Delta is bucking the trend and will keep the current spending requirements to earn Medallion Status in place for next year, an airline spokesperson confirmed on Thursday – holding pat for a third consecutive year.
That means the (admittedly hefty) spending requirements to climb each tier on Delta’s ladder today will remain the same next year: Earning 5,000 Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) next year will get you Silver Medallion status through 2028. A whopping 28,000 MQDs will still get you up to top-tier Diamond Medallion.
The Points Guy was the first to report the news that Delta is holding pat with status next year.
Just last week, United raised spending requirements to earn its own top-tier 1K status by $4,000 – a 14% hike … while taking a page out of Delta’s book and eliminating any flying requirements to climb the status ladder. Southwest also recently announced some brutal changes for earning its ultra-valuable Companion Pass next year while reworking its broader status program.
But the memories of angering their most loyal customers were likely still fresh for Delta.
Delta ignited a national uproar back in 2023 when it unveiled the biggest and most painful changes to its status program to date, announcing it would pivot to a spending-only model to earn status … while increasing the spending requirements by as much as 100%. At the same time, Delta moved to limit how often top Amex cardholders could visit Delta Sky Club® lounges.
After widespread backlash, the airline relented by softening several of those measures and introducing new ways to earn toward status, like an automatic $2,500 MQD Headstart benefit for select cardholders. But we’ve wondered ever since when Delta would return to raise spending thresholds again, further restrict Sky Club access, or both.
That’s not happening next year. Flyers who rack up enough MQDs by spending with Delta in 2027 will earn status through the rest of next year and all of 2028 until the airline’s status year resets come Feb. 1, 2029.
Bottom Line
For a third consecutive year, Delta is sticking with the status quo when it comes to earning Medallion Status.
No news is always good news when it comes to points and status. But it’s surprising – in a good way! – that Delta is holding pat when its top competitor just raised the bar.
This is a breaking news story, check back for updates.
