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Call it savvy or insane, but I've done some … let's just call them questionable things in the decade since starting this flight deal website, all with one goal in mind: Keeping my Delta Medallion status.
Back in 2017, I flew from Minnesota to Madrid and back … twice … in the same month. The next year, I sat in a Delta economy seat for nearly 80 hours and 37,000 miles, flying roundtrip to Singapore twice to ensure I'd requalify for my prized Delta Platinum Medallion Status.
I've had a good run flying with Delta, but I'm done – done going out of my way to earn the increasingly expensive (and progressively meaningless) Medallion Status, I mean. I'll end this year with lowly Silver status, maybe Gold. I wouldn't be shocked if I lose status with Delta altogether after that.
And I couldn't be happier about it.
Delta's unpopular overhaul of its status program didn't just make earning top Delta status harder and more expensive, it's also less fun: The Delta mileage run is officially dead … and so is the need to punish myself in pursuit of status. More importantly, I'm far better off putting the gobs of money I'd need to charge to my Delta Amex on another credit card – with a program that won't charge me 400,000 miles or more for a business class redemption.
To be perfectly clear: I'm not divorcing Delta altogether. While its recent meltdown has raised plenty of doubts, I'd still consider Delta the best airline in the U.S. by far. And they'll still be my go-to for domestic flights – though, as a hub captive based in Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), it's not like I have much of a choice.
Unless you're constantly flying Delta on your company's dime, we've told travelers for years that they're much better off as airline free agents. And I'm finally taking my own advice.
Here's why.
Changes Make it (Much) More Expensive
I've locked up Delta Platinum Status for nearly a decade using the same formula, every single year:
- Book cheap Delta-operated flights – often, the same ones we send to our Thrifty Traveler Premiummembers – torack up annual mileage requirements
- Bypass annual spending requirements by charging $25,000 to a *delta skymiles platinum card* or *delta reserve card* each year
Delta officially killed off both of those this year. Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) are gone – it's all about the almighty Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQDs) now.
The end of the MQD Waiver – that trusty workaround to bypass annual spending requirements that I and countless other loyal Delta flyers relied on – hurts. In its place, there's a far-less lucrative return for spending on my Delta Amex cards. And to make matters worse, the airline also increased how many MQDs you need to earn each year to unlock each tier of Medallion Status.
Add it all up, and keeping my once-prized Delta Platinum Status is now far more expensive than I'm willing to stomach.
Case in point: In the past, I earned that status in part by spending $25,000 a year on a Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card. To do it again, I'd need to spend as much as $300,000 on that same card. No thank you.
But it's more than that. Delta's money-centric overhaul sucked all the fun out of it.
Nothing tops feeling like you beat the airlines at their own game – at least for sickos like me and many others on our team. Sure, I had to put myself through some pain to do it, but racking up enough mileage to earn status by taking a cheap trip to Singapore or Spain felt like cheating the system. And I won't lie, I had a blast doing it.
That's no longer the case: All that matters to Delta is how much you spend with the airline.
I'll keep a Delta co-branded Amex card in my wallet for the free baggage and other perks like Delta companion certificates and the TakeOff 15 discount when redeeming SkyMiles. But I'll probably keep it in a drawer because earning Delta status isn't just more expensive – it feels less rewarding than ever.
Shrinking Benefits & Fewer Upgrades
Travelers lust after status for one main reason: Free upgrades. Who wouldn't want a first class seat for the price of coach?
But the reality is that upgrades have become few and far between for all but the top Delta Diamond members – and even then, it's no slam dunk. Why? Because Delta is simply selling them instead.
Selling upgrades on the cheap has become common in the airline world these days. But no airline has taken it further than Delta.
Years ago, more than 85% of the airline's first class seats were staying empty, open for status holders like me to get a free upgrade. But Delta has gotten so proficient at convincing travelers to buy (or pay to upgrade to) those first class seats, the airline's president Glen Hauenstein recently said they're now selling 74% of domestic first class seats, according to the Airline Observer.
I've felt it in my own travels: Regular upgrades to first class have pretty much evaporated over the last few years. And the other perks of Platinum status don't move the needle as much, either.
Choice Benefits like a set of four regional upgrade certificates are nice, but hardly worth the (higher) cost of earning the status to begin with. Free cancellation on award tickets booked with SkyMiles was once a hallmark of Platinum and Diamond status, but now that flexibility extends to even everyday SkyMiles members redeeming miles. And while banking on a Delta Comfort Plus seat after booking is great, what I really want is that first class seat.
So should I spend hundreds of thousands of dollars with Delta to earn status and the privilege of missing out on most upgrades? Or should I just pay more for that first class seat to begin with or buy a cheap upgrade afterward?
For me, that's an easy choice – particularly when I'm increasingly looking at other airlines instead.
The Free Agent Life is Better
I could focus on Delta to earn status and SkyMiles, spending years to rack up the absurdly-high 400,000 SkyMiles (or more) I'd need to book a one-way ticket in business class to Europe.
Or I could put my Delta loyalty aside and focus instead on earning transferrable credit card points like Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, and Capital One miles. You know, the points I can send to a partner airline and book my whole family flying Air France business class to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) or KLM business class to Amsterdam (AMS) … for as low as just 50,000 pointsinstead.
I'm choosing the latter.
Whether you're booking tons of Delta flights, swiping your SkyMiles Amex Card everywhere you go, or both, you have to stop and consider the opportunity cost: What are you giving up by chasing Delta status? And is it worth the tradeoff?
For me, it's an unequivocal no.
My priority these days is booking lie-flat business class seats abroad – not just on Delta, but on other airlines.And a service called (stop me if you've heard of it) Thrifty Traveler Premium has been helping me do it for a fraction of the SkyMiles I'd need to fork over. It's almost comical how poor of a value SkyMiles are compared to other mileage currencies – especially compared to my new favorite: Air France/KLM, a Delta partner, with their Flying Blue program.
Booking a business class flight to Germany for just 60,000 points is a bargain, especially compared to the 345,000 miles Delta is charging for similar flights. Untethered from my loyalty to Delta, it's freed me up to chase these better deals and spend less time chasing Delta status.
Flying Lufthansa business class, Condor business class, Air France, and KLM this year alone has reminded me that sometimes, the grass is indeed greener on the other side.
Best in the US, But…
Despite its recent embarrassing meltdown (and even more embarrassing response), Delta remains the best airline in the U.S.
It's still the most reliable carrier in the U.S. by far, and has been for years. The in-flight service is often far superior to what you'll get flying with American or United. The modern seatback screens and free in-flight Wi-Fi on almost every plane make its competitors look ancient by comparison.
But zoom out and your perception of Delta may shift. While it was the top-rated U.S. carrier in SkyTrax's recent annual rankings, Delta didn't even crack the top 20 airlines in the globe. That's no accident.
You need only look at Delta's business class seats on long-haul flights to see a reason why. Sure, Delta One Suites are fantastic – at least on the routes where you can find them.But the majority of Delta's long-haul fleet consists of cabins that are more than a decade old … and look even older.
Compared to even #10-ranked SWISS business class, it's no contest. The service, food, drinks, and amenities are often much better on other foreign carriers, too – at least in my experience.
So why should I stay blindly loyal to Delta when I can get a better experience with another airline … and pay fewer points for it, too?
I'm Flying Less
Airlines are brutally adept at getting their customers (like yours truly) to do irrational things in the name of status: Paying hundreds more for flights, last-minute mileage runs, and paying $2,500-plus for end-of-year status offers.
Just as with annual fees with credit cards, you need to do the math on whether status is worth the cost – and whether you'll really travel enough to benefit from those perks you're (over)paying for.
While it might seem obvious, this is the part that too many travelers blindly chasing status fail to consider. That math has turned against me lately.
I've got two young boys at home now, and I'm traveling far less than I used to just a few years ago. We travel together as a family, of course – but I'm increasingly booking tickets on other airlines when we do. And at least for now, the days of quick domestic getaways or last-minute positioning flights with Delta before a trip abroad are over.
Not only would chasing Delta status cost me drastically more, but I'm also flying Delta drastically less. Maybe that'll change in the years ahead … but until it does, it's simply not worth the effort to hold onto Platinum Status for an eighth consecutive year.
Bottom Line
After its botched status overhaul, raising credit card annual fees, and recent meltdown, plenty of diehard Delta flyers are rethinking their loyalty. I'm one of them.
Don't get me wrong: I'll keep flying with Delta. But for me, it's no longer worth the absurd amount of money it now costs just to earn Medallion Status.
Lead photo courtesy of Chris Lundberg via Flickr
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Jared is our founder and CEO, and he’s not like your average travel entrepreneur. After graduating from college with a mountain of debt, he and his wife wanted to travel – but had to do it on the cheap. Over the years he and Mrs. TT have devised a simple strategy to travel...
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. 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. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
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32 Responses
Back in 2017 when I was a blind traveler beginning my trek into the miles/points system, I was clueless, but after much reading, I knew I had to decide to become a Delta loyalist or free agent. Since my objective was to get across the Atlantic in business, I just couldn’t make of it going loyalists to any airline. Too many hopes to get those certificates to fly over the Atlantic for free. So, ever since, it was only logical to be a free agent and in the last few years, starting around mid-Covid and with the huge Delta devaluation, I have seen so many travelers go the free agent route. Articles like this one make me so happy that I made the correct decision back in 2017!!! 😀😂🤣
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I totally agree, I travel loads for work but am thinking of switching and or adding different AMX / Credit cards so as to use points on other airlines. I did complain CONSTRUCTIVELY like others when these CRAZY changes came about late last year but it seems they landed on deafs ears. I live in the Detroit area DTW and like MSP Dleta owns us. I miss Northwest and do live Delta but it seem like MOST business now a days treating their employees right = Labor disputes…come on TREAT THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT S, Ground Crew, etc, etc, PROPERLY AND FAIRLY.
Keep making things pricier and not worth it for us passengers and more of us will shop around. I have for close to a decade exclusively flown Delta, before that it was United, before that a mixture but mostly Northwest until the takeovermerger. Pricing themselves out of the perks is not going to gain new customers and their loyalty and will not retain those of us who have been around for decades.
I for one hope Delta revamps to a more friendlier less pricier means in getting and retaining Medallion statuses, if not I am happy I have various options to move on if needed.
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I too have been a loyal Delta patron – Platinum for 7 or 8 years (with Diamond once in-between) making my status with a combination of my Reserve Card spend and travel miles. I am also a Million Miler so am a lifetime Gold now. Come 2025 I am not sure I will travel Delta as often. Can’t even use the SkyClub anymore through the Reserve Card but for a handful of times. Does not make sense anymore. Thinking of switching to American or United as I live in Chicago.
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You neglect to mention a feature unique to Delta vs United or American – that is, the head start provided just by possessing Delta branded Amex cards. Each card provides a $2,500 head start towards status. I currently have two cards and next year will have three. The $1,350 annual fees on the three cards (some of which is offset by generous card credits) will waive me out of $7,500 of spend towards the $15,000 Platinum status I will be seeking. Spending $25K on a Reserve card, like I did under the old system, yields another $2,500 qualifying dollars. That will get me to $10K out of $15K, with the rest coming from actual flights. Delta is a lot easier than United or American for earning status now.
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Welcome to DUH!!
Your 4 years late with realization.
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I am one of those Delta chasers also. This is a fantastic synopsis of what has happened to us status chasers. Thanks for clarifying and I think I’m gonna join you.
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Well said – Delta is a great airline but has lost the plot with their recent changes and are poking their most loyal customers in the eye as they try to gouge everyone for more revenue. I’ll probably make Diamond this year because of company travel but I’m not chasing it anymore. The ROI is just not there.
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United has really made it difficult to get status as well. Unless you travel for work, it’s unlikely the average person will spend $15-$25K on flights in a year. Seems Delta is catching up with United here.
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I fully agree–I’ll keep the card for the free luggage and the companion certificate, but I’ve moved nearly all my spending to free agent cards since the downgrade.
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I agree. I’d like to keep a Delta card in my
Wallet, but don’t want to keep paying for the Delta Sky Miles Reserve I currently have. What card should I downgrade it to?Reply
Hi Kathy, this article should be helpful for you:
https://thriftytraveler.com/comparisons/credit-card/which-delta-credit-card-is-right-for-you/
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Great story that I can echo too and will also not be chasing Platinum after having it for the past few years.
The Delta experience that they’re trying to push is not worth the massive price. Even domestically, you can fly a “budget” airline for half the price as Delta and usually be on a newer aircraft (had an A 320 Neo on Frontier lately, just 5 months old) versus 20 or 30-year-old A 320’s or 717’s with Delta.
Save the cash from the flight, get your drink on before your flight (if you’re so inclined) instead of the 2 free beers you’ll get in Delta Comfort and you’ll have way more $ to enjoy on the actual trip, not just the flight to it.
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Same! Quit chasing Delta status a year and a half ago, even downgraded my delta card. With flying less and redemptions rising there’s no need. While I think it’s a good airline (esp for those of us in MSP) it’s not the only one.
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Perhaps the shifts in Delta’s models simply are another reflection of normal interest rates and the fact that the days of zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) are over. Status comes to those who fly often with one airline – no rational explanation otherwise moving forward. Could it be that what we are seeing this segment of the economy will begin to play out in others moving forward?
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I’m not, and have never been, a business class flyer, but I have been loyal to Delta for decades, partially because I live in Atlanta and they dominate, and partially because they are a good airline. I was also silver medallion for five years and enjoyed a suprising number of C+ upgrades, despite what everyone said. However, about two years ago I started comparing what it would cost to fly premium economy to some destinations in Europe on Delta vs. United. What I found was that PE on United was generally $700-1000 cheaper than on Delta. I’ve flown PE on both airlines and to me they are nearly identical. I decided to be loyal to my wallet and started flying United to Europe. (I also like making my connection in Newark and landing at my destination, as opposed to landing in Europe and still having another flight ahead of me.) I still fly Delta too, especially domestic, and I still have my Gold Amex for the checked bag and Skymiles redemption bonus. Not loyal to them anymore, though.
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I hear you, Katherine. I’m loyal to no one, because it just doesn’t mean what it used to, 25yrs ago.
Delta is no better than UA or AA. PERIOD. I use my hard earned money to get the best fare for my dollar…..sometimes it’s DL, sometimes it’s not.
I did just score 2 roundtrip Delta One tickets to ZRH for next year at $5500 for both in Delta One, which is about 6K less than that fare usually is….It’s all about the research I do to get more bang for my buck.
Good on you!
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I agree 100% with your comments. Free agent is the best way to go. With all the changes Delta made they forgot about all the loyal customers that got them to where they’re at today. I’m using up all my miles with Delta before they get devalued even more. Cancelled my AMEX Delta Reserve card and replaced with Chase Sapphire Reserve that has better benefits that you can actually use. I also took advantage of Alaska’s status match which allows me to fly both Alaska and American earning miles from both airlines into my Alaska account. I will also fly Delta if the price is right and the schedule fits my needs. But, I will no longer fly only Delta as I’ve done for the past 10 years as a Platinum member.
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I have a rare set of circ*mstances that will keep me flying Delta and chasing Delta status:
1. MSP is my airport, a Delta hub;
2. 90% or more of my flying is employer paid;
3. Because of the nature of my travel, my employer always buys refundable fares (higher price = more MQDs); and
4. I fly a *lot* — much of it transatlantic.So, the SkyMiles and the MQMs add up fast for me without me doing much extra to chase after them.
As a result, I’ve been a Diamond medallion member for the last 4-5 years, and I reached Diamond status for *2025* a few months ago already.
And while I’m mildly disappointed in the recent SkyMile changes, it doesn’t affect me as much as others. Complimentary 1st class upgrades are less frequent for me now, but still happen often.
But I’m almost always instantly upgraded to Comfort+, and I was even surprised and bumped up to first class on a KLM subsidiary airline flying from AMS to Dresden, Germany, earlier this year. So there are some unadvertised surprises for Diamond medallion flyers that perhaps Platinum medallion members don’t get.
Good article, and it spells out what’s a good strategy for most flyers, but doesn’t apply much to me (for which I am grateful).
So, I’m not going to become a free agent anytime soon.
Spiff
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Almost identical to you!!! I was Platinum last year, now on pace to achieve Diamond this month, why??? Delta Vacations for car rental and hotels, Delta air through our corporate travel agency, Delta American Express Reserve card (use it for every single expense on the road and around town at home). All that said, it was easy to achieve $28K in MQMs. Many people commented here that are not frequent business travelers. There are NO other domestic carriers that compare on so many levels to Delta, period.
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Curious to know how this migration away from status chasing with Delta is affecting Delta’s revenue?
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I don’t understand why everyone *thinks* Delta is the best US carrier. They are literally no better than AA or UA. There’s absolutely nothing special about Delta, their fleet, routes, service, membership, lounges, catering…nothing.
It just goes to show you, whatever you shove down people’s throats, they’ll buy.Loyalty used to actually mean something, 25 years ago….now it’s a money grab. They only want you, if you spend thousands of dollars a year.
I’ve flown millions of miles over the past 25yrs and been on many international flights in premium economy, first, business….they’re all the same except for your premium carriers, Emirates, Singapore, Lufthansa on a good day. Do I have status on carriers? Yes, but I am loyal to no one….I purchase my trips with the almighty dollar…that’s what speaks to me. Who has the best fare in the class of service I’m looking for.
I just purchased 2 Delta One tickets to ZRH for next year….I’m a planner, so 10months out, I got the roundtrip fare for $5500 for 2 ppl…that’s 6K under the normal fare for that routing in first class for the domestic flights and business on the international. I also have a 6hr layover at JFK so I can relax in the new Delta One Lounge….
#WINNING
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I remember the days where it was an actual frequent FLYER program, and you could gain status with flight segments. I flew the Delta Shuttle between LGA and DCA every other week, 52 flights, but in today’s world, someone who charges $25k on a credit card and takes one international trip per year, is considered more valuable. It’s strange to me. I always thought it was about flying.
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I agree and have done the same thing. Don’t get me wrong, I loved flying Delta, but now do what’s best for me. I was recently on a Delta flight and a a fellow passenger was presented an award for achieving a Million Mile status (nice). However, he was sitting in Comfort + with me! A million miles and can’t score and upgrade to business? (Way to go Delta Marketing! Even you can’t keep the illusion alive.) I have been Platinum for years and don’t see the front of plane anymore.
I just purchased business class tickets to Sydney (with my wife), Delta was more than 2x the price of American, United, or Qantas. Dates did not matter. The cash I saved with pay for the Four Seasons Hotel during my stay. The Delta credit cards spend don’t make since. Their travel protection (lost luggage, delay, trip interruption, etc.) don’t compare to Chase branded cards and others. With frequent airline melt downs, those things matter. In my opinion Delta is focusing on short term profits and taking as much cash from the AMX co-branded cards as possible. Why do you think they raised the spend level so much.
Sorry Delta, the love is gone. Maybe we can just be friends.
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Completely agree. I was Global Services on United, still 1K. Almost never get upgraded, why, bc they are selling the upgrades and I was never getting a guaranteed seat. It’s fine for a flight less than 3 hours, but not fine when flying international. United prices can be ridiculously expensive too, and for what. Now I fly the cheapest business class with the best seat. I’ve flown BA (mostly fine), EVA (amazing), Iberia (shockingly ok), Condor (missed a connection, was supposed to fly United, but Condor has a great business class), and I’ll soon fly Qatar to South Africa from SFO (can’t wait to try this one). Customer service has gotten bad everywhere. Lufthansa is a joke these days and I’ll drag them at any chance and avoid them like the plague.
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We feel exactly the same. We’ve been very loyal Delta customers for the last several years and platinum member status and it seems prices just keep going up and up. Salt lake is our home airport but we have found we’ve been having to drive to LA or Las Vegas because salt lake is double the price of everywhere else for Delta. The status just isn’t worth it anymore.
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I ditched DL this year. No point in chasing the money. Switched from 50/50 UA/DL ti 100% UA. Their program changes are ridiculous.
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I just received an email from Delta thanking me for 39 years as a frequent flyer. I did chase Platinum for 2025 because it was easy – bonus MQD and a few international flights.
Pretty sure I will not be in the future as I am retiring and will not have business trips to bring up the MDQ.
It is not the same for sure.
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I am 29k miles away from 1 million miles with Delta. Once I hit 1M I will be Gold for life. For that reason alone it’s easier to stay loyal to Delta. I just got the Reserve Amex card for the companion pass and some other benefits.
I will still price shop for the best deal but will favor Delta for the reliable service and better seating options that Gold will provide.
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I agree with every point in this article. My husband is diamond with Delta. We often say the only perk of being diamond is when we have to call in the wait time is usually under 2-3 minutes.
I am not as loyal to Delta as my husband is. It seems like I often times get rude agents and service that is not wonderful.
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Agree! I’m diamond (3 years in a row) and have yet to be able to use a regional upgrade cert. They just never clear them and then the seats get sold. This week they offered me a chance to upgrade with miles or money and I called and said why can’t you clear my RUC?
I’m constantly finding myself missing out on other airlines deals because I’ve been using my card spend on Delta. I’m done and switching my spend to the chase sapphire card so I can fly other airlines because you are right the goal is first class seats – especially on other airlines like Singapore, Emirates, Qatar. My delta status or cc spend is not doing anything for me anymore.Reply
Yep, same here. I’m a million miler, was Platinum before Covid, now I’m done — they only want my money. I think they gave me Gold this year — what do they call that? a soft landing? — basically I’m nothing. I buy the cheapest seats, get no miles.
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I have to agree wholeheartedly with you about loyalty to Delta. I have been Diamond for years only because I buy business class on long haul or international flights. I recently retired so I have been traveling more. I had so many MQMs I was able to exchange them to extend my Diamond status for 3 years. What they don’t tell you is that with this “extended Diamond status” you don’t get any of the choice benefits (the most valuable of which are Global Upgrades), so the only real benefit is the complimentary domestic upgrades when they happen. Fortunately for me, I had purchased a lifetime executive lounge pass from Northwest and Delta has honored that domestically… so I don’t need the lounge. Delta’s international business class prices are ridiculous… considering this I have been buying tickets on Singapore and Qatar and just buying a positioning flight on Delta. The international service and food on these airlines are far superior to Delta. Once you’re spoiled on Singapore and Qatar it’s hard to go back. Delta is going to lose more of my business as a result. The redemptions on Delta for international business are ridiculous as well. I had 2.6 million miles built up and just decided to start burning them so I didn’t feel like I need to be loyal to Delta anymore. And I agree as well I found the mileage runs on cheap tickets entertaining! I have flown to Las Vegas on more than one occasion for lunch and back the same day (ticket was $150 from DTW!).
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