***UPDATE: The MQD’s from each card hit exactly 45 days from opening the card. I was upgraded on both of my Jan 2025 flights, departing from Norfolk and JFK and my companion was upgraded to Comfort+.

Earning status on any airline can prove to be beneficial or fail miserably depending on what you desire in status. Two months ago, I would have argued that the lower tiers of status are merely a carrot to trod you in the direction of more spending, making many travelers question, Is Delta status worth it? While my opinion still holds truth, I may start chasing status more often, and here’s why.

Towards the end of 2023, I noticed that I was within a few hundred MQD’s of Delta Silver. Because you earn an annual head start of 2500 Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD’s) for each eligible Delta card, both personal and business, I could sign up for the Delta business Platinum and Reserve cards, do my Christmas spending on the Delta Reserve where I would also earn 1 MQD per $10 dollars spent and I could get to Delta Gold Status by the end of 2023 and keep it until Jan 2024.

At the end of October 2024, I had 4228 MQD’s and this was my plan to get to gold status for 2025.

• $8000 spent on my new Reserve card earning 1 MQD/$10 = 800 MQD’s
• Delta Reserve Business Card- 2500 MQD head start boost
• Delta Platinum Business Card – 2500 MQD head start boost

Total – 10,028 MQD’s or Delta Gold

According to Delta’s terms and conditions, although the head start boost from the credit cards will take 6-8 weeks to post to my account, they will count towards my eligibility year giving me gold status through Jan 2026. 

I flew Delta on December 29, 2023 and the credit card spend had posted so I was classified as Silver. Departing from Norfolk, a smaller airport, I was pleasantly surprised when my travel companion and I received an upgrade to First Class after checking in and 24 hours prior to departure. 

Delta Gold status benefits provide a wealth of advantages designed to enhance your travel experience. Some of the key perks include:

• Unlimited Complimentary Upgrades: Fly in a higher class at no extra cost, enhancing your travel experience.
• Sky Priority Services: Enjoy expedited security, priority boarding, and dedicated check-in for seamless airport navigation.
• Waived Same-Day Confirmed Fees: Change travel plans without fees for greater flexibility.
• Increased Mileage Earning: Earn 7 miles per dollar on Delta flights for faster accumulation of travel rewards.
• Free Checked Bags: Check your first bag free for yourself and up to 8 companions, saving on baggage fees.

Do the same for this paragraph: I have another Delta flight scheduled for the end of January, and as of Jan 14th, my account remains at Silver status. I’m eager to see the upgrade outcome if nothing changes but I anticipate that my status will be updated by then, which means I would not get the chance to see if Silver is enough to get good benefits at the right airport.

Perhaps I’ve discovered a little hack in airline status. If your home airport fits the right profile thus giving you an outsized ratio of everyday travelers to those with status, maybe even just a little status can take you quite far.

Want to learn more about Deltas credit cards? Click here