Buy Delta Elite Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) Until December 31

Nov. 15, 2012

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3 min read

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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

Now through December 31, 2012, Delta is selling Medallion Qualifying Miles. You may buy up to 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) that will post to your 2012 MQM balance and apply toward 2013 Medallion status (2012 qualification) and should post to your SkyMiles account within 24 hours.

The prices for the MQM's are:2,500 MQMs for $395
5,000 MQMs for $595
7,500 MQMs for $795
10,000 MQMs for $995

Keep in mind that:

MQMs purchased through this Buy MQMs offer are non-refundable.
MQMs purchased will be deposited to the member's 2012 MQM balance - so no getting ahead on 2013.
If applicable, Million Miler status and Medallion status will be updated within 24 hours of MQM purchase.
The MQMs are not redeemable and only count towards Medallion status and Million Miler status.
All transactions are processed in U.S. Dollars.
All the terms and conditions of the SkyMiles program apply.

It looks like Delta raised each of the rates by $100 compared to last year's prices. Personally, I won't be buying any MQMs as there are cheaper ways to get them than buying them outright since the lowest rate with this sale is 9.95 cents per MQM - not a great value at all.

For instance, a much cheaper way to get MQMs is to get the Delta Reserve card which gives 10,000 MQMs with your first purchase, 15,000 MQMs after $30,000 in spend, and another 15,000 MQMs after $60,000 in spend. The annual fee is $450, already beating the sale price here, plus the card confers a bunch of benefits on cardholders like SkyClub access, priority boarding, free checked bags, enhanced upgrade priority and a free domestic first class companion ticket. Plus, if you ever decide that the card isn’t right for you, you can downgrade to another Amex card and get the annual fee prorated.

As always, be sure to do the math. If you think your elite status will offset the cost of purchasing these MQMs and you're in a desperate situation where you don't have time to earn them or do a quick mileage run for cheaper, it’s something to consider, though if you have the time, a mileage run is probably a better option.

Also keep in mind that Delta is currently giving 1,500 MQMs if you sign up for SkyClub membership by December 31, 2012. However, that’s not very cheap either since membership starts at $450 for non-elites (and is as low as $300 for Platinum/Diamond Medallions). You could use your $200 Amex Platinum airline rebate to offset that cost, but it’s still likely more expensive than just buying a mileage run ticket.