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Bad news, Delta fans: It’s going to be a lot harder soon Access to Delta Sky Club And earn an elite status medal. The Atlanta-based airline just announced big changes to lounge access and a complete revamp of how frequent flyers earn status.
On the Sky Club side, the franchisees American Express cards Lounge access will be reduced from unlimited visits to a minimum of six visits per year, depending on the card they have. These changes take effect in 2025.
Meanwhile, the airline will completely change how it awards Medallion Elite status next year. Starting next year, there will be only one metric – the Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) – and the requirements are a lot Higher than it is today. To make matters worse,… MQD waiver offered by popular Delta credit cards It will go away.
Let’s take a closer look at these changes and how they will affect you.
Andrew Konish/CNN confirmed
Delta will limit the number of times select Amex cardholders can access Sky Clubs starting in 2025.
Those who have The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Platinum Business Card® from American Express, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card And Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card In big changes.
These cards currently provide unlimited access to Delta Sky Club Airport lounges Within three hours of departure when flying on Delta Airlines. But as of February 1, 2025, this will no longer be the case.
Delta will restrict access to these cardholders on this date. Delta Reserve ($550 annual fee, see Prices and fees) And Delta Business Reserve ($550 annual fee, see Prices and fees) Cardholders will be limited to 10 Sky Club visits per program year. Unlimited lounge access can be availed by spending USD 75,000 on the card within one calendar year. This will open up visits for the remainder of the current year and the entirety of the following year.
These cuts will arrive AMEX Platinum ($695 annual fee, see Prices and fees) And AMEX Business Platinum ($695 annual fee, see Prices and fees) Cardholders are more difficult. Delta Sky Club lounge access is limited to six visits per year, with the option to unlock unlimited visits by spending $75,000 on the pass within one calendar year. Meeting this spending limit will also unlock guest access to American Express Centurion Lounges.
Spending tracking for unlimited lounge access begins on February 1, 2024 for the 2025 case year. Dwight James — senior vice president of customer engagement and loyalty at Delta — confirmed to CNN Underscored that authorized users of these cards will have their own allocation of lounge visits.
These reductions are likely in response to overcrowding in Delta’s airport lounges. Although I’ve seen this crowding during my time on the road, it’s still a significant discount on three of American Express’ premium credit cards, all of which have high annual fees.
Andrew Konish/CNN confirmed
Delta will change the way it awards Medallion elite status to its most frequent flyers starting next year.
Delta’s most frequent flyers are also in for big changes. The airline also announced that it will completely change how it awards elite status.
The airline has historically granted elite status to members who earn a specified number of MQD miles and Qualifying Medallion Miles (MQM) or Qualifying Medallion Miles (MQS). MQDs are based on the cost of your ticket, MQM is based on the number of miles flown, and MQS is based on the number of flight segments you take.
Those chasing elite status can waive the MQD requirements for Silver, Gold, and Platinum Medallion status by spending $25,000 on Delta’s premium credit cards. The Diamond Medallion requires spending a whopping $250,000 to obtain an MQD waiver.
But all this changes next year. Effective January 1, 2024, the airline will remove the MQM or MQS requirements and only require passengers to meet the MQD requirements. These requirements will be much higher than they were last year, and even worse, the MQD waiver will no longer be offered. This change comes only one year after Airlines have increased MQD requirements To obtain the gold, platinum and diamond medal.
Here’s a look at the changes:
Watch this interactive content on CNN.com
On the bright side, Delta will be offering several new ways to earn MQD. Booking other types of travel through Delta – including hotels, car rentals and vacation packages – will earn MQD. Additionally, some Delta credit cards will also earn MQD. However, Delta’s shopping portal Dining programme Will not Earn MQD.
Here are the details of all the new ways to earn MQD in 2024 and beyond:
Watch this interactive content on CNN.com
Furthermore, James confirmed to CNN that he has confirmed this Bonus tickets will continue to earn MQD Towards elite status. These tickets earn $1 per 100 miles redeemed, meaning an award flight that costs 10,000 miles earns $100 toward elite status.
Furthermore, flights with partner tickets that are credited to your Delta SkyMiles account will continue to earn both redeemable miles and MQDs based on the distance flown. You can view Delta’s partner earnings chart on their site website.
With MQM gone, Delta will allow members with Rollover MQM to convert them into SkyMiles, MQD, or a combination of the two redeemable next year. MQM will be converted to redeemable miles at a 2:1 ratio and MQM at a ratio of 20:1, meaning 10,000 MQM equals 5,000 SkyMiles or $500 MQM.
The rationale behind these changes is to simplify earning elite status by offering just one qualifying measure, James told CNN. But for many Delta loyalists, that means spending more on Delta flights or on Delta credit cards.
Also note that Million Miler status will soon be earned via miles flown on Delta for its partners. Previously, it was earned through the total MQM earned, which included rewards for travel in premium cabins. On the bright side, Million Milers will have a higher priority for promotion starting next year.
It’s becoming more difficult to visit Sky Clubs and gain elite status on Delta.
As discussed, Delta announced major changes to Sky Club lounge access and earning Medallion Elite status. On the lounge side, American Express cardholders will have a limited number of lounge visits starting in 2025, with unlimited access by spending $75,000 on their card.
Meanwhile, the airline will remove MQM and MQS requirements and will only consider MQD credits to earn elite status starting next year. It will also significantly raise the MQD requirements for all elite status levels.
Many will see these changes as negative. the AMEX Platinum And Delta Reserve The cards feature high annual fees that will be difficult to justify with limited access to lounges starting in 2025 – especially given AMEX Platinum Its annual fees were raised To $695 in 2021.
Although Delta’s move to having only one measure of elite status makes earning status simpler, it will be difficult for many travelers to earn. This is the second year in a row that Delta has lifted its MQD requirements, but this time, the airline has also eliminated the MQD waiver offered by some Delta credit cards.
Those chasing a medal will still be able to earn using credit cards, but it will require a lot of spending. For example, with Delta Reserve Card Earns $1 MQD For every $10 spent, it would take $350,000 to spend to earn the Diamond Medal or $180,000 to earn the Platinum Medal from credit card spending alone.
As a result, we can see higher elite levels and the halls become less crowded. At the same time, some Delta loyalists may be tempted to be a free agent regarding their loyalty to the airlines and cancel their premium travel credit cards.
Click here For Amex Platinum rates and fees.
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Click here For Delta SkyMiles Reserve prices and fees.
Click here For Delta SkyMiles Business Reserve rates and fees.
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