If you travel enough to even ask this question then the answer is absolutely YES! When I began my current job I found myself wanting to pick an airline to start my status journey, as most flights are often within a few dollars of each other across the various airlines. Obviously for both corporate and personal travel, cost is the first factor when booking flights and being near a Delta hub means they are normally the most cost effective. Let’s look at how to earn Delta Medallion Status, what perks you earn with status, how to earn status without even flying, and finally some personal benefits I have seen.
Delta Medallion Status
Delta Medallion status is divided into four official status levels + the invitation only Delta 360 status. Delta Medallion status is earned by a combination of medallion qualifying miles(MQM) or medallion qualifying segments(MQS) + medallion qualifying dollars(MQD) and you must hit either or MQM/MQS + MQD at each level in order to qualify every year.
As you can see from the above, earning silver medallion status requires 25,000 MQM’s or 30MQS + $3000 MQD. For most people, earning the MQD isn’t a large issue as a typical round trip flight costs more than $500 these days however, the flight requirements are typically the barrier to entry. A MQM is typically 1 mile flown however, depending on the category of your ticket(first class and comfort+ earn more), you will earn a minimum of 500MQM’s. A MQS is a “segment” flown and as someone who often takes connecting flights to and from Delta’s hub in Atlanta, I typically earn four medallion qualifying segments for my trips. It is typically easier for travelers to earn medallion qualifying miles than segments due to the shear distance you are covering, such as on my previous trip to Vegas; I earned 6,742 MQM’s(26% towards achieving silver) while only earning 4 MQS'(13% towards achieving silver).
Perks of Medallion Status
Medallion status and really any airline status is arguably the most important of the sought after travel status options: airline, hotel, and rental car. Delta Medallion status unlocks a world of perks including seat upgrades, waived baggage fees, priority check in, priority boarding, drink vouchers, and dedicated phone numbers that keep you from waiting on hold for hours at a time. As you progress up the Medallion status ladder your perks increase with things like being upgraded to Delta Comfort+ seats shortly after ticketing with Platinum Medallion status vs having to wait until 24 hours before your flight with Silver Medallion status.
Arguably the greatest benefit I take advantage of is the waived baggage fees that would otherwise cost $30 for your first bag and an additional $40 for the second. Once you earn Silver Medallion status, you are automatically granted 2 free bags up to 50lbs when flying in Comfort+, main, or basic economy. Medallion members who are flying first class or Delta One are able to check up to 3 bags of 70lbs a piece free of charge. Keep in mind these benefits extend to up to 7 additional travel companions; which even for a family of four with one suitcase each is a savings of $120!
Earning Status Without Flying
It isn’t common, however there are certainly folks out there carrying Delta Medallion status without ever even hoping on a plane. As of writing this article, the Delta Reserve American Express card is currently offering an intro bonus of 50,000 SkyMiles plus 10,000 MQMs after you spend $5,000 in the first six months via my referral link. The current intro bonus combined with earning 15,000 MQM’s for every $30,000 in spend(up to 4 times a year) allows you to earn Delta Gold Medallion status and only being 5,000 MQM’s away from platinum. Although there are MUCH better valuations and point strategies than using the Delta Reserve American Express, if you are someone who travels on Delta often… you may see value in it!
Another way to earn Delta Medallion status is via a status match challenge; which provides you the ability to match to a current airline status you hold after completing a required number of MQM/MQS’ + MQD’s. For example, this past spring, All Nippon Airways was offering elite status for anyone in the US holding elite status with one of the major airlines. I knew that due to changes in traveling for COVID I was most likely going to lose my Delta Gold Medallion status that had been rolled over since 2020. I was able to status match my Delta Gold Medallion status to All Nippon Airways Platinum with no challenges required and then status match back to Delta via the status match challenge to Delta Platinum Medallion status. After my next two flights I will have completed the challenge portion of the status match and therefore hold Delta Platinum Medallion status through the end of 2023.
Personal Benefits
As someone who has taken crazy flights, including an upcoming trip to California for dinner and back to the east coast in 26 hours gate to gate… I thoroughly enjoy the benefits of first class! After booking this flight I noticed that almost every first class seat was available and decided to call into the Medallion desk to check on the cost of the upgrade from Comfort+. After waiting for maybe 30 seconds I was connected with a fantastic agent who took care of upgrading my flight from Comfort+ to first class free of charge as a “Thank You” for my loyalty…. this should have cost me more than $1500! This is the third time that I have been upgraded by just simply calling and asking the cost for free… proving that once again airline status is 100% worth it!
Do you have status with an airline? If so, which one? Drop a comment below with your favorite airline and why you love them!