Everything You Need To Know About Delta Medallion Status

How is Medallion Status measured?

There are three metrics that you'll need to know about when it comes to earning Delta Medallion Status:

• Medallion Qualification Miles
• Medallion Qualification Segments
• Medallion Qualification Dollars

Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs)

Medallion Qualification Miles, referred to as MQMs, are earned based on the distance you fly and the fare class of your ticket (excludes Basic Economy tickets). You will earn MQMs flying Delta and most airline partners.

MQMs are only used to determine your status in the Medallion program. These are not to be confused with Delta SkyMiles which is the currency you earn in the SkyMiles program that can be redeemed for award flights and more.

Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs)

Medallion Qualification Segments, referred to as MQSs, are earned based on the number of flights you take. This is measured based on "actual" flights as in when you've taken off from one airport and landed at another.

For example a flight in which you have one layover would count as two segments because you took a total of two flights to get to your destination.

Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs)

Medallion Qualification Dollars, referred to as MQDs, are earned based on how much you've spent on the base cost of your tickets with Delta and their partners.

This is usually the hardest qualifications for most travelers to meet when going for Medallion status as it requires you to spend heavy with Delta during the qualification year. You can get around the qualification by earning a MQD Waiver which requires you to run heavy spend on Delta's co-branded credit cards which can be easier for some.

How do you qualify for each tier?

In order to acquire Medallion Status, you'll need to meet two requirements:

• Hit the requirements for Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) OR Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs) -AND-
• Hit the Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) threshold or get a MQD waiver using Delta's co-branded credit cards

The table below lists the requirements for each tier in the Delta Medallion program.

What benefits are offered at each tier?

As you climb the tiers of Delta Medallion status, you'll start to be rewarded with excellent benefits that can enhance your travel.

Delta Medallion Silver

Delta Medallion Silver requires you to earn 25,000 Medallion Qualification Miles or 30 Medallion Qualification Segments AND spend $3,000 Medallion Qualification Dollars or acquire the MQD Waiver.

Is Delta Medallion Silver worth it? (Opinion)

Silver may not sound like much, but don't sleep on it. As a person who had Delta Medallion Silver status for 4 years, it is well worth it. The little things it offers adds up.

Being able to enter the Sky Priority line alone is one of the best benefits of status as it is generally way shorter than the normal check-in line. The free checked bag it offers is also great because it stacks with the free checked bag offered with co-branded Delta credit cards.

Delta Medallion Gold

Delta Medallion Gold requires you to earn 50,000 Medallion Qualification Miles or 60 Medallion Qualification Segments AND spend $8,000 Medallion Qualification Dollars or acquire the MQD Waiver.

Highlight rows in the table are new or improved benefits that you're receive when you move from Silver Medallion to Gold Medallion status.

Delta Medallion Platinum

Delta Platinum Medallion Status requires 75,000 Medallion Qualification Miles or 100 Medallion Qualification Segments AND $12,000 Medallion Qualification Dollars or the MQD Waiver.

Highlight rows in the table below are new or improved benefits that you're receive when you move from Gold Medallion to Platinum Medallion status.

Delta Medallion Diamond

Delta Medallion Diamond requires 125,000 Medallion Qualification Miles or 140 Medallion Qualification Segments AND $20,000 Medallion Qualification Dollars or the MQD Waiver.

Highlight rows in the table below are new or improved benefits that you're receive when you move from Platinum Medallion to Diamond Medallion status.

Other ways to obtain Medallion-like benefits

There are a handful of credit cards that offers Medallion-like benefits including from free checked bags, complimentary upgrades, and more. So depending on what you're looking for when flying Delta, you may not have to even worry about earning status if you have the right credit card.

Free Checked Bags

All Delta Medallion members and those traveling with them on the same reservation receive waived checked bag fees.

You can also receive your first checked bag free for yourself and those traveling with you by just having an eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express Credit Card. You don't even have to use the card to pay for your flight... it just needs to be attached to your SkyMiles profile which is automatically done when you apply for the card.

Do note that the Delta Blue AMEX does not offer this benefit.

Priority Boarding

All Delta Medallion members and those traveling with them on the same reservation receive priority boarding.

If you own an eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express Credit Card, you will be able to board with Main Cabin 1 which is the same boarding group as Delta Medallion Silver. This allows you to board before Main Cabin 2 and Main Cabin 3 and usually allows you to lock in some overhead bin space.

Complimentary Upgrades

All Delta Medallion members receive complimentary upgrades, with higher Medallion status receiving priority and better access to upgrades.

There are two Delta credit cards that grant access to complimentary upgrades:

• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

The chance that you obtain a seat upgrade as a personal or business Reserve cardholder without Medallion Status is slim-to-none unless you're flying out of a non-Delta hub at unusual hours (e.g. red eye flight). Basically every single person with Medallion status will be in the queue to receive upgrades before you.

This benefit shines for those with status.

Personal and business Reserve cardholders with receive Priority for complimentary upgrades over those with the same Medallion Status who does not have a personal or business Reserve card. So this can be a great way to jump closer to the top of the upgrade waitlist which can score you a few additional upgrades per year.

Annual Companion Passes

The Companion Pass is not really a "Medallion" benefit, but it is something that should be mentioned as it adds significant value to Delta's higher-end credit cards. This pass allows one person to travel with you for just the cost of taxes, fees, and surcharges.

Basically it means that the Base Ticket price will be free for the second person. For example, if the base cost of a flight costs $733 plus $94 in taxes for a total of $827.10 per ticket, you would only end up paying $94 for the second ticket.

There are the four Delta credit cards that offer the annual companion pass:

• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card:
  Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card.
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card:
  Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card:
  Receive a Domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+® or domestic Main Cabin round trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card:
  Receive a Domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+® or domestic Main Cabin round trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card.

These companion passes can offer hundreds to thousands of dollars in value depending on the flight. This basically offsets the annual fee (and some) while still giving you access to all the benefits these cards offer.

Another thing to note is that these passes stack in your SkyMiles account. If you have multiple credit cards that offer companion passes, you'll receive multiple companion passes.

They're very easy to use as long as you use plan out your trip in advance and use them months ahead of your departure date. If you wait until the last minute to use them, they become a little bit more difficult to use and you'll typically be stuck with "unfavorable" flights.

Credit cards that earn Delta SkyMiles

Delta offers a total of seven co-branded credit cards that you can use to earn additional SkyMiles on everyday spending. As previously mentioned, these cards can also grant you a wide range of benefits including free checked bags, annual companion passes, and discounts on award travel.

Here is the full list of Delta credit cards:

Credit Card	Highlights
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card Best For No Annual Fee Learn More View Referral Offer Card Value & SkyMiles Calculator	Intro Bonus: 10,000 Bonus Miles Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases and at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. No foreign transaction fee and no annual fee Terms Apply $0 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Best For Free Checked Bags Learn More View Referral Offer Card Value & SkyMiles Calculator	Intro Bonus: 40,000 Bonus Miles Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets First checked bag free for yourself and up to 8 others traveling with you on the same reservation $100 flight credit every year that you spend $10,000 or more on the card Terms Apply $0 introductory annual fee fee, then $99 (See Rates and Fees)
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Best Overall For Delta Travelers Learn More View Referral Offer Card Value & SkyMiles Calculator	Intro Bonus: 50,000 Bonus Miles Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card Terms Apply $250 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Best For Benefits & Medallion Status Chasers Learn More View Referral Offer Card Value & SkyMiles Calculator	Intro Bonus: 60,000 Bonus Miles Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases Domestic First Class round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card Complimentary Centurion Lounge access when traveling on Delta Enjoy Delta Sky Club® access at no cost. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. Terms Apply $550 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card Best Business Card For Free Checked Bags Learn More View Referral Offer Card Value & SkyMiles Calculator	Intro Bonus: 50,000 Bonus Miles Earn 2X Miles on Delta and restaurant purchases. Earn 2X Miles on eligible purchases at U.S. shipping providers and eligible U.S. advertising purchases in select media. Effective 1/1/2024, this benefit will have a cap of $50,000 in eligible purchases per category, per year. First checked bag free for yourself and up to 8 others traveling with you on the same reservation $100 flight credit every year that you spend $10,000 or more on the card Terms Apply $0 introductory annual fee fee, then $99 (See Rates and Fees)
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card Best Overall For Delta Business Travelers Learn More View Referral Offer Card Value & SkyMiles Calculator	Intro Bonus: 60,000 Bonus Miles Earn 3X Miles on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on every eligible dollar spent on purchases made directly with hotels Earn 1.5X miles on single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (that’s an extra half mile per dollar), up to 50,000 additional miles per year Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card Terms Apply $250 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card Best Business Card For Benefits & Medallion Status Chasers Learn More View Referral Offer Card Value & SkyMiles Calculator	Intro Bonus: 70,000 Bonus Miles Earn 3X Miles on eligible purchases made directly with Delta Earn 1.5X Miles on eligible purchases the rest of the year after you spend $150,000 on your Card in a calendar year (that’s an extra half mile per dollar) Domestic First Class round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card Enjoy Delta Sky Club® access at no cost. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. Terms Apply $550 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)

Earn SkyMiles using partner cards

Delta has one U.S. credit card rewards partner: American Express Membership Rewards. Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Delta SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio meaning that every 1,000 AMEX points you transfer to your SkyMiles account will give you 1,000 Delta SkyMiles.

This makes the Membership Rewards program an excellent option for any frequent Delta customer.

Here's our favorite Membership Rewards credit cards for Delta travelers:

Credit Card	Highlights
The Platinum Card® from American Express Best For Lounge Access & Luxury Travel Learn More View Referral Offer Card Value & Points Calculator	Intro Bonus: 80,000 Bonus Points Earn 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000, then 1X) Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel Earn 1X points on all other eligible purchases Global Airport Lounge Access including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Club Lounges (when flying Delta), Airspace Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Priority Pass Lounges Over $1,400 in annual credits which includes airline incidentals, Uber Cash, digital entertainment, Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection, and more Enroll in complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status Terms Apply $695 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
American Express® Gold Card Best For Restaurants & U.S. Supermarkets Learn More View Referral Offer Card Value & Points Calculator	Intro Bonus: 60,000 Bonus Points Earn 4X points at restaurants and on up to $25,000 in annual U.S. supermarket purchases Earn 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com Earn 1X points on all other purchases Up to $120 in Uber Cash credit each year Up to $120 in dining credits each year Terms Apply $250 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Best For Lounge Access & Luxury Business Travel Learn More View Referral Offer Card Value & Points Calculator	Intro Bonus: 120,000 Points Earn 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com Earn 1.5X points on select business purchases and on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per year Earn 1X points on all other eligible purchases Global Airport Lounge Access including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Club Lounges (when flying Delta), Airspace Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Priority Pass Lounges Over $1,400 in annual credits which includes Dell, Adobe, Indeed, CLEAR, and more Get 35% points back when you redeem points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with AMEX Travel Enroll in complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status Terms Apply $695 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
American Express® Business Gold Card Best For Business Rewards Learn More View Referral Offer Card Value & Points Calculator	Intro Bonus: 70,000 Points Earn 4X points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each billing cycle, on up to $150,000 per year (then 1X) Earn 3X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com Earn 1X points on all other purchases Terms Apply $295 annual fee, $375 if application is received on or after 2/1/24 (See Rates and Fees)
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express Best For Small Business & Miscellaneous Purchases Learn More Card Value & Points Calculator	Intro Bonus: 15,000 Membership Rewards® points Earn 2X points on the first $50,000 in purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar thereafter No annual fee Terms Apply $0 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)