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Audit your mileage run: How Delta's miscalculation almost cost me Diamond Medallion status

Nov. 09, 2022
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3 min read
Delta Airbus A350 LAX
Audit your mileage run: How Delta's miscalculation almost cost me Diamond Medallion status
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Last week I flew from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Copenhagen Airport (CPH) on Delta Air Lines.

The trip wasn't a mileage run per se — I was meeting my cousin and a friend for a short trip — but I needed the Medallion Qualification Dollars to keep my Diamond Medallion status. After flying this trip and factoring in my other year-end travel, I will be at just more than 15,200 MQDs for the year.

However, a miscalculation in Delta's system shorted me 273 MQDs. If the mistake had gone unnoticed, it would have cost me my status for 2023.

See, when I landed back in New York, Delta credited my account 593 MQDs even though my ticket cost about $954. I wasn't expecting to earn MQDs on all of that spending — MQDs are only earned on the ticket's base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges, commonly dubbed "YR" — but I knew something was off.

Delta ticket price breakdown
DELTA.COM

I checked an elite status tracking spreadsheet I maintain and quickly confirmed I should have received 866 MQDs for my JFK-CPH-JFK itinerary. According to my receipt, the ticket had a base fare of $266 and $600 in carrier-imposed surcharges. This brings me to my missing 273 MQDs. In turn, I was also shorted just more than 3,000 redeemable SkyMiles too, as my redeemable mileage earnings were calculated on the incorrect $593 base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharge.

Thankfully, this story has a happy ending. I called the Diamond Medallion line and explained the situation to the representative. He called the SkyMiles department, they noticed their error and the representative told me they'd recalculate earnings with the correct fare and surcharges.

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Roughly an hour later, my account was credited with the correct 866 MQDs and 9,526 redeemable miles, worth about $134 per TPG's valuations.

Delta ticket earning
DELTA.COM

If I hadn't noticed this error, I could have lost my Diamond benefits over a simple mistake in Delta's system. Or, I would have had to panic-book a flight after finishing my holiday flights home and realizing I hadn't qualified for my status. Needless to say, that would not have been a cheap (or fun) endeavor right after the holidays.

Related: Quick Points: How and why you should regularly audit your loyalty accounts

Take my experience as a reminder to always check your loyalty account after you fly. Then, recalculate your earnings and ensure you received the proper number of redeemable miles and elite metrics. If you don't, you could leave miles and elite status on the table.

I also encourage you to build a spreadsheet that logs your flights throughout the year. I add all of my flights to this spreadsheet as I book them, alongside their Medallion Qualification Miles, MQDs and redeemable SkyMiles earnings. Then, I have a running number that adds all of them up and adds them to my current MQD balance. This helps me plan and audit my account quickly as I travel throughout the year, and it keeps me in the loop on how close I am to the next elite status tier.

Featured image by ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Why We Chose It

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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