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Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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Last-minute strategies for earning Delta Medallion elite status
Andrew Kunesh is TPG's Points & Miles editor. He has been active in the points and miles space since 2014, using them to travel far and wide around the world. He is originally from Chicago but moved to New York City after graduating from DePaul University. His work is featured on Credit Karma, UpgradedPoints, ValuePenguin and various other travel and finance publications. He currently holds Delta Diamond Medallion and Marriott Titanium status, and 20+ credit cards that each have a special place in Andrew's wallet.
Rachel Craft is a travel writer at TPG. She's excited about introducing more people to the world of points & miles and helping fellow travel newbies make the most of their points.
also contributed to this story
November 10, 2025 • 9 min read
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Quick summary
With two months left in 2025, travelers still have time to qualify or requalify for Delta Medallion elite status.
Delta now uses Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) as the sole metric for elite status, replacing previous systems.
Options to earn MQDs include eligible travel, spending at select merchants, booking award tickets, and leveraging partner flights.
Additional strategies include status matches, one-time MQD purchases, and selecting Choice Benefits if eligible.
What to consider
MQDs must post to your account by the end of 2025 to count for 2026 status, so timing purchases and travel is crucial.
Award tickets must be booked directly through Delta to earn MQDs, and partner flights have varying earning rates based on fare class and carrier.
Choice Benefits selections, such as MQD Accelerators, can take six to eight weeks to process and must be chosen by Jan. 31, 2026.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of last-minute tactics and nuanced rules for maximizing your MQD earnings before the year ends.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
With just two months left in 2025, time is running out to qualify (or requalify) for Delta elite status.
If you have not done so already, check your elite qualification metrics, tally up your travel for the rest of the year and see where that puts you in terms of elite status for next year. If you’re short of your goal, you still have time to close the gap. There are plenty of ways to earn Delta Medallion status — and they don't all involve flying.
Here are some ideas for earning what you need before the end of the year.
Time is short, but if you think you’re not quite going to make the earning threshold of your desired elite status tier, there are still some good options to put you over the top.
Now, MQDs track not just your eligible travel spend on Delta and its partners but also other methods, like your spending on Delta-issued credit cards and car rentals, hotel stays and Delta Vacations. You'll need to reach the following MQD thresholds for each Medallion status tier:
Some Delta cobranded credit cards allow cardholders to earn MQDs. The following cards give you an automatic 2,500 MQDs each year (known as MQD Headstart), plus additional MQDs when you spend on the card:
It may be worth applying for one of these cards to close the gap for next year's Medallion status. If you already have one of these cards and your everyday purchases won't get you close enough to your desired status level, you might consider temporarily paying bills and other expenses with your cobranded card to nab some extra MQDs.
Just be aware that purchases on these cards must post to your account within 2025 to count toward elite status qualification for the 2026 status year. Purchases made in late December may go toward the following year instead, depending on the transaction date submitted to American Express by the merchant (which may differ from the date when you made the purchase). For example, if you make a purchase on Dec. 31 and the merchant lists the transaction date as Jan. 1, the MQDs you earn will count toward next year instead of this year.
If you're relying on credit card purchases to push you over the elite status threshold, make them early enough to ensure the MQDs count as part of this year's haul.
Delta SkyMiles has historically been one of the most generous programs when it comes to status challenges. After temporary unavailability during recent program changes, the SkyMiles Medallion Status Match Challenge has returned. If you hold elite status with another airline, you can request a match. If approved, you'll receive the equivalent Delta status for three months, along with a status challenge to extend your shiny new Medallion status.
In 2025, Delta is also offering a new route called Elevate Your Status. This allows you to make a one-time MQD purchase to help you reach the next Medallion status tier, as long as you already have the required number of MQDs to qualify. For instance, if you're a basic member with at least 4,500 MQDs but no more than 4,999 MQDs, you would be eligible to buy the MQDs you'd need to reach Silver Medallion. Delta charges $3 per MQD, so this isn't the cheapest route to status — but it could make sense if your last trip of 2025 puts you just a hair away from your desired status tier.
If this route appeals to you, make sure you've finished traveling for the year before opting into this program. Also, you won't be eligible for Elevate Your Status if you've already participated in a Status Match Challenge, Reclaim My Status Challenge or Fast Track Promotion in 2025.
Earn status with Choice Benefits
Delta’s Choice Benefits for Platinum and Diamond members include MQD Accelerators to help you get closer to next year's status. In 2025, Platinum members can select this Choice Benefit to boost their MQDs by 1,000, while Diamond members can earn an extra 2,000 MQDs this way. But these MQDs typically take six to eight weeks to deposit into your account. So, if you plan to use this route to achieve next year's status, now is the time to make your Choice Benefit selection.
Another Choice Benefit option allows you to gift Medallion status to other members. Platinum Medallions can choose to gift Silver Medallion status to two people, and Diamonds can gift Gold status to two people. So be nice to friends or family who might be able to give you a hand up into the club.
Note that Platinum status members can select one Choice Benefit, and Diamond status members can select three benefits. You can select your Choice Benefit as soon as you earn status; however, 2025 benefits must be selected by Jan. 31, 2026.
Delta has a partnership with Wheels Up, a private jet subscription service. Wheels Up Members can receive one Diamond Medallion status for every $100,000 spent in a Wheels Up Fund during a calendar year, while Wheels Up Customers will get one Diamond Medallion status after they make at least $125,000 in flight spend. Neither offers of status include Choice Benefits.
Of course, this is not the cheapest option for earning Delta elite status. However, if you or your business use the service anyway, it may be a good option to bypass the other requirements and go straight to the top.
For more details on Delta's partnership with Wheels Up, click here.
One of the best changes to the SkyMiles program in recent years is that Delta award tickets booked in the Main Cabin or higher now earn MQDs. This was originally introduced as a temporary benefit in 2021 but later became a permanent feature of the program — and it can make earning status much cheaper.
If you have a stash of SkyMiles sitting in your account, consider redeeming your miles to close the gap to your desired status tier. The number of MQDs you'll earn is calculated by dividing the number of miles redeemed by 100. (And remember, holders of select Delta American Express cards automatically save 15% on Delta-operated award tickets.)
There is one major exception to keep in mind: Only Delta-ticketed award flights earn elite status metrics. Your award ticket must be booked with Delta SkyMiles through a direct Delta channel in order to qualify. For example, using Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles to book an award flight operated by Delta won’t earn MQDs, even if you add your SkyMiles number to the itinerary.
However, according to the terms and conditions, "SkyMiles Members can earn MQDs on Delta Award Travel tickets operated by Delta partners." So it seems the operating airline can be Delta or any of its partners, as long as the flight is ticketed through Delta.
Since achieving Delta Medallion status now requires hitting spending thresholds, mileage runs are not the useful tool they once were if you’re flying on Delta metal. But on the bright side, you can still leverage partner fares to earn MQDs quickly. This is because these flights earn MQDs based on a percentage of the flight distance, not the ticket price.
If you go this route, know that earning rates vary depending on which carrier and fare class you fly. For example, an Air France flight in full economy will earn MQDs based on 20% of the miles flown, while a full economy WestJet ticket will earn 15% of the miles flown. Remember, MQDs are not to be confused with SkyMiles.
You can also earn 1 MQD per dollar spent on Delta Vacations, the airline's platform for booking all-in-one vacation packages. However, Delta Car Rentals and Delta Stays bookings no longer earn MQDs.
Even though the year is coming to a close, there’s still time to level up to the next tier of Delta Medallion elite status.
The most important thing is to know where you stand now and how short you’ll be after accounting for the rest of your planned travel for this year. Once you figure out how many extra MQDs you need, you can use these strategies to ensure you earn your desired elite tier for next year — and all the perks that come with it.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
