Hilton Offers Complimentary Delta Status to Some Members [Ends Dec. 31]

Hilton and Delta have launched a new offer that invites select Hilton Honors members to get Silver or Gold Medallion elite status for 6 months. They will then have a fast track to keep that status through January 31, 2026.

Let’s see what is involved, and whether the status match makes sense for you.

Match to Delta Silver or Gold: How It Works

This offer is directed at some members of the Hilton Honors loyalty program. If they respond to an invitation email by December 31, 2024, they will be matched to either Delta Silver Medallion or Gold Medallion status.

According to the Hilton page for the status match, Hilton Honors members who successfully register will receive the elite Medallion Status for 6 months.

Members can keep their Medallion status until January 31, 2026, if they earn a specific number of Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) during the 6-month comped status period:

1. To retain Silver Medallion status: Earn 2,000 MQDs during the 6-month comped status period.
2. To retain Gold Medallion status: Earn 4,000 MQDs during the 6-month comped status period.

Delta’s terms and conditions for the offer specify that you can earn those MQDs during the comped status period by flying Delta and its partner airlines and through other sources, including (but not limited to) Delta SkyMiles American Express cards.

“Members who are eligible for this status offer received marketing communications directly from Hilton indicating eligibility,” the offer page says. No Upgraded Points staff had received the offer at the time of this writing, and attempting to register on the offer page resulted in an error message:

If you’re targeted and take the offer, you should see the new status in your SkyMiles Profile “within approximately 72 hours of successful registration and verification of eligibility,” Hilton stated.  

Should You Match Hilton Status to Delta?

Simply put, there’s no downside to taking this offer if you’re targeted for it. It won’t cost you a dime, and if you have travel on Delta planned, it might help you save on fees, among other perks.

That said, you should consider carefully whether it’s worth it to spend money to keep the comped status beyond 6 months.

We estimate Delta Silver Medallion status to be worth about $1,100 a year, thanks largely to complimentary upgrades, priority boarding, and a free first checked bag. With Gold Medallion status, that value goes up to $1,960 because of unlimited complimentary upgrades, waived baggage fees, and SkyPriority services.

However, none of this helps if you don’t fly Delta often enough, so take that into account when deciding if you want to pursue status beyond the 6-month comped period.

Delta leadership revealed at an investor meeting in November that the airline sells almost 90% of its first-class seats in North America, leaving a little more than 10% available for upgrades. That means fewer than 2 first class seats per flight, on average, are open for upgrades going to Medallion elite passengers. Those will go to higher-status flyers before Gold and Silver members.

For reference, as a Diamond Medallion based in Medallion-heavy New York City, I was upgraded from economy to first class on about 60% of my Delta flights in North America so far in 2024. That was with the highest published Delta status, 2 rungs above Gold.

Therefore, you should realistically expect very few, if any, upgrades to first class at the Gold level, much less Silver. You will, however, have a good shot at upgrades into Comfort+, with about 4 inches of extra legroom — which can make a big difference when compared to regular coach.

Final Thoughts

If you have a Hilton Honors account, you may have been targeted for a status match to Delta Air Lines. That can give you either Silver or Gold Medallion status for 6 months at no cost, with the chance to extend it until January 2026.

Then, you should evaluate your travel plans to see whether it makes sense to spend money to keep that status beyond those 6 free months.