With just two months left in 2026, time is running out to qualify (or requalify) for Delta Medallion elite status.
If you have not done so already, check your elite qualification metrics, tally up your travel for the rest of the year and see where that puts you in terms of elite status for next year. If you’re short of your goal, you still have time to close the gap. There are plenty of ways to earn Delta status — and they don’t all involve flying.
Here are some ideas to help you earn what you need by the end of the year and reap the benefits of Medallion status in 2027.
How to earn Delta elite status
Remember that as of Jan. 1, 2024, Delta consolidated all Medallion status earning activities into Medallion Qualification Dollars, axing Medallion Qualification Miles and Medallion Qualification Segments.
Now, flyers earn MQDs not just on eligible travel purchases with Delta and its partners, but also on other activities, such as spending on Delta-issued credit cards and vacation packages. You’ll need to reach the following MQD thresholds for each Medallion status tier:
Of course, the most obvious route to status is by booking paid flights through Delta: You’ll earn 1 MQD per dollar on the ticket price of any Delta-marketed flight operated by Delta or its partner airlines (except in basic economy, which doesn’t earn miles or MQDs). However, Delta’s new “basic” premium fares still earn MQDs.
However, there are plenty of other ways to earn MQDs without setting foot on an airplane. Here are some last-minute strategies to help put you over the top for Delta elite status in 2026.
Book an award ticket
One of the best changes to the SkyMiles program in recent years is that Delta award tickets booked in Main Cabin or higher now earn MQDs. This can make earning status much cheaper.
If you have a stash of SkyMiles in your account, consider redeeming them to close the gap to your desired status tier. The number of MQDs you’ll earn is calculated by dividing the number of miles redeemed by 100. (And remember, holders of select Delta American Express cards automatically save 15% on Delta-operated award tickets.)
There is one major exception to keep in mind: Only Delta-ticketed award flights earn MQDs. Your award ticket must be booked with Delta SkyMiles through a direct Delta channel in order to qualify (though it does not need to be operated by Delta). For example, using Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles to book an award flight operated by Delta won’t earn MQDs, even if you add your SkyMiles number to the itinerary.
Earn MQDs with partners
Since achieving Delta Medallion status now requires hitting spending thresholds, mileage runs are not the useful tool they once were if you’re flying on Delta metal. On the bright side, you can still leverage partner fares to earn MQDs quickly. This is because these flights earn MQDs based on a percentage of the flight distance rather than the ticket price.
If you go this route, know that earning rates vary depending on which carrier and fare class you fly. For example, an Air France flight in full economy will earn MQDs based on 20% of the miles flown, while a full economy WestJet ticket will earn 15% of the miles flown. Remember, MQDs are not to be confused with SkyMiles.
You can also earn 1 MQD per dollar spent on Delta Vacations, the airline’s platform for booking all-in-one vacation packages. However, Delta Car Rentals and Delta Stays bookings no longer earn MQDs.
Spend on a Delta cobranded credit card
Some Delta cobranded credit cards allow cardholders to earn MQDs. The following cards give you an automatic 2,500 MQDs each year (known as MQD Headstart), plus additional MQDs when you spend on the card:
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card: Earn 1 MQD for each $20 in purchases you make on the card in a calendar year.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Earn 1 MQD for each $10 in purchases you make on the card in a calendar year.
It may be worth applying for one of these cards to close the gap for next year’s Medallion status. If you already have one and your everyday purchases won’t get you close enough to your desired status level, you might consider ways to increase your spending temporarily — such as paying your rent or mortgage with your cobranded card or making purchases for a friend and having them pay you back.
Just be aware that purchases on these cards must post to your account in 2026 to help you qualify for elite status in the 2027 status year. Purchases made in late December may go toward the following year instead, depending on the transaction date submitted to American Express by the merchant (which may differ from the date when you made the purchase). For example, if you make a purchase on Dec. 31 and the merchant lists the transaction date as Jan. 1, the MQDs you earn will count toward next year instead of this year.
Apply for a status match
Delta SkyMiles has historically been one of the most generous programs when it comes to status challenges. After temporary unavailability during recent program changes, the SkyMiles Medallion Status Match Challenge has returned. This means travelers who hold elite status with another airline can request a match through Delta Medallion. If approved, you’ll receive the equivalent Delta status for three months, along with a status challenge to extend your shiny new Medallion status.
In 2025, Delta also offered a new program called Elevate Your Status that allowed members to make a one-time MQD purchase to reach the next Medallion status tier, as long as they already had the required number of MQDs to qualify. This limited-time promotion has ended, but keep an eye out in case Delta brings it back for 2026.
Earn status with Choice Benefits
Delta’s Choice Benefits for Platinum and Diamond members include MQD Accelerators to help you get closer to next year’s status. In 2026, Platinum members can select this Choice Benefit to boost their MQDs by 1,000, while Diamond members can earn an extra 2,000 MQDs this way. These MQDs typically take six to eight weeks to deposit into your account — so, if you plan to use this route to achieve next year’s status, now is the time to make your Choice Benefit selection.
Another Choice Benefit option allows you to gift Medallion status to other members. Platinum Medallions can choose to gift Silver Medallion status to four people, and Diamonds can gift Gold status to four people. So be nice to friends or family who might be able to give you a hand up into the club.
Note that Platinum status members can select one Choice Benefit, and Diamond status members can select three benefits. You can select your Choice Benefit as soon as you earn status, and you have until Jan. 31, 2027, to select your 2026 benefits.
Fly private
This option is probably not feasible for most travelers, but it’s worth mentioning.
Thanks to Delta’s partnership with Wheels Up, a private jet subscription service, Wheels Up members can receive one Diamond Medallion status for every $100,000 spent in a Wheels Up Fund during a calendar year. If you don’t have a subscription, you can still get one Diamond Medallion status after making at least $125,000 in flight spend. However, travelers who earn status either way will not get access to Choice Benefits.
This is obviously not the cheapest option for earning Delta elite status. However, if you or your business use the service anyway, it may be a good way to bypass the other requirements and go straight to the top.
Bottom line
Even though 2026 is coming to a close, there’s still time to level up your Delta Medallion elite status so you can travel in comfort next year.
The most important thing is to know where you stand after accounting for the rest of your planned travel for this year. Once you determine how many extra MQDs you need, you can use these strategies to ensure you earn your desired elite tier for next year — and all the perks that come with it.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Source: thepointsguy.com
