Delta is making a number of changes to its Skymiles loyalty programme, including increased tier thresholds and new benefits.

Next year Delta will increase Medallion qualification requirements for Gold, Platinum and Diamond members for the first time since 2015.

To achieve Gold Medallion status in 2024, members will need to earn 8,000 Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) in 2023, up from the current 6,000.

Members looking to achieve Platinum status will need to earn 12,000 MQDs, up from the current 9,000, and those aiming to achieve Diamond status will need to earn 20,000 MQDs, up from the current 15,000.

There is no change to the number of MQDs required to reach Silver status, which remains at 3,000, and there are also no changes to Medallion Qualification Mile (MQM) or Medallion Qualification Segment (MQS) requirements.

To soften the blow Delta is adding several new benefits for Platinum and Diamond members from February 2023, including:

  • Expanding the ability to gift status to a friend or loved one: Diamond members will receive two Gold Medallion Gift Statuses, while Platinum members will receive two Silver Medallion Gift Statuses
  • A Delta Vacations Experience (flight and hotel): $500 for Diamond members and $400 for Platinum members
  • An MQD “head start” for the next Medallion year: $1,000 MQD boost for Diamond members and $500 MQD for Platinum members
  • Increasing the Delta Travel Credit Voucher to $250
  • A $250 sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) contribution to help in our collective goal toward decarbonizing aviation

In addition Diamond and Platinum Medallion Members with the Delta Skymiles Reserve American Express Card, Delta Skymiles Platinum American Express Card, Delta Skymiles Reserve Business American Express Card or Delta Skymiles Platinum Business American Express Card can choose a statement credit for their Card: $500 for Diamond members and $200 for Platinum members.

The carrier has also begun accepting miles toward baggage fees at most domestic airports, and from early 2023 Medallion members with Global and Regional Upgrade Certificates will be able to request upgrades during check-out at delta.com.

Commenting on the news Dwight James, SVP of customer engagement and loyalty and CEO of Delta Vacations, said that “these limited Skymiles Program changes are a necessary step toward both preserving and improving the customer experience for our most loyal and engaged Members”.

“The travel and loyalty landscape has changed considerably since we last made changes to the earn qualifications of multiple membership tiers,” continued James.

“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.”

The changes follow several years of the carrier offering Skymiles members automatically extended status benefits, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and global travel restrictions.

Earlier this year Delta made status-earning on award travel a permanent feature, and removed the cap limiting Skymiles members to earn a maximum number of miles when booking a ticket.

Delta Skymiles makes status-earning on award travel a permanent feature

delta.com