Delta’s revised SkyMiles plan for 2024 and beyond presents an exciting opportunity. At considerable expense and effort, her wife had the opportunity to earn an income through the remainder of the year. 7 years Delta Diamond status, and lifetime platinum. This is an opportunity you can’t miss…
overview
My wife currently has Delta Diamond Medallion status but will be demoted to Platinum status in 2024. Currently, my wife has over 600,000 Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQM) remaining in her Delta account, but not enough to earn Diamond status. She currently has a $20,000 Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) requirement. Meanwhile, she is about 150,000 MQMs away from achieving her 2 million miler status.
Now consider two important things we learned about Delta Air Lines’ revamped SkyMiles program.
- Starting in 2024, Million Miler status levels will increase.
- Over 6 million from Diamond Medallions to Delta 360°™
- 5 meters from Platinum Medallion to Delta 360°™
- From platinum medallion to diamond medallion 4M
- 3M from gold medallion to diamond medallion
- 2 million from gold medallion to platinum medallion
- 1M from silver medallion to gold medallion
- Rollover MQMs: Members with more than 100,000 MQM rollover balances may elect to extend their 2024 Medallion status by one year for every 100,000 rollover MQMs.
The first point above means that if the wife achieves 2 million miler status: Lifetime Platinum Medallion Status (or until Delta Air Lines revise the program again). The second point means that if my wife can obtain Diamond status now for her 2024 Elite Year, she can file her MQM for rollover. Further diamond status over the years.
MQDs and Diamonds MQD Exemption
There are two options for your wife to achieve Diamond status this year. One is to pay enough for the flights (which she must fly this year) until she reaches her MQD of $20,000. This is a very high order considering she currently only has her MQD of $2,845. Had I planned it earlier in the year, I might have been able to do it with some creative mileage running (there are currently tricks to get more her MQDs on partner bookings, but those tricks will be discontinued next year). However, as of now, we don’t have time. We already have trips planned and work to do. That won’t happen.
Another option is to spend $250,000 on a Delta Platinum or Delta Reserve credit card to earn the Diamond MQD exemption. She has already paid her $64,000 into the Delta Reserve card, so she is “only” missing $186,000. She will also earn her MQM along the way and hopefully she will achieve 2 million miler status.
Credit card spending approach
The wife would need to pay an additional $186,000 on the Delta Platinum Card or Reserve Card to get the Diamond MQD exemption for a total of $250,000. She currently owns a Delta Reserve Business Card with her $64,000 in annual spend and a Delta Platinum Consumer Card with her $0 in spend to date.
- Goal: $250,000 in Delta Card spend | 2 million Milers
- Status: $64,000 in Delta Card Spending | 1,847K Lifetime MQM
Delta Reserve Business Card
If my wife spends an additional $56,000 on the Delta Reserve Business Card, she will earn two 15,000 Status Boosts for a total of 30,000 additional MQMs.
Status compared to target after completing the above expenditures:
- Goal: $250,000 in Delta Card spend | 2 million Milers
- Status: $120,000 in Delta Card Spending | 1,877K Lifetime MQM
delta platinum consumer card
If my wife spends $50,000 on the Delta Platinum Consumer Card, she will earn two 10,000 stat boosts for a total of 20,000 more MQMs.
Status compared to the target after completing the above cumulative expenditures:
- Goal: $250,000 in Delta Card spend | 2 million Milers
- Status: $170,000 in Delta Card Spending | 1,897K Lifetime MQM
Delta Reserve Consumer Card
When my wife upgrades her Platinum card to a Reserve card, she earns four 15,000 status boosts on $120,000 in spending, totaling 60,000 additional MQMs.
Status compared to the target after completing the above cumulative expenditures:
- Goal: $250,000 in Delta Card spend | 2 million Milers
- Status: Delta Card Spend $290,000 | 1,957K Lifetime MQM
delta platinum business card
My wife was able to downgrade her Delta Reserve Business Card to a Platinum Card. Then by paying $50,000 he can get two her 10,000 stat boosts and earn a total of 20,000 additional MQMs.
Status compared to the target after completing the above cumulative expenditures:
- Goal: $250,000 in Delta Card spend | 2 million Milers
- Status: $340,000 in Delta Card Spending | 1,977K Lifetime MQM
Adjusting your credit card plan (part 1)
The plan shown above would exceed the amount my wife would need to spend on a credit card to achieve Diamond status, but it would still fall short of 2 million miler status. Another approach for her is to plan so that her spending will be almost exactly her $250,000, and then if I earn her status boost with my Delta Her Reserve card and spend $2,000,000. Mylar is to present her with additional MQMs needed for her status.
The modified approach is:
- Wife’s Delta Reserve Business Card: Spend $56,000 Earn 30,000 MQMs
- Wife’s Delta Platinum Business Card (downgrade from Reserve): Earn 20,000 MQMs when you spend $50,000.
- Wife’s Delta Platinum Consumer Card: Earn 20,000 MQMs when you spend $50,000.
- Wife’s Delta Reserve Consumer Card (upgraded from Platinum): Earn 15,000 MQMs when you spend $30,000.
Status after using my wife’s card:
- Starting Status: $64,000 in Delta Card Spending | 1,847K Lifetime MQM
- Goal: $250,000 in Delta Card spend | 2 million Milers
- Post Card Status: $250,000 Delta Card Use | 1,932K Lifetime MQM
You can then add $120,000 to your Delta Reserve card and gift her four 15,000 MQM boosts to get closer to the Diamond status exemption.
- Status after MQM gift: $250,000 in wife’s Delta card usage + $120,000 in my card usage | 1,992K Lifetime MQM
Adjusting your credit card plan (part 2)
I don’t think it will take much effort to get my wife to 2 million miler status by the end of this year. My wife will have top-level status for many years to come, thanks to the ability to extend her status to Diamond with Rollover MQM. Through her regular travels, during which she would approach 2 million miler status. Starting in 2024, progression to Million Her Miler status will be determined entirely based on the number of miles flown. So let’s assume she flies at least her 15,000 miles each year on Delta or a Delta partner airline. If she was able to earn an additional 5 years of Diamond status thanks to the MQM rollover, and counting into 2024, she would have 6 years of Diamond status and earn 15,000 miles each year toward 2 million miler status. It will be. Even if she ends this year about 90,000 miles short of 2 million miler, you can rest assured that she will reach 2 million miler status before her Diamond status runs out.
So…let’s take the MQM that I was given completely off the table. She doesn’t need them. This leads to the following plan.
- Wife’s Delta Reserve Business Card: Spend $56,000 Earn 30,000 MQMs
- Wife’s Delta Platinum Business Card (downgrade from Reserve): Earn 20,000 MQMs when you spend $50,000.
- Wife’s Delta Platinum Consumer Card: Earn 20,000 MQMs when you spend $50,000.
- Wife’s Delta Reserve Consumer Card (upgraded from Platinum): Earn 15,000 MQMs when you spend $30,000.
- Starting Status: $64,000 in Delta Card Spending | 1,847K Lifetime MQM
- Goal: $250,000 in Delta Card spend | 2 million Milers
- Post Card Status: $250,000 Delta Card Use | 1,932K Lifetime MQM
Rollover MQM calculations
My wife currently has 607,608 MQMs. With the above card spending plan, she would earn an additional 85,000 MQM for a total of 692,608 MQM. Then, when she gains Diamond status, she will lose her 125,000 MQM required for Diamond status. In this case, her total rollover would be her 567,608 MQM. This is enough for her to get a 5 year diamond extension. Also very close to her 6th year on the Diamond extension. Hmm. Maybe I should gift MQM to my girlfriend’s wife after all. If I gift her 30,000 MQM from two Delta Reserve status boosts and she earns at least 2,392 MQM through flying by the end of 2023 (and I think she easily can), I give her another year. It will give you Diamond status. ! She will hold Diamond status for a total of seven years between the status she earns in 2024 and her six-year extension period.
big expense
This plan requires the following expenses:
- Wife’s Delta Reserve Business Card: Spend $56,000 Earn 30,000 MQMs
- Wife’s Delta Platinum Business Card (downgrade from Reserve): Earn 20,000 MQMs when you spend $50,000.
- Wife’s Delta Platinum Consumer Card: Earn 20,000 MQMs when you spend $50,000.
- Wife’s Delta Reserve Consumer Card (upgraded from Platinum): Earn 15,000 MQMs when you spend $30,000.
- My Delta Reserve Card: Spend $60,000 and earn 30,000 MQMs to give to my wife (I could have her spend this amount instead, but by spending it on my Delta Reserve Card, I also earn Diamond status) )
Total cost required: $246,000
oh.
This can be achieved through a combination of organic spending, artificial spending techniques, and estimated tax overruns. How much does it cost to generate $246,000 in expenses? In the worst case, he ends up paying a 3% fee or loses interest (because the money is tied up). In that case, the cost for the wife to obtain Diamond status for her 7 years would be her 3% of $246,000 = $7,380.
$7,380 seems like a lot, but considering she gets seven years of Diamond status and lifetime Platinum status, I think it’s a bargain. Consider that in addition to the status benefits, she also earns 246,000 redeemable miles on all that spending. This is worth at least her $2,460 in Delta Air Lines tickets. Plus, more importantly, you’ll earn her precious Diamond status for seven years.In my post, “What is Delta Air Lines Elite Status Worth?” I conservatively Diamond status value is estimated at $2,600. Therefore, the value of Diamond status over 7 years is conservatively $2,600 x 7 = $18,200. And that doesn’t take into account the value of lifetime platinum status. After holding Diamond status for seven years, you will earn Platinum status thereafter. I conservatively value platinum status at $900, so if I were to travel for another 10 years after my diamond status expires, it would be worth another $9,000.
conclusion
My wife only had one chance to earn Diamond status for 7 years by making large payments on her Delta card in a very short period of time. Additionally, this brings her closer to platinum status for the rest of her life. This opportunity will never come again, so she’s going for it. With my help, of course.
Next, you need to assess your delta status to see what to do. I’m not that close to her 2 million miler status nor am I earning that many MQMs of his. Still, this is the last time you can use your credit card to get closer to the next million miler level, and the only time you can earn multi-year Diamond status in one big push. I still need to run the numbers, but I’m tempted to give it a shot. In fact, careful readers may have noticed that I didn’t exactly optimize his wife’s plan. By spending less on your Platinum Card and more on your Reserve Card, you can earn more MQMs for about the same amount of money. However, the above plan leaves open the possibility of gifting SkyMiles in another direction. Perhaps I’m the one who needs more of her MQMs, so I reserve the possibility of increasing the amount spent on her Delta Reserve card to gift me her MQMs. to be continued…
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