Originally Posted by
vvbelleg
So we could use the 37000 miles for a domestic flight, even if we don't have an elite status? We want to go to Denver (from Atlanta) in June.
Yes.
You really have two different balances on your account:
-Your SkyMiles balance never expires. These miles are redeemable for award tickets, but have zero bearing on your elite status.
-Your MQM (or Medallion Qualification Miles) balance is used to determine your elite status. If you accumulate enough MQMs throughout the year, you earn elite status. Your MQM balance resets to 0 at the start of every new year, though if you made it to elite status you will "roll over" anything extra. (For example, say you made Silver at 25,000 MQMs, but kept flying and ended the year at 30,000 MQMs. You would then roll over the extra 5,000 MQMs to the next year and have a bit of a head start on requalifying.) MQMs are not redeemable for anything, and are only used to determine your elite status.
It is possible to have lots of SkyMiles but not be elite if you fly just a little bit every year (not enough to earn Elite status before your MQM balance resets to 0 every January 1) or if all your SkyMiles come from credit cards.
Likewise, it is possible to be a high level elite with lots of MQMs (Platinum or Diamond) but have very few SkyMiles because you spent them all on award tickets.