Airlines

Delta Elite Standing Will Be Tougher To Earn In 2023

Delta SkyMiles Medallion elite standing shall be more durable to earn in 2023, for these seeking to qualify for standing for the 2024 program yr.

Delta Medallion income requirement rising

In an effort to earn Delta SkyMiles Medallion elite standing:

  • You could earn a sure variety of Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) OR Medallion Qualifying Segments (MQSs)
  • You additionally have to earn a sure variety of Medallion Qualifying {Dollars} (MQDs) OR you will get a waiver by spending cash on a co-branded Delta Amex card

At present Delta SkyMiles Medallion elite necessities are as follows:

  • Delta Silver Medallion requires 25,000 MQMs OR 30 MQSs AND 3,000 MQDs
  • Delta Gold Medallion requires 50,000 MQMs OR 60 MQSs AND 6,000 MQDs
  • Delta Platinum Medallion requires 75,000 MQMs OR 100 MQSs AND 9,000 MQDs
  • Delta Diamond Medallion requires 125,000 MQMs OR 140 MQSs AND 15,000 MQDs
  • You may get an MQD waiver for spending on Delta bank cards — all tiers require $25,000 of spending per yr, besides Diamond Medallion, which requires $250,000 of spending per yr
Delta SkyMiles elite necessities for 2022

As of 2023, Delta SkyMiles shall be rising how a lot that you must spend as a way to earn standing:

  • Delta Silver Medallion would require 3,000 MQDs (no change)
  • Delta Gold Medallion would require 8,000 MQDs (a rise of two,000 MQDs, or 33%)
  • Delta Platinum Medallion would require 12,000 MQDs (a rise of three,000 MQDs, or 33%)
  • Delta Diamond Medallion would require 20,000 MQDs (a rise of 5,000 MQDs, or 33%)
Delta SkyMiles MQD necessities are altering

Be aware that:

  • There shall be no change to what number of MQMs or MQSs that you must earn
  • You earn one MQD for every eligible greenback spent on a Delta ticket, not together with taxes and charges
  • As you’ll be able to see, Silver Medallion standing spending necessities aren’t altering, whereas spending necessities for different tiers are rising by 33%
  • You possibly can proceed to get an MQD waiver for spending on Delta bank cards — $25,000 of spending per yr will get you a waiver for Silver, Gold, and Platinum Medallion, whereas $250,000 of spending per yr will get you a waiver for Diamond Medallion

Delta claims these are the “first Medallion qualification change affecting a number of tiers since 2015.” Right here’s how Dwight James, Delta’s SVP of Buyer Engagement and Loyalty, describes these modifications:

“These restricted SkyMiles Program modifications are a needed step towards each preserving and enhancing the client expertise for our most loyal and engaged Members. The journey and loyalty panorama has modified significantly since we final made modifications to the earn {qualifications} of a number of membership tiers. We’re persevering with to put money into the purchasers who put money into us so these Members expertise the most effective of what Delta has to supply—with our new Selection Advantages, our premium and reworked Delta Sky Golf equipment, and our growth of using SkyMiles as forex all through the journey.”

Incomes Delta elite standing shall be more durable in 2023

Delta rolling out new Selection Advantages

Delta has additionally introduced that Diamond and Platinum Medallion members who qualify for 2024 Medallion standing (in 2023) will be capable to choose from an expanded slate of Selection Advantages beginning February 1, 2023. New Selection Advantages embody the next:

  • Diamond and Platinum Medallion members with the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Specific Card, Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Specific Card, Delta SkyMiles Reserve Enterprise American Specific Card, or Delta SkyMiles Platinum Enterprise American Specific Card, can select an announcement credit score for his or her card — $500 for Diamond Medallion members or $200 for Platinum Medallion members
  • Diamond Medallion members will obtain two Gold Medallion present statuses per choice, whereas Platinum Medallion members will obtain two Silver Medallion present statuses per choice 
  • A Delta Holidays Expertise (flight and lodge) — $500 for Diamond Medallion members and $400 for Platinum Medallion members
  • An MQD “head begin” for the subsequent Medallion yr — $1,000 MQD increase for Diamond Medallion members and a $500 MQD increase for Platinum Medallion members
  • Growing the Delta Journey Credit score Voucher to $250 
  • A $250 sustainable aviation gasoline (SAF) contribution
Delta is rolling out new Selection Advantages

My tackle Delta Medallion program modifications

In the course of the pandemic, Delta was in all probability probably the most beneficiant US airline when it got here to extending standing. So it’s fascinating to see the airline now additionally being the primary to extend elite necessities as we see a rise in journey demand. In actuality I don’t suppose this may do a lot to skinny elite ranks.

Relatively that is clearly a part of Delta’s effort to guarantee that a overwhelming majority of SkyMiles Medallion members are additionally utilizing a Delta Amex card. The Delta and Amex partnership is value billions of {dollars}, and actually Delta has fairly well used its loyalty program as a means of drumming up spending on co-branded bank cards.

It’s fairly apparent that that is the motive, provided that nothing else about elite standing qualification is altering — the airline is simply rising the income requirement for standing, since that is additionally the requirement that’s best to get round with bank card spending.

After all I’m not a fan of this transformation, and I discover it unusual to be doing this at a time when enterprise journey continues to be means down. However it’s a must to view this via the Delta SkyMiles lens, which is completely different than the strategy taken by different airline loyalty packages. Heck, on some stage I’m stunned Delta even lets members earn elite standing with out bank card spending!

I’m not stunned to see these modifications

Backside line

Delta SkyMiles is making it more durable to earn elite standing in 2023, for 2024 qualification. The income requirement for Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Medallion elite standing shall be rising by 33%. In the meantime the variety of miles or segments required isn’t altering, and there continues to be a possibility to get a income requirement waiver by spending on a Delta Amex bank card.

On the plus facet, Delta is enhancing Selection Advantages, which ought to be rewarding for a lot of Platinum and Diamond Medallion members.

What do you make of those Delta SkyMiles Medallion qualification modifications?

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