It’s frequent for airways to supply some type of standing problem or standing match program, to be able to lure frequent flyers who’re loyal to competing airways, however are contemplating a swap. In the USA, most main airways provide some type of a standing match problem alternative, together with Alaska, American, JetBlue, Southwest, and United.
On this publish, I would like to check out this system provided by Delta, to replicate the small print of this system for 2025. In 2024 we noticed Delta SkyMiles utterly change how standing is earned, so the standing match problem displays that.
Delta SkyMiles standing match as of January 2025
Delta SkyMiles has a printed standing match problem program. With this, you may have your standing matched for a interval of three months, after which your standing may be prolonged based mostly on qualifying exercise inside that trial interval. Because it stands, Delta is providing this program to be able to earn Silver, Gold, or Platinum standing (it’s not accessible for Diamond or Delta 360 standing).
What standing will Delta match?
Delta SkyMiles has a really open-ended standing match problem program, open not simply to elite members of different US airways, but in addition to elite members of every kind of worldwide applications. Delta SkyMiles will match standing from the next applications:
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Alaska Mileage Plan
- All Nippon Airways Mileage Membership
- American AAdvantage
- Asiana Membership
- British Airways Government Membership
- Copa ConnectMiles
- Japan Airways Mileage Financial institution
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Lufthansa Miles & Extra
- South African Airways Voyager
- Southwest Speedy Rewards
- United MileagePlus
- Virgin Australia Velocity
You probably have standing with different airways not on the listing (excluding Delta airline companions), you may nonetheless submit your request to take part within the problem. Elite tiers usually map over as you’d anticipate, with lowest tier standing matching to Silver, mid-tier standing matching to Gold, and better standing tiers matching to Platinum. Discover the total breakdown right here.
As soon as efficiently enrolled in a Delta SkyMiles standing match problem, your standing shall be legitimate for 3 months, after which you may preserve that standing with additional qualifying exercise.
How do you preserve Delta standing?
Whereas Delta offers you Medallion standing for a interval of three months, if you wish to preserve the standing past that, you must earn a sure variety of Medallion Qualifying {Dollars} (MQDs) over the course of the trial interval. Particularly:
- Silver Medallion standing requires incomes 1,250 MQDs
- Platinum Medallion standing requires incomes 2,500 MQDs
- Platinum Medallion standing requires incomes 3,750 MQDs
What exercise counts towards the MQD requirement? There are three main methods to earn MQDs:
- You possibly can earn MQDs for flying, as you earn one MQD for each eligible greenback spent on airfare; you may even earn MQDs for award flights
- You possibly can earn MQDs for Delta Holidays packages, permitting you rack up factors for flights, resorts, rental vehicles, and extra
- You possibly can earn MQDs for bank card spending, on the price of 1 MQD per $10-20 spent, with no restrict to the variety of MQDs one can earn
Extra particular to the bank card spending choice, right here’s how MQDs are racked up:
Which means that $37,500 of bank card spending on the Delta Reserve would full the necessities of the Platinum Medallion standing problem.
There’s one different fascinating wrinkle right here. With the Delta standing match problem, you may preserve the identical or decrease standing tier to what you matched. In different phrases:
- Should you begin a Delta Platinum standing problem however solely full the problem requirement for Silver standing, you’d obtain Silver standing for an extended interval
- The other isn’t true, which is to say that should you begin a Delta Silver standing problem and full the problem necessities for Platinum standing, you’d nonetheless solely obtain Silver standing
How lengthy is matched Delta standing legitimate for?
Should you efficiently full the Delta standing problem (past the preliminary three month trial), then standing shall be legitimate for the complete the rest of the present 12 months, plus the complete following 12 months, plus by way of the tip of January of the 12 months after that.
Which means that should you accomplished a standing problem any time in 2025, it might be legitimate by way of January 31, 2027. If timed proper, finishing a standing problem may get you standing for as much as two years, give or take.
How do you request a Delta standing problem?
You can begin the method of requesting a Delta standing match problem at this hyperlink. A number of issues to notice:
- Your standing problem is for a interval of three months, although it doesn’t should line up with calendar months, so you can begin it at any time
- The standing problem begins inside 24 hours of receiving affirmation of being authorised
- When you efficiently full a standing problem, your account shall be upgraded with the prolonged standing inside a interval of 5 days
- Members who’re matched to Platinum standing won’t be eligible for Selection Advantages till the flight requirement to take care of Platinum standing is met
- You received’t be issued a bodily elite card till after you full the problem
- Standing challenges aren’t “as soon as in a lifetime,” however relatively you’re not eligible should you’ve in any other case requested a standing problem up to now three years; this can be a rather more beneficiant coverage than with different applications
What are the advantages of Delta elite standing?
What are Delta SkyMiles standing perks like?
A few of the hottest advantages of Silver Medallion standing embrace:
- Complimentary upgrades in most home markets
- Complimentary Consolation+ seating at time of check-in
- Precedence check-in and boarding
- One complimentary checked bag
- A 40% mileage bonus (7x miles per greenback spent)
A few of the hottest advantages of Gold Medallion standing embrace:
- Complimentary upgrades in most home markets
- Complimentary Consolation+ seating three days earlier than departure
- Precedence check-in, boarding, and safety
- Two complimentary checked luggage
- A 60% mileage bonus (8x miles per greenback spent)
- SkyTeam Elite Plus standing
A few of the hottest advantages of Platinum Medallion standing embrace:
- Complimentary upgrades in most home markets
- Complimentary Consolation+ seating at time of reserving
- Precedence check-in, boarding, and safety
- Three complimentary checked luggage
- An 80% mileage bonus (9x miles per greenback spent)
- SkyTeam Elite Plus standing
Upgrades are arguably probably the most beneficial profit, and people are prioritized by standing. The upper your standing, the higher the chances of these clearing. It’s essential to be reasonable — don’t anticipate that you just’ll be seeing too many upgrades as a Silver Medallion member, for instance. For that matter, at the same time as a Diamond Medallion member you must handle your expectations, given the % of premium seats that Delta sells.
Is a Delta standing problem value it?
Delta’s standing match problem program is fairly common on the floor — you may earn the three entry stage elite tiers, you obtain standing for 3 months, after which you may prolong that standing with qualifying exercise.
I do assume one noteworthy characteristic of Delta’s program is that you may request a standing match problem as soon as each three years. In different phrases, should you requested a standing match problem in early 2025, the standing could be legitimate by way of January 2027 (at the side of qualifying exercise). Then in 2028 you can request one other problem.
It’s attainable the principles will change over time, although Delta’s standing problem is among the many extra available in that sense. So collaborating in a problem as soon as doesn’t actually forestall you from doing so sooner or later. For somebody who flies Delta sometimes, that side of this system is fairly cool.
Backside line
Delta SkyMiles provides a Medallion standing match problem program. With this, you may have your standing matched for a interval of three months, after which your standing may be renewed with qualifying exercise. That is solely accessible as much as the Platinum tier, although.
No matter what time of 12 months you request a problem, a profitable problem would get you standing for the complete following 12 months, which is superior. Moreover, you may request a standing problem each three years. You possibly can even fulfill the problem necessities with bank card spending.
Have any OMAAT readers taken half in a Delta standing problem? If that’s the case, what was your expertise like?
