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. Show More. Changes for Existing Medallion holders. Those seeking Medallion status. OR this many MQSs:. How Medallion Qualification Dollars work. Rollover Medallion Qualification Miles. Credit card waivers. SkyMiles earned per dollar spent. Fee benefits. Then there is an invite only status, only obtainable to Diamond Medallion members, called Delta In this article I will review the qualifications needed for Silver Medallion status and benefits like upgrades and baggage.
Interested in finding out the top travel credit cards for this month? Click here to check them out! It offers benefits like a first free bag, preferred seat selection, special lanes for check-in, and complimentary upgrades.
Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions! The Delta Gold credit card is a great card to jumpstart your Delta journey. The first waived annual fee is another benefit compared to the other Delta credit cards.
However, Silver Medallion status gives far more benefits like priority check-in, preferred seats, and the possible upgrade. If all you care about is free bags and Zone 1 priority boarding, than this card will work great without status.
Plus, the companion pass helps you and a friend go further with all the same benefits as the Gold Delta credit card. Delta has a detailed chart for their status match challenge, and if your airline elite program is not on the chart, you can still submit it when you enroll for the status match challenge. You can enroll into the status match challenge here. Once you enroll, it will usually take 5 business days, but of course longer if needed.
If you want to extend your status, you will have to complete a certain amount of requirements during those 90 days. Here are the requirements:. If you enroll in the challenge on or after July 1, and you complete the requirements, your Medallion Status will be extended through January 31, This benefit for Silver members has no value.
I know I listed it in the above section, but being honest means calling this out. In bold, I pointed out where you will board. I prefer using the check-in kiosks whenever possible. This is the reason people want status, right? Shumayl asked if basic economy seats are eligible for upgrades, and Delta is very clear on this answer: no.
Could flight attendants theoretically upgrade you? Consider that a unicorn and nothing more. The concept of status and the reason for flying basic economy are opposites here: spend money to qualify for upgrades vs save money by flying in basic economy. Delta outlines here the order, priority, and timelines for complimentary upgrades. The short answer is that you are at the end of the line. With Silver Medallion status, you will only get upgrades after everyone else. How often that happens really varies.
Are you flying on a packed flight during Spring Break? What about an empty flight on a Tuesday going to Iowa? All of those things affect your chances. This is especially true if someone is traveling with you you can get upgraded along with 1 other person, must be a SkyMiles member, traveling on your same reservation.
Standard Main Cabin economy starts at just 6, SkyMiles. Of course, we could see this change post-pandemic. But for the time being, your best bet for redeeming Delta SkyMiles is on domestic flights. So…all that being said, where do the four elite levels of the SkyMiles program land? The first and arguably most valuable benefit of Silver Medallion is the ability to upgrade to first class on domestic flights plus flights from the U.
This was even extended to award tickets in October Again, we value complimentary first-class upgrades at roughly 0. Silver Medallion members earn 7 miles per dollar spent, 2 more than regular members. This free checked bag within the U. Silver Medallions are eligible for priority check-in and can be among the first Main Cabin passengers to board.
Still, the latter of these is the same offered to Delta American Express cardholders, so neither perk is very valuable. Silver Medallion members can earn additional bonus miles when renting with Hertz more than a regular member, to be exact.
Gold Medallion flyers are also eligible for complimentary first-class upgrades on domestic flights and short-haul international flights, and these will start clearing 3 days before departure. Same benefit, more frequent utilization, though Gold agents will likely be more knowledgeable than Silver ones.
As noted above, a handful of partners extend this even further, so be sure to check out this link for more information. Gold Medallion members will enjoy the same opportunity to earn bonus miles with Hertz as Silver travelers.
This is due to SkyMiles being devalued and Delta waiving change and cancellation fees for all members. Before this change, Platinum and Diamond elites used to have exclusive access to free award cancellation. Platinum Medallion members earn 9 miles per dollar spent, 4 more than non-status flyers. When you qualify for Platinum Medallion, you get to select a Choice Benefit. They can also enjoy a couple of added perks, including access to Virgin Atlantic lounges outside the United States when traveling on Delta or Virgin Atlantic.
Like Platinum status, Diamond status lost value in Diamond Medallions enjoy the highest upgrade priority and will start clearing 5 days in advance but ahead of Platinum Medallion travelers. Platinum Medallion members earn 11 miles per dollar spent, 6 more than non-status flyers. In , Delta began offering Diamond Medallion travelers complimentary CLEAR memberships , an expedited airport-security program that continues to expand.
By many reports, Delta Diamond line agents can frequently help top-tier elites with an array of requests, from forcing availability after a missed connection to waiving fees that should be applied.
Related: Which Delta Choice Benefit should you pick for a pandemic travel year? All you need to do is change the number in cell A2 to represent the number of MQMs you expect to fly in , and the spreadsheet will update with the corresponding value. For example, I pre-loaded 60, MQMs. Related: Consider jump-starting your travel in with an airline elite status match or challenge.
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