Stretching Your Dollar: Delta Airlines Raises Thresholds to Earn Elite Status

<div class="block">Loyal Delta Airline flyers were shocked to hear about the slew of changes coming to the company&#39;s loyalty program, which includes limited access to its many airport sky lounges. Summer Hull, director of content at The Points Guy, joined &#39;Stretching Your Dollar&#39; to run down the changes customers can expect from the new system.</div>

Stretching Your Dollar

Delta already sparked outrage by announcing new limits on who can use its airport lounges. But that update is just one part of a major overhaul coming to the airlines loyalty program for a look at what these changes mean for you and how they stack up against the competition. I'm joined by Summer Hall director of content at The Point Sky Summer. Welcome. So let's start with these Delta lounges who will lose access under this new policy moving forward. Yeah, there are so many changes that came out from Delta last week. I do not blame people for not being able to keep up with them. Um But here's what you need to know. So with the lounges, this is gonna kick in starting next year, but the Big Hammer drops in 2025 when it depends what credit card you have if you can get in at all anymore. So only those with the top tier cards, the Delta reserve you'll still be able to get in. But now you're capped. Instead of being able to do it every trip, you get 10 visits a year with the card. And if you've been getting in with your MX platinum that's gonna drop to six if you had their mid tier card, the platinum, the Delta platinum, it's not gonna get you in at all anymore. So do any other airlines make it easier to earn those airport lounge access. So knock on wood right now, pretty much every other major us airline makes it easier. Delta to their credit has had a lot of crowding problems. So they're not just doing this out of nowhere. You may have seen if you travel a lot, the lounge is to get in like the Delta Sky Club at JFK. They're kind of notorious. Um, other airlines haven't had quite as bad of a problem from what we've seen anecdotally. So with United and American, they still have unlimited lounge visits when you have their top tier credit card and you can still buy lounge memberships with them a lot easier with Delta. You have to actually have elite status to even buy a membership. And Delta is also changing how you earn those frequent flyer miles that so many of us love. Can you still earn by booking flights on Delta? And of course they're partner airlines you can. And the good news is that you're redeemable miles. So the ones that you're gonna earn and use to actually book that award ticket that really hasn't changed so much, what really changed a lot are what the changes that were announced last week were related to earning elite status with Delta. So what they're gonna be moving to if you want to learn elite status is a program that's entirely based on the dollars you spend in the program and on a couple of other activities like car rentals and Delta vacations and the thresholds are gonna get a lot higher. So if you want to earn even their lowest tier silver status starting next year, it's gonna take 6000 of what they call medallion qualifying dollars, which essentially means you're gonna have to spend $6000 with the program even just for silver status. How does that compare to the way you are? Earn rewards and other airlines programs? It's higher kind of like with the lounges, they're setting the bar higher here. So the most similar similar program to them is American who rolled out loyalty points last year. But there's more ways to earn loyalty points than there are in Delta's program and the threshold, it looks higher because they count differently, but it's actually lower when you take earning into account. Same with United United is a pretty convoluted system at the moment. So it factors in not only how much you spend but how many flights you take, but it is still lower across the board in terms of requirements than Delta's new system will be. So summer, let's say you currently have gold medallion status on Delta. What do these changes mean for you? It means it's gonna be harder to re qualify. Um, the benefits of the status aren't changing so much. But what is changing is that threshold to earn? And in some cases, it's doubling what it was even just a year ago once these changes take effect. So yes, you've got a couple more ways to earn, but not nearly as much with American. And your threshold in many cases is, is literally doubled or worse at the top end. So maybe there will be fewer elites in your status here going forward. So you get more of those upgrades, but it's going to take a lot more effort to actually earn it. And you mentioned this a moment ago. What about those Delta branded credit cards? Do you still earn mileage points for spending? Yeah. So again, if we're talking about the redeemable miles that you're gonna use to cash in for your frequent flyer ticket, not so much has really changed on that end, still use your Delta miles for those. But what is gonna change is if you care about Delta elite status and only the top two cards in Delta's kind of card portfolio work. So when this all kicks in your Delta reserve, which is 500 $50 a year and issued by Amex that will earn you for every $10 you spend one medallion qualifying dollar and their mid tier Delta platinum card will also work, but it's earning is half of that. So for every $20 you put on the card, you earn one Delta medallion qualifying dollar. And the question, I think many of us are wondering which co branded credit cards give you the most bang for your buck. Well, with Delta, if you're going to stay in this ecosystem, they're creating, you're gonna probably want the reserve the highest end card. It will still get you in the lounge 10 times a year and it will be your best for earning in their elite program. But honestly, a lot of people these days, even in my world where we care about this stuff, a lot are going what we're calling free agent and we're stepping away from being tied to one airline quite so heavily because it really, the system is now kind of going back to one that's tiered for business travelers, people who spend an awful lot of money on travel. And if you are gonna go free agent, then there's a lot of cards to pick from Chase Sapphire or Reserve and Preferred or great capital. One venture has a growing network of lounges. Their venture X card is good. Um And we have a whole list of all the best travel cards on the point sky. But if you're sticking with Delta, you probably want the reserve summer. We have about 30 seconds. But I wanna ask again, going back to what you just said. Do you, do you think it makes more sense to maybe enroll in multiple reward programs rather than staying loyal to one specific airline for most people. I mean, if you fly the same route, week after week, business travel or heavy spend leisure travel, then it can still make sense for you. But if you're having to like come up with ways to win in these new programs, you're probably better just booking flights based on price and schedule, get you a solid flexible rewards, earning credit card and be your own loyalty program that rewards yourself in books where it makes sense. Love that advice. Thank you so much. Summer hall, director of the content at the points guy. Thank you summer.