Delta Air Lines extended the elite status of all of its SkyMiles Medallion members yesterday for another year. Will American Airlines and United Airlines follow?
Delta Air Lines Extends Elite Status For All SkyMiles Members
Yesterday, Delta became the first major U.S. airline to extend status for a second year for all of its elite SkyMiles members. That means your current status will be valid through January 31, 2023. In addition, all Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) your earn in 2021 will be rolled over to 2022, to help you get a jump start on earning elite status in 2023.
Interestingly, this move comes as domestic travel is surging again, in many cases exceeding 2019 levels (though business travel has yet to fully return).
To reward those who made the effort and spent the money to re-qualify or qualify for status this year based upon actual travel, Delta will prioritize those elite members for complimentary, space-available upgrades. For example, a Delta Diamond member who earns elite status by flying will have priority over a Delta Diamond member who simply maintains status due to this extension.
Furthermore, those who are granted a status extension will not be able to select new Choice Benefits, including confirmed upgrade certificates, Sky Club access, or bonus miles.
Will American + United Follow Delta In Extending Elite Status?
Both American Airlines and United Airlines have already made it fairly easy for elite members to re-qualify for elite status. Thus, I’m not convinced either will offer an outright extension of status like Delta.
In the case of American, earning 2,000 elite qualifying dollars (EQDs) or spending $15,000 on a co-branded American Airlines credit card will be enough to extend your status for another year. While not a direct giveaway, that makes elite status qualification a rather low-hanging fruit.
In the case of United, lucrative quarterly promotions mean that only limited flying is necessary to maintain status. I’m already close to re-qualifying for status this year and have spent very little on travel compared to previous years.
While it is conceivable that both American and United will extend status, I find it less likely they will do so than Delta. If they do, however, I expect similar limitations with confirmed upgrades and potentially upgrade priority.
Delta’s note to SkyMiles members about the status extension was also couched in an apology about the long hold times this summer, almost as if the extension was compensation for such poor customer service. AA and UA have also not experienced hold times nearly as bad.
CONCLUSION
Delta became the first major U.S. airline to extend status for all elite members for another year. While it is anyone’s guess as to whether American and United will follow, I tend to think that American and United will instead continue to offer very lucrative and easy promotions to re-qualify rather than just giving it away.
Are you happy Delta Air Lines extended status for another year?
Maybe I’m ignorant of United promotions, but according to my status tracker I need to spend another $10K and take 32 more flights to maintain 1K. I just started flying for business this week, this means for the rest of the year I need to be traveling almost weekly to keep 1K. Hopefully there’s more PQP bonuses coming as well as a lowering of flight requirements. Or I purposefully start booking connecting flights vs direct…
Did you sign up for this one?
https://liveandletsfly.com/elite-fast-track-promotion-united-airlines/
I called the 1k desk earlier this week to get some help with a reservation, and I also asked about possible extensions for elites. The lady told me that’s the rumor internally there. She seemed to suggest that it might not be for all elites, but might be just for those that are flying who can’t reach the status goal for the year. Definitely helps us when other airlines start to do it, forcing other airlines to follow so as not to lose elites to rivals.
I hope they do. It would look terrible if they didn’t.
I agree, they have to. I don’t care what anyone says, if they don’t they look bad. Who cares what promotions they’re running.
For their big money-makers- aka international business travelers- they will need to do this or risk everyone becoming free agents next year when international business travel (hopefully) ramps up. I’ve already hedged my bets and should be Platinum Pro on AA based on two trips within US thanks to a terrific status challenge they offered me. United has done crap-all to retain my decade+ of 1k loyalty.
That said, if AA and United are getting tons of people qualifying for high status via the lowered standards they offered people to qualify earlier this year, then they will have little to gain by offering to extend status holders. Again, if I am understanding their motivations correctly (to get loyal customers). Someone somewhere must be running the numbers (I hope) and seeing how much revenue their past 1k status people garnered them and comparing it to how many of those highest spenders are going to be able to retain their status. It’s good to have lots of loyal customers, its even better if they spend a lot of money (by buying business class international fares).
Your point is a good one – ultimately, UA and AA will run the numbers and do what makes the most sense for them. I do think, at the very least, those members in Europe and Asia will see their status extended.
” I do think, at the very least, those members in Europe and Asia will see their status extended.”
Hail to thee, Thane of LALF!
Mind you the benefits come with a cost… So if they give me AA platinum for next year, then I can book free main extra seats for my family… Seats that are already becoming full very quickly right now (let alone for next year). If everyone becomes a free agent there isn’t a net increase in spending…. United 1k chooses to book full price on American and vice versa
Question: will all MQM earned in 2021 roll over into 2022 or ALL MQMs now sitting on the account will rollover into 2022? That is a huge difference since I currently have all MQMs that rolled over from 2020 on my account as well.
Good question. I’ll find out.
@Matthew: This is what is written on the email I received from Delta today:
“All SkyMiles Members will roll over all MQMs that they have at the end of 2021 into 2022. These MQMs will be counted toward earning 2023 Medallion Status. This includes MQMs from travel and any Status Boosts from your Delta SkyMiles American Express Platinum or Reserve Card, and any MQMs you rolled over from 2020 to 2021 – all MQMs in the account at the end of 2021. For example, if you rolled over 20,000 MQMs from 2020 to 2021 and earned an additional 20,000 MQMs in 2021, your final balance on December 31, 2021 will be 40,000 MQMs, and all 40,000 will be rolled over and counted toward earning 2023 Medallion Status. If you have 5,000 MQMs in your account on December 31, 2021, all 5,000 will be rolled over and counted toward earning 2023 Medallion Status.”
This is HUGE!!!!! In my case, I have a ton of MQM’s from 2020 (mostly from credit card signups) that will now rollover again and will count towards my 2023 Medallion status.
No speculation on AS? I will requalify for Gold 75K in a few weeks.
UA should not follow DL. I already requalified for UA 1K.
I am Platinum with Delta but stopped flying with them in May when the phone waits became unbearable.
As a European I haven’t flown a single Star Alliance mile this year. Since the US gov decided to continue the travel ban, there’s no way to requalify my 1K, even with all their promos. Would be a shame to lose it.
I’m good with the $2K spend for AA Plat. just hope the 77W hold MIA-LAX in late October 😉
Do you have to earn minimum status to have MQMs rolled over if you had your status rolled over from 2020 to 2021?
I thought United was pretty fair with their promotions this year. I am at PQP of 14,439 as of May by spending 1/2 of that. Resisting spending any more until the next promotion. This year is great for adding multiple airlines to your basket of statuses.