Can you buy medallion status

Super-frequent flyers will be happy to learn that the MQM boost also helps you toward Million Miler status qualification. There's no need to register for this status accelerator. Delta will automatically apply the bonus earnings.

However, don't worry if you don't see these bonuses showing up in your SkyMiles account at first. However, this Delta status accelerator doesn't apply to:. Exception fares except Delta Vacations packages. Upgrades purchased at check-in or at the gate. So, they will earn a total of:. For the first time, flyers can earn elite status credits on Delta award flights between April 1 and Dec. To qualify, flights must be both marketed and operated by Delta.

Put another way, your boarding pass needs to show a Delta flight number and the side of the plane needs to say Delta. However, as award flights don't currently qualify for any Medallion status earnings, it isn't clear at first how you'd apply these status accelerator bonuses. So, Delta is introducing new base earning rates for award tickets.

Delta award flights will earn MQMs based on the distance of the flight and cabin booked:. MQDs on award tickets are calculated by dividing the mileage redeemed by You won't earn any MQDs on taxes and fees paid.

Award travelers will earn 1 MQS per segment flown. For simplicity, Delta is rounding the distance flown to 10, miles. That means their base Medallion earnings on this award trip are:. In other words, the highest Medallion status members get first dibs on upgrades, but only when those upgrades are available.

Companions traveling with you are also eligible for complimentary upgrades, though it gets a bit convoluted. Companions must have a SkyMiles membership to be eligible for upgrades. A companion booked on the same reservation as you will get upgraded at the highest tier of the two. Finally, basic economy E fares are not eligible for any complimentary upgrades, so think twice before booking these tickets for long-haul flights. Delta offers a unique choose-your-own benefit option for both Platinum and Diamond Medallion members.

Package of four regional upgrade certificates. Gift of Silver Medallion status to a friend. Individual membership to Delta Sky Clubs unlimited access for self; guests pay a fee. Executive membership to Delta Sky Clubs unlimited access for self and two guests — this option counts as two choices. Package of as many as eight upgrade certificates eight regional, four global, or two global and four regional. Gift of Gold Medallion status to a friend. All Medallion holders get one extra free piece of luggage on partner flights.

Most partners offer their own combination of benefits to these two groups. The value of Delta Medallion status depends on a host of personal factors, including how much you actually use the status and how much you value perks like first-class upgrades.

To determine the estimates below, we performed a comprehensive analysis of those aspects of airline elite status which offer the most tangible benefits. As you can see, the higher elite levels Platinum and Diamond not only offer more overall value, but a better elite earning rate. In other words, the higher levels offer more bang for your airfare buck. Delta offers several helpful ways to give you a leg up on earning Medallion status or help you get it back after lapsing.

To qualify you must:. Not have received a status match from Delta in the past three years. Have elite status from another qualifying airline. Be able to prove that you have this status and that you earned it from flying not through another status match. In fact, you can extend your Medallion status through the entire following year if you begin your status match after July 1.

This helpful program is essentially parental leave for airline elite status. That is, if you were a Medallion status member who had a major life event that caused you to lose your status, Delta will let you reclaim your previous status in a similar way to the matching program above.

If approved, Delta will reinstate your former status for three months and give you the opportunity to extend your reclaimed status through the following year in the same manner as the status challenge above.

It's a great program for travelers who fly frequently on Delta and its partners, and it can provide money-saving and comfort-improving benefits to all Medallion holders. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of , including those best for:.

How Medallion status works. Earning Medallion status. Medallion status benefits. Status matching, challenges and Reclaim My Status. You can also pay to upgrade any of your scheduled Delta flights between now and the end of the year, with the upcharge to move from one cabin to another boosting your MQD level. Terms Apply. Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser.

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