Why I made a (small) status run to close out the year
by Andrew Kunesh, Senior Reporter, Cards & Loyalty
Good morning, TPG readers.
Sigh. I just did what I said I’d never do: make a status run to meet the requirements to hold on to Delta Air Lines Platinum Medallion status for another year. Yes, it meant waking up at 4 in the morning to hop on a short sunrise flight to New York City from Boston. Yes, it meant making not the best awards redemption (14,000 SkyMiles one-way for a flight that was barely longer than a half-hour). And yes … all for Platinum. Not even Diamond!
We’re firm believers in doing what’s best for you, and in the case of Delta, Platinum has treated me well. I tend to get upgraded more often than not (knock on wood). I get partner lounge access when traveling abroad on SkyTeam carriers (and have it at the Delta Sky Club with my The Platinum Card® from American Express), and I generally find Delta offers a more pleasant experience in the sky than its competitors.
Beyond flying, you can earn status with various Delta cobranded credit cards. Although there’s not enough time left this year to close the gap by applying for a new card, the right one can jumpstart your status prospects in 2024.
That said, all I had to do was close a gap of 40 Medallion Qualification Dollars, and this gave me an excuse to give my friends their Christmas presents in person over lunch in New York. When my husband joked he could take two days and fly to Rome over the holidays to close a significantly higher gap for Diamond, I told him the “doing what’s best for you” rule only applied to me. Sorry!
Check out more of our coverage on qualifying for last-minute elite status:
That’s all from me for today. I’ll catch y’all tomorrow!
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