made onboard Delta flights.
Final Approach
My wife and I decided to be Delta Silver Medallions to start the 2022 Medallion Year. But during that time, we’ll roll over nearly enough MQM to hit Platinum. She’ll hit her Delta Amex MQD waiver. And maybe I’ll see you on a Delta partner run to Europe or something. 🙂
What are your plans for Medallion status this year and next?
- To see rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, please visit this link. Terms apply.
- To see rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, please visit this link. Terms apply.
- To see rates and fees for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link. Terms apply.
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I’ll hit Diamond again this year with my European partner travel.
You are the best
Hmm. You say you’re not using your Delta reserve cards except for statement credits. How are you hitting the MQD waiver(s)? And getting the MQMs? Via spending, or via flying?
@Bear – I think what Chris is saying is that for him he is flying for MQD earnings, for his wife (her own Delta Amex card) earning MQD waver via spending and then maybe for his daughter MQD earnings from flying.
As for me personally, for this year, I am earning just enough to be Silver i.e. $3000+ MQD spend with Delta to enter 1JAN2022 as Silver for MAX MQM rollover and then will exit JAN2022 as Diamond from a number of amazing trips/deals posted here on the blog.
Hi, Bear. We’re not hitting the MQD waivers — we’re reaching the $3,000 MQD. As I mentioned, we had a bunch of MQM roll over into this year. We’re also taking one or two trips each month. Those earn the MQM.
I’ve been Diamond for six years. I’ve banked almost 600K MQM’s. Will fly only 10K miles this year but the Delta/Am Ex Reserve Card spend waiver has made me Platinum for 2022 enabling me to keep my stash of MQM’s. I’ll crush it with Aero Mexico runs next January to hit Diamond for 2023 before my 2021 Diamond expires.
@chris To earn MQD on award flights in 2021, does the flight need to operated by DL, or could it be operated by a partner with a DL codeshare flight #? I’m buying the tkts from DL.
Rick — I misread your question and am updating my response. Here’s what Delta says:
“All flights, including Award Travel Tickets, that are operated and marketed by Delta, Delta Connection® Carriers or Delta Shuttle® (the flight number beginning with ‘DL’) and flown between April 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 will receive a 50% bonus of MQMs, MQSs and MQDs for tickets purchased in Basic Economy or Main Cabin, or a 75% bonus of MQMs, MQSs and MQDs for tickets purchased in Delta Comfort+®, First Class, Delta Premium Select or Delta One®.
The bonus applies to most Delta flights. The bonus will not apply to travel on Partner Airlines, mileage upgrade awards, exception fares (not including flights that are a part of a Delta Vacations package), upgrades purchased at check-in or at the gate, or purchases/mileage redemptions of non-air products or fees or SkyBonus Award Certificates.”
I think several of us are using a similar strategy going into 2022 at a lower Medallion level.
With planned runs I’m close to DM early next year, but still looking for one more even small run, so big question:
Are there any Aero Mexico runs still out there in January/February 2022?
I can’t find any.
I’m not finding anything good. But remember that AeroMexico isn’t the only Delta partner. Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, etc. And Juicy Miles is very creative — they can probably do some multi-city trip that doesn’t break your bank.
Say I have 100,000 MQM this year but only enough MQD for gold, $6,000 which is 60,000 miles. Will the difference, 40,000 roll over to 2022
Gold is 50,000 MQM and $6,000 MQD. So you’d roll over 50,000 to 2022.
I am Gold Medallion this year, but for next year, only Silver so far. I have met the $25,000 Delta AmEx spend, and by the end of the year will have about 48,000 MQM’s.
I am relatively new to this… I had thought it would be to my advantage to do a quick run somewhere to enter the coming year with 50,000 MQM, giving me Gold Medallion for 2022. But… is it actually better for me to intentionally not hit 50,000, so that I’d roll over 23,000 MQM’s into next year?
What’s the smart strategy here?
If you have a reliable way to earn MQM and MQD in 2022 — and the earlier in the year, the better — then I’d finish 2021 as a Silver.