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If you’re a frequent Delta flyer but not frequent enough that you’ve managed to reach your status targets for 2019, Delta has reintroduced a program that may be of use to you – Delta’s Elevate Your Status is back!
Delta Elevate Your Status
American Airlines has been selling elite status since mid-November and now Delta has brought back its equivalent program called Elevate Your Status.
Elevate Your Status is running through 28 February 2019 and allows flyers to buy “qualification bundles” containing Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQM), Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQD) and Medallion Qualifying Segments (MQS).
Who is eligible?
Delta explains is best:
If you are a Delta Platinum, Gold or Silver Medallion Member, you are eligible for Elevate Your Status unless you received complimentary Status for a Tier above the Tier you earned Status for.
Example: If you were given complimentary Gold Medallion Status, but earned Silver Medallion Status through the published requirements, you are not eligible for Elevate Your Status.
If you are a General SkyMiles Member, you must be within range to reach Silver Medallion Status by purchasing the maximum bundle of MQMs, MQSs and MQDs, in order to be eligible.
Example: If you have 12,000 MQMs, you will not be eligible because the maximum amount of MQMs that can be earned through Elevate Your Status is 12,500 and the MQMs requirement for Silver Medallion Status is 25,000.
If you are a Diamond Medallion Member, you are not eligible, because you have already reached the top Tier of Medallion Status.
How does it work?
- Check your MQM, MQD and MQS balances in your Delta account and work out how many of each you need to reach the next level of status.
- Visit the Elevate Your Status webpage and select the bundle of MQM, MQD and MQS that works best for you – there are 6 bundles to choose from.
- The dollar amount spent on MQMs and MQSs will then be credited to your 2018 MQDs balance and will apply towards your 2019 Status.
- Any MQMs purchased that exceed the amount needed to achieve Medallion Status for 2019 will roll over and count towards your 2020 Status.
- MQMs, MQSs and MQDs will post to your SkyMiles account within 24 hours of purchase.
The pricing Delta will show you is variable so different people will have different offers…presumably based on the status someone is going for and how close or how far away they are from achieving status organically.
Here’s one example of what you may be offered (courtesy of Wwads on Flyertalk)….
…and here’s another offer (courtesy of Alelphos on Flyertalk):
As you can see, the cost can vary significantly!
Bottom Line
if it looks like you’re not going to hit your Delta targets for status this year and you’re within 12,500 MQD of a status level then this may be an option for you.
On the whole I’m not a fan of these types of promotion as they’re rarely good value and I question whether most people who didn’t fly enough to reach a certain status level in 2018 will actually fly enough in 2019 to make this worthwhile….but then this isn’t my money we’re taking about and you’re free to disagree 🙂
