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Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Sept. 14, 2023 at 12:15 pm ET with a statement from American Express.
Bad news, Delta fans: it’s soon going to be a lot harder to access Delta Sky Clubs and earn Medallion elite status. The Atlanta-based airline just announced major lounge access changes and a full revamp of how frequent flyers earn status.
On the Sky Club side, those with premium American Express cards will have their lounge access cut from unlimited visits to as few as six visits per year, depending on which card they have. These changes take effect in 2025.
Meanwhile, the airline will completely change how it awards Medallion elite status next year. Starting next year, there will only be one metric — Medallion® Qualifying Dollar (MQD) — and requirements are much higher than what they are today. And to make matters worse, the MQD waiver offered by popular Delta credit cards is going away.
Let’s take a closer look at these changes and how they’ll affect you.
Amex card holders will no longer get unlimited Sky Club access in 2025
Those with the The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card are in for big changes.
Currently, these cards provide unlimited access to Delta Sky Club airport lounges within three hours of departure when flying Delta Air Lines. But starting Feb. 1, 2025, this will no longer be the case.
Delta will limit access for these card holders on this date. Delta Reserve ($650 annual fee, see rates and fees) and Delta Business Reserve ($650 annual fee, see rates and fees) card holders will be limited to 15 Sky Club visits per program year. Unlimited lounge access can be unlocked by spending $75,000 on the card within a single calendar year. This will unlock visits for the remainder of the current year and the entirety of the following year.
These cuts will hit Amex Platinum ($695 annual fee, see rates and fees) and Amex Business Platinum ($695 annual fee, see rates and fees) card holders even harder. Delta Sky Club lounge access will be limited to six visits per year, with the option to unlock unlimited visits by spending $75,000 on the card within a single calendar year. Meeting this spend threshold will also unlock guest access at American Express Centurion Lounges.
Spend tracking for unlimited lounge access begins on Feb. 1, 2024 for the 2025 status year. Dwight James — Delta’s Senior Vice President Customer Engagement and Loyalty — confirmed to CNN Underscored that authorized users on these cards will have their own allocation of lounge visits.
In a statement to CNN Underscored, an American Express spokesperson said, “Based on Card Member data, this number of visits will accommodate the vast majority of Platinum, Business Platinum and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card Members.”
These cuts are likely a response to overcrowding in Delta’s airport lounges. And while I have witnessed this overcrowding during my time on the road, it’s still a huge cut for four of American Express’ most premium credit cards, all of which have annual fees over $500.
Elite status qualification changes
Delta’s most frequent flyers are also in for big changes. The airline also announced that it will completely change how it awards elite status.
The airline has historically awarded elite status to members who earn a set number of MQDs and Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQM) or Medallion Qualifying Segments (MQS). MQDs are earned based on the cost of your ticket, MQM is based on miles flown and MQS is based on the number of flight segments you take.
Those chasing elite status can waive the MQD requirement for Silver, Gold and Platinum Medallion status by spending $25,000 on premium Delta credit cards. Diamond Medallion requires spending a whopping $250,000 to earn an MQD waiver.
But this all changes next year. Starting Jan. 1, 2024, the airline will axe the MQM or MQS requirement and only require travelers to meet an MQD requirement. These requirements will be significantly higher than year’s past and — even worse — the MQD waiver will no longer be offered. This change comes just a year after the airline increased MQD requirements for Gold, Platinum and Diamond Medallion status.
Here’s a look at the changes:
View this interactive content on CNN.comOn the bright side, Delta will offer several new ways to earn MQD. Booking other types of travel through Delta — including hotels, rental cars and vacation packages — will earn MQD. Plus, certain Delta credit cards will also earn MQD. However, Delta’s shopping portal and dining program will not earn MQD.
Here’s the breakdown of all the new ways to earn MQD in 2024 and beyond:
View this interactive content on CNN.comFurther, James confirmed to CNN Underscored that award tickets will continue to earn MQD toward elite status. These tickets earn $1 MQD per 100 miles redeemed, meaning an award flight that costs 10,000 miles earns $100 MQD toward elite status.
Further, partner-ticketed flights that are credited to Delta SkyMiles will continue to earn both redeemable miles and MQD based on distance flown. You can view Delta’s partner earning chart on its website.
With MQM going away, Delta will let members with Rollover MQM convert them to redeemable SkyMiles, MQD or a mixture of the two next year. MQM will convert to redeemable miles at a 2:1 ratio and MQD at a 20:1 ratio, meaning 10,000 MQM equals 5,000 SkyMiles or $500 MQM.
James told CNN Underscored that the rational behind these changes was to simplify elite status earning by offering just one qualification metric. But for many Delta loyalists, this means spending a lot more on Delta flights or on Delta credit cards.
Small changes coming to Delta Million Miler status
Also, note that Million Miler Status will soon be earned by miles flown on Delta for its partners. Previously, it was earned by total MQM earned, which included bonuses for flying in premium cabins. On the bright side, Million Milers will have higher upgrade priority beginning next year.
Bottom line
It’s about to get a lot harder to visit Sky Clubs and earn Delta elite status.
As discussed, Delta announced major changes to Sky Club lounge access and Medallion elite status earning. On the lounge side, American Express card holders will only have a limited number of lounge visits starting in 2025, with unlimited access being earned by spending $75,000 on their card.
Meanwhile, the airline will remove MQM and MQS requirements and will only consider MQD balances for elite status earning starting next year. It will also significantly raise the MQD requirements for all elite status levels.
Many will see these as negative changes. The Amex Platinum and Delta Reserve cards have high annual fees that will be harder to justify with limited lounge access beginning in 2025 — especially given the Amex Platinum raised its annual fee to $695 in 2021.
And while Delta’s move to only having one elite status metric makes earning status simpler, it’s going to be harder to earn for many travelers. This is the second year in a row that Delta has raised MQD requirements, but this time around, the airline also axed the MQD waiver offered by some Delta credit cards.
Those chasing Medallion status will still be able to earn with credit cards, but it will require a lot of spending. For example, with the Delta Reserve card earning $1 MQD per $10 spent, it will take spending $350,000 to earn Diamond Medallion or $180,000 to earn Platinum Medallion from credit card spend alone.
As a result, we could see elite status tiers thin and lounges become less crowded. At the same time, some Delta loyalists may be tempted to be a free-agent in regard to their airline loyalty and cancel their premium travel credit cards.
Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Platinum.
Click here for rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum
Click here for rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve.
Click here for rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Business Reserve.
Looking for a new travel credit card? Check out CNN Underscored’s list of the best credit cards currently available.