We are in such a quiet time in the frequent flyer world with all the program changes rolling out this year from Delta and others. Jet Blue and Alaska are working hard to poach elites and get them to switch to their airlines as your preferred carrier. Heck even plucky Southwest is lowering the requirements to earn their A-List Preferred status from 50 flights down to 40!
I have to admit my head is still spinning over everything Delta has done with the 9/14 bomb shell and the subsequent slight walk-backs. I have in my head and with my wife gone over and over all the options and still am firm in my conviction to walk away from chasing Delta status but there are reasons for that choice and they may help you as well.
For me the answer is no. But for many others now may be the time to act and act fast!
I am still stunned that Delta did something good for my years of loyalty and has elevated my near worthless Silver Medallion “lifetime” status to Gold. Gold and above is HUGE when it comes to flying Skyteam partner airlines getting you Skyteam Elite Plus ranking. That can mean free lounge access, waived bag fees, priority boarding and so very much more (until they make changes that is). Before I gave up my quest for status (that really had started well before this year) I lamented that I would not reach Skyteam Elite Plus that had been a goal for me for as long as I can remember – then Delta just gave it to me with the updated program changes for 2024!
But René, looking at the new chart above should you not now reconsider going for 2 million miler? After all you could end up with lifetime / annual Platinum status with Choice Benefits year after year? Is this not worth it?
Yeah, I have thought about that and Chris has been recently crushing it with sweet Delta mileage runs but with so far to go, for me, it is just not worth the effort. But maybe it is for others! Let me explain.
If I were closer, say under 200,000 elite miles away from either 1, 2, 3 or 5 million miler I would buckle down and go crazy before year end (notice I did not include 4 million miler because there is no extra benefit at this level). I would do what I mentioned above, that is, work to spend my brains out on Delta cards (hello mega overpaying taxes and more) and booking every mileage run I could find before year end to get as close as possible to the next million miler level (side note – you can still keep earning in 2024 onward – it just will take longer without the current bonus offers currently in place – #ProTip our friends at Point.me can help you find the perfect run you need).
After all lifetime Diamond Medallion or even Delta 360* would be simply amazing to have handed to you year after year with all the perks associated with both levels. I mean now even “lowly” 1 million miler is a goal worth shooting for if you intend to keep flying Delta and their partners in the years ahead.
I know this is a hard choice for many considering there are so few months left in 2023 and you may already have lots of stuff booked that can not be changed. I guess if you are on the fence about what to do that may be the answer you are looking for, that is, jump off the fence and call it a day. It is also wise to remember we simple can not ever trust Delta again and their goal is still to continue to erode the program over the coming years and thus your hard work, time and expense may yield little going forward. I mean look at the change this year to block GM+ from the Sky Clubs unless you are either on a Premium Select or Delta One ticket! I think I make my point – right?
Bottom line – if you are close go for it and enjoy the perks for as long as Delta dollops them out but be ready for more #KeepDescending moves over the years ahead! – René
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Hi René,
I understand that a Million Miler status is now a 3rd tie breaker on the upgrade list. Question, do higher Million Milers have higher priority? e.g. 2MM higher priority over 1MM.
Or will Delta consider ALL Million Milers the same?
@RT – Yes the higher your MM status the better for upgrades per Delta.
Thank you! two follow up Qs
1) minimum distance of 500 still apply under the new rule?
2) earning million miler distance flying Sky team partners. OMAAT wrote a post yesterday saying “As of 2024, Delta will only count eligible miles flown on Delta toward million miler status, so miles earned through any other means will no longer count” Delta’s website isn’t clear on this point. Would you be able to comment?
Thank you
I’ll check with Delta.
What DL giveth DL will eventually taketh away. Ed showed his true hand on 9/14. Yes you will earn annual FO/GM/PM/DM. But DL can simply change the benefits offered at each tier and introduce 360 as the new DM etc. with only 360 getting GUCs, DM only getting RUCs, PM getting STE+, etc. So unless I was within 50-100k of the next MM tier I would not be chasing my tail to hit the next MM level over the next 55 days.
The best offer out there right now is to lock-in DM for 100k MQM per year for a few years and do a status match with UA/AA and build up MM status over there knowing that your DM status with DL is frozen for a while. I would also spend $75k on a DL Amex Platinum card in 2024!for $250 and lock-in unlimited SC for 2025.
I’m 155k short from 1 million miles. And I’m constantly stuck on buying basic economy flights. I hate that you don’t earn miles for it but I always need the bang for my buck. I feel that I will not reach one mil miles until another 2-3 years. Luckily I fly to Thailand from dtw a few times a year using skymiles. I also love the fact that you can use MQMs to extend status. I have over 350k. I used to shoot for diamond alot doing mileage runs but those are long gone.
Hit 3 million miler on Saturday! Yeah!!! Now, with, hopefully, long-term Diamond status beginning in 2024, I can quit chasing status. Delta did the celebration right with staff coming on board my flight with a packet of goodies plus the flight attendant made up another packet of goodies from the snack basket (short flight from SLC to RNO)! Now to choose my 3 million miler gift. Given most of the items are hard “no”, the the $1500 gift card is probably my choice.
I am at 1,961,339 towards 2MM not sure what I can do before end of the year! I have DM status for next year so do not want to spend any more $$$$? Suggestions
@Dee – You are close enough you will make 2MM over the next year or two so I would not stress it. If you are close to your next Delta Amex bonus spend for MQMs I would try for that.
I have 213816 miles to go for my first million miler. Not sure this can be done in 2023??
Lots of spending on Delta Amexes and lots of flying! But, yeah, it’d probably be expensive and a lot of time.
René and Cris, are you guys keeping your Reserve cards through 2024? I will certainly not keep my Delta Platinum, but I was wondering if you guys are going to keep your Reserve through 2024, at least for the first class companion ticket. Also, I only have 140k in MQM, and I’m not traveling anymore this year. Will Delta consider this MQM in full for 2025 Medallion qualification, OR will the 75k miles for my Platinum status be subtracted from the 140k first. If I don’t qualify for platinum in 2025 with my MQM, I will drop both credit cards and just go with the Amex Platinum. I’m done playing this game with Delta. A great week to all!
@Mel – I currently do not hold a Reserve card only a DL Plat and Gold. I may go for a Reserve just for the points next year (we will see). If you have the waver ie you spent 25k on DL Amex cards the yes Delta will take away 75k MQMs and the rest will rollover and you will be Platinum for 2024 (your totals are almost the same as mine fyi).
Hey guys, thank you for the reply. With the subtraction of the 75k from my 140k MQM there will not be enough MQM left (100k per year to keep status) to buy my status for 2025. Did I get this right? I only have one long international trip scheduled for 2024 (Vegas-NY with Delta and NY-Mexico City-Sao Paulo- Recife with AM), and I don’t think the AM first class trip will translate into enough $ to put a dent on the new Platinum medallion requirements for 2025. Even if I transfer the rest of the MQM to $ instead of Sky-Pennies (thank you, Rene), it still won’t get me to Platinum for 2025, considering my annual Amex usage. Would Gold medallion be even worth the effort? Rene, if you have simliar numbers, why would you even get the Reserve instead of going independent in 2024? My Reserve renews at the end of December, but I’m thinking that maybe in my case, having only the Amex Platinum (travel card that is) would be best. I just realized the $175 for 3 authorized users is gone. Now it’s $195 per authorized user. Wow! Thank you both for keeping us all informed through the whole Delta mess. Cheers!
@Mel – I would only go for the card if the offer were HUGE in terms of Skypennies say 120,000 point offer worth $1200 to well offset the fee. As to going for Gold – if you fly coach Skyteam international it is well worth being STE+
Because the Reserve’s lounge restrictions kick in until 2025, my wife and I are keeping ours.
Well, I guess I’m one of the few fortunate ones, who kind of lucked out when DL did the adjustments in October…..I’m sitting on nearly 6M lifetime miles, after well over 30 years of chasing status….my goal was to hit 6M lifetime miles before I retired, which is maybe 5 years away, to be lifetime Diamond, and now they’re give 5+M milers lifetime Diamond/360 status…..so, I’m very lucky with these most recent changes, and can get off the hamster wheel….also guessing there aren’t a lot of others to have landed in this kind of sweet spot. Again, I’m really fortunate.
René, I am 130K miles away from 1MM status. My understanding is that as of 1 JAN 24, only BIS miles will count towards MM, and there will be no boosts for Premium Select or FC/D1 flights? So a mile flown on a Main Cabin ticket counts the same as one flown in D1?
Also, do you know if going forward BIS miles flown using RDM/FF award tickets in Main Cabin or above will count towards MM, or only paid tickets?
Just trying to figure out how much I want to push for additional MQMs this year while there are still mileage boosts. Thanks!
We’ll ask.
Delta website for Million Miler mileage earning suggests award travel is included since it states Basic Economy is excluded (or Delta is hedging/sneaky by not making it clear yet): “Beginning January 1, 2024, Million Miler Status will be earned via flight miles flown (excluding Basic Economy fares) and added to your total Million Miler balance.”
@DTW_Captive Not sure I follow what you are saying.
I have asked this question on several forums and haven’t gotten a definitive answer.