Delta says goodbye to Medallion Qualifying Miles in frequent flyer program overhaul

Zach Wichter, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
2

Big changes are coming to the way Delta Air Lines SkyMiles members earn status starting in 2024 for 2025 flying, and the key takeaway: It’s all about the spending.

Beginning Jan. 1, Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) will be the only metric that counts when it comes to earning elite frequent flyer status with Delta.

Dwight James, Delta’s senior vice president of customer engagement and loyalty told USA TODAY the changes were all about making the program more streamlined.

“We looked at a lot of different metrics and one thing we included was MQD was already part of our construct and it seemed to resonate the most and the best with a lot of our members,” he said. “We did want to come to one metric. Customers indicated that this resonated well with them.”

So what will it take to earn status for 2025? Here’s the breakdown by status tier:

◾ Silver Medallion - $6,000 MQDs

◾ Gold Medallion - $12,000 MQDs

◾ Platinum Medallion - $18,000 MQDs

◾ Diamond Medallion - $35,000 MQDs

But now you can earn MQDs by spending on more than just flights.

“We’ve seen a 50% growth in membership that is engaging with Delta beyond just air travel,” James said.

MQDs will still be earned at a rate of one for every $1 of spending on flights operated by Delta and its partners, but they’ll also be earned at the same rate for other things booked directly through Delta, including car rentals, hotel stays and vacation packages.

On top of that, some Delta credit card spending will be MQD eligible, though the rates will vary by card. Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Reserve Business American Express cardholders will earn one MQD for every $10 in spending, while SkyMiles Platinum and SkyMiles Platinum Business cardholders will earn one MQD for every $20 in purchases.

Beginning Jan. 1, Medallion Qualifying Dollars will be the only metric that counts when it comes to earning elite frequent flyer status with Delta.
Beginning Jan. 1, Medallion Qualifying Dollars will be the only metric that counts when it comes to earning elite frequent flyer status with Delta.

James acknowledged that the new status-earning mechanism will take some getting used to for SkyMiles members.

“With any program changes as you know, we know we won’t have 100% satisfaction,” he said, adding that focus group skepticism often morphed into enthusiasm when SkyMiles members analyzed their own spending habits.

“I have an opportunity through Delta to do even more to achieve status. A lot of people got excited because they felt now they have an even better shot at achieving status,” James said.

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With Medallion Qualifying Miles and Medallion Qualifying Segments being phased out, Delta will give SkyMiles members the opportunity to convert MQMs into either MQDs or redeemable miles for the 2025 qualifying year, though it has not published the transfer rates yet.

As part of the program overhaul, Delta is also changing some policies for SkyClub access along with other membership tweaks.

Full details of the changes are available by clicking here to see the airline's press release.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Delta's SkyMiles program moves focus to Medallion Qualifying Dollars