Name: American Express® Gold Card
Brand: American Express

Quick summary

Delta Choice Benefits are exclusive perks for Platinum and Diamond Medallion members, earned annually upon qualification.
Options include upgrade certificates, bonus miles, lounge memberships, travel vouchers, vacation credits, and other unique selections.
Some benefits, like upgrade certificates and lounge memberships, have strict expiration tied to the Medallion year, while others, such as bonus miles, offer more flexibility.
The value of each benefit depends on individual travel needs, with upgrade certificates, bonus miles, and private aviation credits often providing the highest value.

What to consider

Choice Benefits must be selected via the airline's app and by the deadline associated with your Medallion year, or they are forfeited.
Certain benefits, including upgrade certificates and lounge memberships, expire at the end of the Medallion year, regardless of when selected.
Some options, like statement credits or private aviation credits, have eligibility restrictions or can only be chosen once per year.

What you'll miss from the article

A detailed breakdown of each Choice Benefit option, including expiration rules and guidance on which selections may offer the most value for different traveler profiles.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

Many travelers believe the Delta SkyMiles program has decreased in value over the years. However, Delta Medallion status can be extremely valuable if you travel with Delta Air Lines regularly. One particularly valuable perk is the Choice Benefits program available to Platinum and Diamond Medallion members.

Whether you’re a newly minted Delta Medallion member or a longtime Delta loyalist, here’s what you need to know about Delta Choice Benefits, including how to earn them, when to select them and which benefits are best.

How to earn Delta Choice Benefits

You earn Delta Choice Benefits each calendar year you qualify for Platinum or Diamond Medallion status. Specifically, you earn one Choice Benefit when you qualify for Platinum Medallion status and three Choice Benefits when you qualify for Diamond Medallion status.

Delta aircraft — SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Delta now only uses one metric — Medallion Qualification Dollars — for elite qualification. Here are the current calendar year requirements for the two tiers of Delta Medallion status that offer Choice Benefits as a perk:

Platinum Medallion status: 15,000 MQDs
Diamond Medallion status: 28,000 MQDs

You can earn MQDs on flights and other transactions with Delta and its partners, including vacation packages and spending on cobranded Delta credit cards. Plus, those with the following premium cobranded Delta credit cards get a boost of 2,500 MQDs toward status qualification every year:

You earn one 2,500 MQD boost for each card type. Having one or more of these premium Delta cards in your wallet can be extremely helpful if you want to earn Delta Medallion status.

When to select Delta Choice Benefits

You can select Delta Choice Benefits after earning Platinum or Diamond Medallion status based on activity within a calendar year. You must select your Choice Benefits by the day your status would expire if you didn't requalify.

Woman using a laptop — MINISERIES/GETTY IMAGES

So, if you qualified for Medallion status for 2025 based on activity in 2024, you’d need to select your Choice Benefits by Jan. 31, 2026. Likewise, if you qualified for Medallion status for 2026 based on activity in 2025, you’d need to select your Choice Benefits by Jan. 31, 2027.

Interestingly, you can only select Delta Choice Benefits via the Delta app. If you don't have a smartphone, you'll need to purchase one or borrow one from a friend or family member.

Some Choice Benefits expire on a set date regardless of when you select the benefit. So, you’ll get the most value from some Choice Benefits by selecting the benefit as soon as you’re eligible.

Options you can select as Delta Choice Benefits

Here’s a look at your Delta Choice Benefits options if you earned Platinum or Diamond Medallion status for the 2025 or 2026 Medallion year:

	Platinum Choice Benefits (choose one)	Diamond Choice Benefits (choose three)
Upgrade certificates	Four regional	Four global, eight regional, or two global and four regional (may only select this Diamond Choice Benefit once per Medallion year)
Bonus miles	30,000 (35,000 for the 2026 Medallion year)	35,000 (40,000 for the 2026 Medallion year)
Delta Sky Club membership	None	One executive membership (requires three choices) or one individual membership (requires two choices)
MQDs toward the next Medallion year	1,000 (toward the 2026 Medallion year) if you earned Platinum Medallion status for the 2025 Medallion year 1,000 (toward the 2027 Medallion year) if you earned Platinum Medallion status for the 2026 Medallion year	2,000 (toward the 2026 Medallion year) if you earned Diamond Medallion status for the 2025 Medallion year 2,000 (toward the 2027 Medallion year) if you earned Diamond Medallion status for the 2026 Medallion year
Gift Delta Medallion status	Two Silver Medallion (four Silver Medallion for the 2026 Medallion year)	Two Gold Medallion (four Gold Medallion for the 2026 Medallion year)
Delta Vacations Experience credit (can only select once per Medallion year)	$400	$500
Delta American Express statement credit (only available on select cards; can only select once per Medallion tier, per Medallion year)	$400 ($250 for the 2026 Medallion year)

The Medallion Choice Benefits changes for the 2026 Medallion year will occur Feb. 1. However, if you select bonus miles, the ability to gift Medallion status or a Delta travel voucher prior to Feb. 1, Delta will provide you with the additional benefits in mid-February.

Delta hasn't yet announced any changes to Choice Benefits if you qualify for 2027 Medallion year status based on activity in 2026. So, let’s examine each option for those who earned Platinum or Diamond Medallion status for the 2025 or 2026 Medallion year and the value they might provide.

Upgrade certificates

After earning Platinum Medallion status, you could use your one Choice Benefits selection for four regional upgrade certificates. And if you earned Diamond Medallion status, you could use a choice to get one of the following:

Four global upgrade certificates
Eight regional upgrade certificates
Two global and four regional upgrade certificates

Delta One seating — SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

These upgrade certificates give higher priority than Medallion complimentary upgrade requests and can get you a one-class, space-available upgrade on most fares except Delta basic economy.

However, regardless of when you select your Choice Benefits, you must book and fly using these certificates by the end of the Medallion year associated with that Choice Benefits selection. So, if you earned Platinum or Diamond Medallion status for the 2025 Medallion year, you’d need to fly using these certificates by Jan. 31, 2026.

Bonus miles

With your Choice Benefits, you can select bonus miles for yourself, another SkyMiles member or a SkyWish charity. You could choose:

30,000 bonus miles (worth $375 based on TPG’s January 2026 valuations) at the Platinum Medallion tier for the 2025 Medallion year
35,000 bonus miles (worth $437) at the Platinum Medallion tier for the 2026 Medallion year and per choice at the Diamond Medallion tier for the 2025 Medallion year
40,000 bonus miles (worth $500) per choice at the Diamond Medallion tier for the 2026 Medallion year

Delta Sky Club benefits

At the Diamond Medallion tier, you could trade all three Choice Benefits selections for an executive Delta Sky Club membership or two Choice Benefits selections for an individual Delta Sky Club membership.

The executive membership — which typically costs $1,495 or 149,500 miles — gives you and up to two guests (or your spouse or domestic partner and children under 21) unlimited complimentary Delta Sky Club access. Meanwhile, the individual membership — which typically costs $695 or 69,500 miles — gives you unlimited complimentary Delta Sky Club access for yourself.

However, these Delta Sky Club memberships are only valid through the end of the Medallion year associated with that Choice Benefits selection. So, if you earned Diamond Medallion status for the 2025 Medallion year and used all three choices for an executive membership, your membership would be valid through Jan. 31, 2026.

MQDs toward the next Medallion year

You can use Choice Benefits selections for MQDs toward the next Medallion year. So, 2025 Medallion Choice Benefits selections will apply toward qualification for the 2026 Medallion year, and 2026 Medallion Choice Benefits selections will apply toward qualification for the 2027 Medallion year.

You could choose 1,000 MQDs toward the next Medallion year at the Platinum Medallion tier and 2,000 MQDs per choice toward the next Medallion year at the Diamond Medallion tier.

Gift Delta Medallion status

You can use your Choice Benefits to gift Delta Medallion status to someone else. Each choice is worth two gifts for the 2025 Medallion year and four gifts for the 2026 Medallion year; Platinum Medallion members are able to gift Silver Medallion status, and Diamond Medallion members are able to gift Gold Medallion status.

Mature businesswoman using phone while traveling by a taxi — LUIS ALVAREZ/GETTY IMAGES

The gifted status is valid through the end of the Medallion year associated with the Choice Benefits selection. So, for Choice Benefits tied to the 2025 Medallion year, the gifted status would last through Jan. 31, 2026.

Delta Vacations Experience credit

You could use your one Choice Benefits selection after you earn Platinum Medallion status for a $400 credit toward a Delta Vacations package. Or, you could wait until you earn Diamond Medallion status for a $500 credit. However, you can only select a Delta Vacations Experience credit as a Choice Benefit once per Medallion year.

The credit is valid for one year after being issued for a flight-and-hotel package, and you are the only one who can use it. A two-night minimum stay is required for Choice Benefits selections tied to the 2025 Medallion year, while a four-night minimum stay is required for selections tied to the 2026 Medallion year.

Delta American Express statement credit

If you are the primary cardmember of the Delta Platinum Amex, the Delta Platinum Business Amex, the Delta Reserve Amex or the Delta Reserve Business Amex, you can choose a statement credit on your card as a Choice Benefit at each Medallion status tier.

Woman paying with a credit card — FILADENDRON/GETTY IMAGES

You can choose a:

$400 statement credit at the Platinum Medallion tier for the 2025 Medallion year
$250 statement credit at the Platinum Medallion tier for the 2026 Medallion year (unless you choose before Feb. 1, in which case you'll get a $400 statement credit)
$700 statement credit at the Diamond Medallion tier for the 2025 Medallion year
$500 statement credit at the Diamond Medallion tier for the 2026 Medallion year (unless you choose before Feb. 1, in which case you'll get a $700 statement credit)

However, you can’t use multiple Choice Benefits to get multiple statement credits at the Diamond Medallion tier.

Delta travel voucher

With your Choice Benefits, you can select a Delta travel voucher. A Platinum Medallion choice for the 2025 Medallion year is worth $300. A Platinum Medallion choice for the 2026 Medallion year is worth $350. Each Diamond Medallion choice for the 2025 Medallion year is worth $350, and each Diamond Medallion choice for the 2026 Medallion year is worth $550.

You’re the only one who can use the voucher, but it can be applied toward the Delta flight portion of a Delta Vacations package. Vouchers are valid for 12 months from the date of issuance, which typically occurs within 48 hours of selecting the voucher.

Wheels Up flight credit

You could choose a $1,500 Wheels Up private aviation flight credit at the Platinum Medallion tier or a $2,000 flight credit at the Diamond Medallion tier.

WheelsUp plane — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

You can only apply Wheels Up flight credits to new Wheels Up bookings on "fleet" aircraft (excluding shared flights and hot flights). Flight credits expire 12 months after issuance, and you can only select a Wheels Up flight credit once per Medallion year.

Sustainable aviation fuel contribution

You can use your Choice Benefits to support Delta’s use of sustainable aviation fuel. Delta will apply $250 for each choice toward the incremental cost of sustainable aviation fuel instead of traditional jet fuel.

Starbucks Rewards Stars

Finally, SkyMiles members enrolled in Starbucks Rewards may choose 6,000 Starbucks Rewards Stars as a Choice Benefit once per tier. However, Stars will expire six months after the calendar month they were deposited.

Which Delta Choice Benefit is best?

The best Delta Choice Benefits depend on your specific situation. However, the best Delta Choice Benefits are usually upgrade certificates, bonus miles, American Express statement credits and the Wheels Up private aviation flight credit.

Delta One bed — BEN MUTZABAUGH/THE POINTS GUY

Of course, you can’t get the statement credit if you don’t have an eligible Delta Amex card, and this option is decreasing in value Feb. 1. You won’t find the Wheels Up flight credit valuable if you don’t need to fly privately at least once per year, and some travelers don't want to deal with trying to maximize upgrade certificates. Therefore, bonus miles may be the most valuable option if none of the other three higher-value Choice Benefits are appealing.

If you are reading this guide in January 2026 and still have 2025 Medallion year Choice Benefits that you must select by Jan. 31, you’ll likely want to avoid benefits that expire on that date. Specifically, as Jan. 31 nears, the best Delta Choice Benefits for the 2025 Medallion year will become bonus miles or the Delta Vacations Experience credit.

Bottom line

There are numerous options available with Delta Choice Benefits. These benefits can provide significant value, so making an informed choice is important — especially since some perks may expire quickly if you choose them near the end of your Medallion year.

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