Delta’s loyalty changes are even worse than originally announced
There are no two ways about it: Delta Air Lines' upcoming changes to its SkyMiles loyalty program are pretty brutal for most flyers — but they're actually even worse than originally expected.
Delta will significantly reduce partner airline earning rates.
The new SkyMiles: Only MQDs
Beginning next year, the airline will exclusively award status based on how much you transact with the airline through Medallion Qualification Dollars (or MQDs).
While you primarily earn 1 MQD for each dollar you spend on Delta airfare (before taxes and fees), the airline is expanding the list of transactions that'll award MQDs; this will include cobranded credit card spending, hotel and rental car bookings made through Delta and Delta Vacations packages.
Despite the longer list of MQD-earning activities, the airline is raising the thresholds required for status to levels previously unheard of in the U.S. airline industry. (Think $35,000 a year in Delta spending to earn top-tier Diamond status.)
Delta changes partner earning rates for SkyMiles
Historically, one of the best ways to quickly rack up MQDs has been through booking tickets with Delta partners. When you credit a ticket issued and operated by an eligible partner to your SkyMiles account, you earn MQDs based on what fare class you purchased and how far you flew.
Savvy flyers know to look for inexpensive partner fares in high fare classes and on long routes to boost their MQD balances.
While this might've been the case in the past, the airline is reducing the number of MQDs you'll receive from many partner-issued tickets beginning Jan. 1, 2024, as confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.
As part of the program updates, Delta published updated mileage earning charts for flights operated by its airline partners.
While much of the focus has been on the SkyMiles changes that Delta announced in its press release, these updates, which have mostly flown under the radar, might sting even more for some frequent flyers.
In order to crunch the data, I looked at the MQD earning rates for all seven of Delta's "core" partners and its 14 "non-core" partners. The results aren't pretty.
Across the "core" partners, 106 of the 204 eligible fare classes will earn fewer MQDs as of next year. That equates to just more than half of these fares, which will undoubtedly make it even harder to hit Medallion status next year and beyond.
In case you're wondering if Delta's balancing these reductions with some increases, it's not: Just 21 of the 204 eligible fare classes will see increased MQD earnings as of 2024.
The changes aren't as drastic with Delta's non-core partners, but the results are still pretty lopsided. Of the 256 eligible fare classes, 36 of them will earn fewer MQDs in 2024 and beyond. (Just four fare classes will earn more MQDs after Jan. 1.)
Diving into the changes themselves paints a bleak picture for anyone wanting to find sweet spots in the SkyMiles program through partner bookings.
In the past, one of my favorite ways to quickly boost my Medallion status has been through discounted Aeromexico bookings.
For instance, a TPG editor once bought a $1,900 Aeromexico business-class fare that covered 13,155 "butt-in-seat" miles. He credited his flights to his SkyMiles account and earned a whopping 5,262 MQDs based on a 40% MQD earning rate for discounted Aeromexico biz fares.
Starting Jan. 1, that same ticket would only earn 3,947 MQDs. That's still more than the roughly 1,900 MQDs you'd earn if you booked the ticket directly with Delta, but it still represents a big hit to those who used to search far and wide for so-called MQD runs.
Frequent flyers have historically used these MQD runs to boost their MQD balances toward the end of the qualification year.
Fortunately, no fare class has decreased by more than 10%, but that's just a small silver lining to the larger devaluation. You'll find the full table breaking down Delta's changes at the bottom of this post.
Note that the airline says the earning rates for redeemable miles and Medallion bonus miles for partner bookings are unchanged.
Bottom line
Delta's SkyMiles changes are actually much worse than originally expected, especially for savvy frequent flyers who used to seek out relatively inexpensive partner tickets to boost their MQD balances.
As of Jan. 1, Delta is reducing the number of MQDs you'll earn on more than 30% of its eligible partner fare classes, with a disproportionate amount of the cuts hitting Delta's "core" partners.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian recently admitted that the airline may have overdone the changes, saying that the airline is considering walking back some of the updates.
We're still a few weeks away from learning more about what revisions, if any, Delta will make, but going back to the original MQD-earning rates could be a great start.
Breakdown of Delta's MQD changes
| Partner airline | Number of total eligible fare classes | Number of decreased MQD earning rates | Number of increased MQD earning rates | Number of unchanged MQD earning rates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Aeromexico | 18 | 16 | 0 | 2 |
Air France (long-haul) | 26 | 12 | 3 | 11 |
Air France (domestic/intra-Europe) | 24 | 12 | 5 | 7 |
China Eastern Airlines | 24 | 10 | 2 | 12 |
KLM (long-haul) | 24 | 12 | 3 | 9 |
KLM (domestic/intra-Europe) | 24 | 12 | 5 | 7 |
Korean Air | 21 | 10 | 1 | 10 |
LATAM | 21 | 9 | 0 | 12 |
Virgin Atlantic | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 |
Aerolineas Argentinas | 21 | 1 | 3 | 17 |
Air Europa | 18 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
China Airlines | 18 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
China Southern Airlines | 23 | 2 | 0 | 21 |
Czech Airlines | 15 | 5 | 0 | 10 |
Garuda Indonesia | 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
Hawaiian Airlines | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Kenya Airways | 18 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
Middle East Airlines | 17 | 3 | 0 | 14 |
Saudia | 20 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
TAROM | 21 | 2 | 0 | 19 |
Vietnam Airlines | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
WestJet | 17 | 2 | 0 | 15 |
Xiamen Airlines | 15 | 4 | 0 | 11 |
TOTAL | 460 | 142 | 25 | 293 |
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| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- 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.
- Terms Apply.