SkyMiles Elite Status
Delta SkyMiles offers members 4 membership tiers:
- Silver Medallion
- Gold Medallion
- Platinum Medallion
- Diamond Medallion
Elite status requirements:
- Silver Medallion – 25,000 Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) or 30 Medallion Qualifying Segments (MQSs) and $3,000 in Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs)
- Gold Medallion – 50,000 MQMs or 60 MQSs and $6,000 MQDs
- Platinum Medallion – 75,000 MQMs or 100 MQSs and $9,000 MQDs
- Diamond Medallion – 125,000 MQMs or 140 segments and $15,000 MQDs
MQD requirements are waived if spending $25,000 per year on a Delta-branded American Express card.
You can also earn MQMs with credit card spending.
SkyMiles Elite Benefits
Image Credit: Delta
SkyMiles Silver Medallion:
- Complimentary upgrades on paid flights (not award flights), up to 24 hours before departure if available
- 1 free checked bag up to 70 pounds for Silver member and up to 8 traveling companions on the same reservation
- Priority check-in and boarding
- Virgin Atlantic flights: priority check-in, priority boardings, and 1 additional checked bag (in addition to standard Virgin Atlantic allowance)
SkyMiles Gold Medallion:
- All Silver benefits, plus:
- Complimentary upgrades available up to 72 hours before departure
- Complimentary upgrades on award tickets
- 2 free checked bags up to 70 pounds each
- Free same-day changes and same-day standby
- Award booking fee waived
- SkyPriority check-in, security, and boarding on Delta and partners
- SkyTeam ElitePlus status includes partner lounge access on international itineraries, even in economy
- Hertz 5-Star status (register here)
- Virgin Atlantic flights: premium economy check-in, Fast Track security, premium economy baggage handling
SkyMiles Platinum Medallion:
- All Gold benefits, plus:
- Complimentary upgrades available up to 5 days before departure
- 3 free checked bags up to 70 pounds each
- 1 annual Choice Benefit. Choose between:
- 4 Regional Upgrade Certificates (RUC)*
- 20,000 bonus SkyMiles
- Ability to gift Silver status
- $200 gift card
- Hertz President’s Circle Status (register here)
- Virgin Atlantic flights: Upper Class check-in, Upper Class security, Upper Class priority baggage handling, and lounges: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse or No.1 Lounges Heathrow Terminal 3, and the Virgin Atlantic Revivals Lounge (arrivals)
*Regional Upgrade Certificates can be used to jump to the top of the upgrade list on competitive flights such as New York to Los Angeles or San Francisco. They can be used for U.S. domestic flights and selected short-distance international flights.
SkyMiles Diamond Medallion:
- All Platinum benefits, plus:
- Free membership to CLEAR so you can breeze through security
- 3 additional Choice Benefits from a better slate of options than Platinum:
- 4 Global Upgrade Certificates (GUC)*
- 25,000 bonus miles
- Delta Sky Club membership (individual and executive)
- Ability to gift Gold status, and more
*Global Upgrade Certificates can be used on any paid (non-award) Delta flight except Basic Economy, and limited partner flights.
Value of Delta SkyMiles Status
Delta SkyMiles status is competitive with American Airlines and United.
Silver Medallion has minimal benefits. Much of what is offered is similar to benefits extended to Delta credit cardholders.
Gold Medallion stands out for same-day change and same-day standby fee waivers, which are not a benefit of American and United at their comparative status levels. Gold Medallion members get SkyTeam ElitePlus status, and will receive a high level of treatment when flying partner airlines.
Regional Upgrade Certificates are a popular Choice Benefit for Platinum Medallions that frequently fly domestic DeltaOne routes such as New York to Los Angeles or San Francisco. Without certificates, complimentary upgrades are not available on these routes branded as DeltaOne.
Diamond Medallion members receive a high level of service. When there are delays or cancellations, Diamonds are among the fastest to be re-accommodated on the best alternate flights. The Diamond Medallion hotline is staffed by experts who are quick to help.
Global Upgrade Certificates are a highlight of Choice Benefits for Diamond members. These can be used to upgrade to business on paid economy tickets, even on the longest international routes. Availability to use the certificates is generally good, especially when compared to United and American’s certificates (which are very difficult to use on international flights).
With continuing cuts to American Airlines Executive Platinum, many road warriors now rank Delta’s Diamond Medallion as the top airline elite status in the U.S.