Delta Medallions, don’t panic: The 2021 rollover has already started
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Delta’s SkyMiles program has one big benefit that its major U.S. competitors don’t offer: the ability to roll extra earned Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) over into the next qualifying year.
Seemingly every year, Medallion members wake up on Jan. 1 and wonder where all their extra miles went, as evidenced by a reader question from two years ago.
Want more airline news and advice from TPG? Sign up for our daily newsletter!
Referring to the 2020 rollover campaign Kathryn Steel, a spokeswoman for Delta stated, “The MQM rollover.. should take 1 – 2 weeks.”
This year, the rollover has started earlier than expected. TPG’s Scott Mayerowitz woke up today to find that his MQMs had already rolled over as of January 3.
Related: Why I’m chasing Delta elite status during the pandemic
How the Delta MQM rollover works
If you’re new to Delta Medallion status, here’s a quick overview of how the rollover works: You already know that you needed to fly a certain number of miles (MQM) or segments (MQS), and spend a certain amount of money (MQD) to reach each status tier. For Silver Medallion, the lowest status tier, the thresholds are 25,000 MQMs or 30 MQSs and $3,000 MQDs.
In a normal year, any extra MQMs earned beyond a specific status level would roll over to the next year. Once you crossed the threshold for Silver (or higher) in 2019 (thus earning status for 2020), you may have continued earning MQMs in 2019, but not quite enough to reach the next status tier. The extra MQMs you earned were automatically deposited into your account toward your 2021 status.
For example, if you earned 32,000 MQMs in 2020 and reached Silver Medallion, the “extra” 7,000 above your status threshold get rolled over into the new year and help you get a head start for elite-status qualification. However, due to the pandemic Delta will be rolling over all MQMs earned last year, not just the extras earned beyond a specific status level. So if you earned 101,000 MQMs last year as Scott did, you should see the same number of MQMs posting to your account in the coming days.
Additional reporting by Ariana Arghandewal
Featured photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 80,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,600
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 3X points on dining and 2x points on travel, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.