Delta Air Lines will not raise its Medallion elite status requirements for 2027, according to The Points Guy. That makes 2027 the third straight year without a major increase to the airline’s qualification thresholds, giving current and aspiring Medallion members another year to work toward status under the same rules.
The decision matters for travelers weighing their loyalty between Delta and competitors like United Airlines, which has already raised the bar for its top-tier fliers heading into 2027.
What Delta Confirmed For 2027
SkyMiles members will need the same number of Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) in 2027 that they needed this year:
- Silver Medallion: 5,000 MQDs
- Gold Medallion: 10,000 MQDs
- Platinum Medallion: 15,000 MQDs
- Diamond Medallion: 28,000 MQDs
Every member’s MQD balance resets on Jan. 1, 2027, and any MQDs earned above a tier’s threshold don’t carry over. Status earned during 2027 applies once a member qualifies, runs through all of 2028 and expires Jan. 31, 2029. Delta calls that window its 2028 Medallion Year, so the same thresholds may show up as “2028 Medallion Status” on the airline’s website.
How Members Earn MQDs
The earning rules aren’t changing either. Flights marketed by Delta and Delta Vacations packages earn one MQD for every dollar spent. Flights both marketed and operated by eligible partner airlines work differently, earning MQDs based on distance flown and the fare class booked.
Card spending counts, too. Holders of eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express cards earn MQDs on everyday purchases, and the Platinum, Platinum Business, Reserve and Reserve Business cards each add a 2,500-MQD head start every qualification year.
What It Means For Current And Aspiring Members
For travelers already chasing Medallion status, the freeze means the same spending and flying patterns that worked in 2026 will carry the same weight in 2027. Anyone who fell just short of a tier this year doesn’t have to account for a higher bar next year, and new members starting from zero face the same thresholds that have applied since Delta’s last major overhaul.
How Delta Got Here
That stability follows a rocky stretch for Delta’s loyalty program. In September 2023, Delta announced a SkyMiles overhaul that made spending the only path to Medallion status and sharply raised the MQD bar, pushing Silver from 3,000 to 6,000 MQDs and Diamond from 20,000 to 35,000. Members pushed back hard, and CEO Ed Bastian conceded that Delta “probably went too far,” according to The Associated Press.
On Oct. 18, 2023, Delta scaled back every tier to the levels still in place today, including 5,000 MQDs for Silver and 28,000 for Diamond. Those requirements remain higher than they were before the overhaul but have never reached what Delta first proposed.
At the time, Delta executives said they hoped the restructuring would keep the airline from raising and adjusting status requirements every year, according to The Points Guy. Three consecutive years without a major increase suggest that goal has held so far.
How Delta Compares With Other Airlines
Delta’s steady approach stands in contrast to United Airlines. Starting in 2027, United will stop counting flight segments toward Premier status, making Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) the only metric that matters. It’s also raising the bar for its top Premier 1K tier from 28,000 to 32,000 PQPs.
United is courting Delta’s elites directly, too. The airline extended a status match offer to Medallion members, pitching the Starlink Wi-Fi it’s installing on its planes as a reason to switch.
Southwest Airlines also adjusted some status thresholds as part of a larger Rapid Rewards overhaul. American Airlines is the largest U.S. carrier that hasn’t yet detailed its requirements for the coming year. American’s status year doesn’t start until March, so any AAdvantage changes may not surface for a couple more months.
What’s Next
MQDs reset for all Delta members on Jan. 1, 2027, kicking off the new qualification period under the unchanged thresholds. Travelers watching how loyalty programs shift across the industry can also track Delta’s broader 2026 operating outlook and American Airlines’ eventual announcement on its own requirements once the carrier’s new status year approaches in March.
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