Reading Time: 3 minIf you're a Delta Medallion member who wants to maintain your elite status into next year, several strategies can get you to the next tier.
You can book paid flights with Delta Air Lines and its partners, earning valuable Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) based on how much you spend. A handful of premium Delta credit cards also offer an annual MQD boost to get you to status faster, and you earn MQDs based on credit card purchases, too.
For example, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card comes with a headstart of $2,500 MQDs toward elite status, and you earn $1 MQD for every $10 in purchases on the card. You also get other premium perks like Delta Sky Club access, a $200 Delta Stays credit, and an annual companion certificate.
Bonus tip: You can earn a MQD headstart with up to four Delta credit cards each year, for a total of $10,000 additional MQDs toward elite status annually.
Another strategy to earn Delta Medallion status — booking Delta Vacations packages — can help you earn or maintain status at a much faster pace.
While many Delta enthusiasts don't realize this, the primary traveler on Delta Vacations flight + hotel bookings earns MQDs based on their flight and the base hotel cost. Meanwhile, other travelers on the booking earn MQDs on the flight component of the booking only.
Take this seven-night stay I recently booked through Delta Vacations at the Impression Moxché by Secrets in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The total package price of our hotel stay and flights came out to $5,392.45 after we used a Delta Vacations coupon code.
From this amount, I (the primary traveler) will earn a total of $3,719 MQDs for the hotel and flight portion, while my husband earns $603 MQDs for his flight portion of the booking only. This is less than the total vacation cost implies, but remember that you only earn MQDs on the base hotel cost and flight — not on taxes and fees.
Earning $3,719 MQDs is a huge deal to me as a Delta Diamond Medallion member. I'm not going to hit the mark to earn Diamond status for the 2026 Medallion Year ($28,000 MQDs), but this booking will push me over the threshold to earn Platinum Medallion status ($15,000 MQDs) for next year.
Bonus tip: If you want to know the exact MQDs you'll earn for a Delta Vacations package, you can call Delta Vacations customer service at 1 (800) 800-1504 to inquire. I do this for each package since they don't show this information during the booking process.
While you should always do a price comparison across several platforms before you book a vacation package, Delta Vacations flight + hotel travel options can be less expensive than booking the same hotel directly.
In fact, the booking I made at the Impression Moxché by Secrets was a steal since this luxury hotel's rates typically exceed $800 per night for double occupancy.
When I checked earlier this year, I found I could book a hotel-only reservation directly at the same property for $5,715. That's more than I paid for the Delta Vacations package that includes both hotels and flights.
If you're a Delta enthusiast, make sure to check Delta Vacations offerings for your destination any time you're planning a vacation. The portal includes a range of hotels and resorts, including all-inclusive options, and you get to pair your stay with a Delta flight in any available cabin.
Not only will the primary traveler earn MQDs on the base fare for the hotel and their flight, but other travelers on the booking will earn MQDs on the flight component of their booking, too. The fact that Delta Vacation packages are often cheaper than booking elsewhere is just icing on the cake.
