How many medallion qualification segments

Would you book a one-stop Delta flight if Southwest had a cheaper nonstop option? If the answer is no, it may not be worth going out of your way to earn Delta elite status or any elite status, for that matter. The final consideration involves travel rewards credit cards. If you can pay a flat annual fee for one of these cards and gain access to perks that matter to you without going out of your way to earn elite status, that may be a good plan. These questions are also not easy to answer, as many different factors come into play with each of them.

Earning airline elite status carries an array of perks that can make your entire travel experience more comfortable. Keep in mind you may see some reader comments referring to outdated information below. For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here. For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Delta Gold card, click here. Enrollment required for select benefits. View our latest valuations here. Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser.

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It's a great program for travelers who fly frequently on Delta and its partners, and it can provide money-saving and comfort-improving benefits to all Medallion holders. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of , including those best for:. How Medallion status works. Earning Medallion status. Medallion status benefits. Status matching, challenges and Reclaim My Status.

Show More. Changes for Existing Medallion holders. Those seeking Medallion status. OR this many MQSs:. How Medallion Qualification Dollars work. Rollover Medallion Qualification Miles. Credit card waivers. SkyMiles earned per dollar spent. Fee benefits. Elite Plus. Choice benefit. Choice benefits. Platinum members choose ONE of the following:.

Partner benefits. That said, in general:. How much is Delta Medallion status worth? By our estimates:. Value of benefits. In many cases, the secret to earning a bunch of MQMs is simple: Fly longer flights.

That means international flights are your best bet for earning MQMs. In some cases, flying partner carriers can help you fast-track your Delta status. But no matter how you go about it, it can require a lot of flying to earn the MQMs necessary for Delta status.

Every traveler loves the idea of earning status and getting free upgrades. But with both flying and spending requirements, that loyalty can be expensive. All About Delta Medallion Status. Any MQMs that exceed your current status are automatically rolled into the next year. For example, if you were to earn 65, MQMs you would have Gold Medallion status and roll 15, MQMs excess over 50k into the next calendar year to help you earn status for the next year.

This rollover ability is unique to Delta, as none of the other major U. But using Pay with Miles, you can use your SkyMiles toward the cost of a cheap ticket. And you still earn MQMs. You have to apply SkyMiles in increments of 5,, and you need a minimum of 5, SkyMiles in your account. Earlier this year, Delta rolled out a new promotion with a fast-track offer to elite status. In the above example for both Reserve cards, this can result in six years of Diamond Medallion status with yearly spending.

Check out this guide for additional last-minute suggestions on qualifying for Delta Medallion status. Related: All the tips and tricks you need to use Delta Upgrade Certificates. The Delta SkyMiles program is unique among major U. Terms Apply. Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser.

Many of the credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Skip to content. Advertiser Disclosure.

Nick Ewen. First class on the Delta A Sign up for our daily newsletter. Sign up. I would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions.