Award Travel Skymiles / Medallion Status
Jun 28, 2017, 9:03 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 11
Award Travel Skymiles / Medallion Status
First post- please be gentle with me 
Tried searching for the answer but confused still so thought Id ask. Apologies if its been asked before.
Currently Gold Medallion status and have earned enough for Silver Medallion for next year. I have some good mileage I can use for award free travel.
Questions:
1) If I use the miles for award travel, does that change my current medallion status? How about my silver status for next year, is that affected?
2) If I do end up using the miles for award free travel, does that travel also earn me miles towards Medallion status??
Thanks in advance everyone!
Tried searching for the answer but confused still so thought Id ask. Apologies if its been asked before.
Currently Gold Medallion status and have earned enough for Silver Medallion for next year. I have some good mileage I can use for award free travel.
Questions:
1) If I use the miles for award travel, does that change my current medallion status? How about my silver status for next year, is that affected?
2) If I do end up using the miles for award free travel, does that travel also earn me miles towards Medallion status??
Thanks in advance everyone!
Jun 28, 2017, 9:11 am
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
2) If I do end up using the miles for award free travel, does that travel also earn me miles towards Medallion status??
Jun 28, 2017, 9:18 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 11
I'm not quite sure what you're asking here, but it sounds like you're concerned that redeeming miles will move you backwards, that's not the case. Status is determined by MQM (medallion qualification miles), not RDM (redeemable miles). When you use RDM to acquire tickets it doesn't affect your MQM.
- You got me exactly right, and thanks for confirming that redeeming miles wont move me back!
If you are buying normal award tickets, the answer is no. However, if you buy regular revenue tickets but use the "pay with miles" option, then the answer is yes.
- You got me exactly right, and thanks for confirming that redeeming miles wont move me back!
If you are buying normal award tickets, the answer is no. However, if you buy regular revenue tickets but use the "pay with miles" option, then the answer is yes.
Jun 28, 2017, 9:30 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,021
Pay with Miles is an option for using miles to partially/wholly pay for revenue tickets at the rate of .01/mile. So you could use 10,000 miles to reduce your ticket price by $100. Unlike award tickets, these tickets earn MQM's (based on mileage), and miles/MQD's for the portion paid with cash. Award tickets earn no MQM's/MQD's/miles. It is only open to holders of a Delta American Express card. If you don't have a card, it will not be an option for you.
Jun 29, 2017, 9:56 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: CHS
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 508
OP: please note though, that "pay with miles" and "cash + miles" are different. You won't earn miles if you use the "cash + miles" option, only the "pay with miles" option. Seems silly, I know, but that's the way it is.