That amount would jump to $120,000 if someone were using the Delta Platinum card to earn MQDs.ĭelta envisions customers earning MQDs through all available methods, not just focusing on dollars spent on flights or dollars spent via credit cards. “Even your base level Silver Medallion status will cost at least $60,000 if you were to just spend on a Delta co-branded credit card,” said Ellis, referring to the reserve card. One MQD will be earned for every $20 spent on the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card.īut Ellis also calls that a steep hill to climb for customers focused on earning MQDs via credit card spending. One MQD will be earned for every $10 spent on the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card. They can also book vacations through the Delta Vacations travel website.Ĭustomers can also earn MQDs by using Delta co-branded credit cards from American Express. They can book rental cars and hotel rooms through Delta which would earn MQDs. So for the average person, or even for people who do travel quite a bit, that’s still a steep, steep hill to climb, to achieve that.”ĭelta said customers can also earn MQDs in other ways. “I mean, there aren’t all that many people who are flying around for business getting their tickets paid for by their company. It’s steep for a lot of people,” said Ellis. With MQDs earned at one per dollar spent on Delta flights, a customer would have to spend $6,000 in a year just to earn the lowest status level. Silver status will be earned at $6,000 MQD’s, gold at $12,000, platinum at $18,000 and diamond at $35,000. MQDs will be the only metric used to qualify and Delta is significantly raising the threshold for each Medallion level. Those perks include free checked bags and free upgrades among other things.ĭelta has four Medallion status levels: silver, gold, platinum and medallion.Įarning status has traditionally been done through a mix of flying, spending money on Delta flights and using Delta co-branded credit cards from American Express.īut Delta said it’s now simplifying how customers earn status through Medallion Qualification Dollars, or MQDs. Earning status with any airline results in various perks. The biggest adjustment is how customers will achieve the different levels of Delta’s 'Medallion' status. “We’ll have to see how it kind of shakes out starting when the new program is implemented next year.” “I think with so many things when change happens, people have a really intense reaction immediately,” said Nick Ellis, an editor and content contributor at Upgraded Points. The first deals with how customers can earn status with the airline, while the second deals with how customers can access the airline’s Sky Club lounges inside airports.

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