Delta Is Making It Harder to Earn Status for 2024 — What to Know

 The airline hasn't changed its Skymiles program since 2015.

Delta Air Lines is changing up its status policies, including increasing its minimums in order to earn status and adding benefits for its higher-tiered customers.

Starting Jan. 1, 2023, the airline will increase the Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) thresholds to earn Diamond, Platinum, or Gold Medallion status, the airline announced Thursday. This change — the company’s first qualification change affecting multiple tiers since 2015 — will apply to travelers working to earn medallion status for 2024. 

Next year, travelers who want to reach Gold status will have to spend $8,000 MQDs, an increase from the current $6,000; travelers who want to reach Platinum status will have to spend $12,000 MQDs, an increase from the current $9,000; and travelers who want to reach Diamond status will have to spend $20,000 MQDs, an increase from the current $15,000.

The qualifications to earn Silver status will remain the same. There will also be no changes to the number of Medallion Qualification Miles (MQM) or Medallion Qualification Segments (MQS) for all status tiers.

Delta is also introducing new benefits for Diamond and Platinum members along with the new qualifying thresholds, including a Delta Vacations experience credit of $500 for Diamond members and $400 for Platinum members as well as an MQD “head start” for the next year of $1,000 for Diamond members and $500 for Platinum members. 

These loyalty members will also receive statement credits on their qualifying Delta SkyMiles credit cards and the expanded ability to gift status to a friend or loved one among other benefits. The new premium choice benefits will be available starting Feb. 1, 2023.

“The travel and loyalty landscape has changed considerably since we last made changes to the earn qualifications of multiple membership tiers,” Dwight James, the S.V.P. of customer engagement and loyalty and the CEO of Delta Vacations, said in a statement. “We are continuing to invest in the customers who invest in us so those Members experience the best of what Delta has to offer — with our new Choice Benefits, our premium and transformed Delta Sky Clubs, and our expansion of the use of SkyMiles as currency throughout the journey.”

In addition, Delta said it has expanded the ability to use miles toward baggage fees at most domestic airports.