Why Delta status challenges may have gotten a whole lot easier

Delta Air Lines has long offered a publicly-available status challenge. To enroll, all you have to do is upload proof of status with a qualifying airline and enjoy a three-month trial of Medallion elite status. You then must complete a set amount of flying and spending during that three-month period to extend the status.

Historically, only paid flights counted toward the challenge requirements. However, now that Delta is permanently awarding Medallion credit on award tickets, that may no longer be the case.

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Delta has updated the terms and conditions of its Medallion Status Match Challenge, removing one major restriction: "Travel on award tickets does not qualify for this offer." This should mean that flights booked with miles will help you meet the challenge requirements. TPG has reached out to Delta for comment.

Like revenue tickets, you earn Medallion Qualification Segments on award tickets based on segments flown and Medallion Qualification Miles based on the distance of your flight. The main difference is how you earn Medallion Qualification Dollars. MQDs are earned at $1 per 100 SkyMiles redeemed on award tickets. This means a ticket that costs 10,000 SkyMiles earns $100 MQDs.

Related: Current airline elite status match and challenge options you should know about

It's important to note that only Delta-issued and -operated award tickets are eligible to earn elite-qualifying credit. You won't earn credit on awards booked through or flown by partner airlines like Virgin Atlantic or Air France.

As a refresher, here are the current requirements for Delta's publicly-available status challenge:

• Silver Medallion: 6,250 MQMs or 8 MQSs AND $750 MQDs or MQD Waiver.
• Gold Medallion: 12,500 MQMs or 15 MQSs AND $1,500 MQDs or MQD Waiver.
• Platinum Medallion: 18,750 MQMs or 25 MQSs AND $2,250 MQDs or MQD Waiver.

Delta is offering an exclusive, limited-time Medallion status upgrade opportunity for targeted American Express cardholders. The offer lets you match your existing airline status with another airline to one tier higher on Delta and earn a set number of MQS or MQM to keep your status through the end of the year. There is no MQD requirement for this match. However, we're not yet sure if award tickets count toward this elite status challenge.

Bottom line

Although this change might seem insignificant, it would be very welcome. If award tickets are eligible for extending status challenges, it will be easier and potentially less costly to extend your elite status. We will update this post when we hear back from Delta.

Remember that in order to attempt a Delta status match challenge, you need to have an equivalent elite status at a qualifying, competing airline. You also cannot have received a status challenge or complimentary Medallion elite status in the past three years to be eligible.

As of now, no other U.S. airlines award elite-qualifying credit on award travel.