Originally Posted by
xliioper
You seem to be missing the MQM to MQD conversion option. You can convert 150K of your rollover MQMs to 15K MQDs next year for Platinum status through 2025 (until Jan 2026). Less if you have a DL Plat/Reserve Amex card due to 2500 MQD initial boost. Getting Plat this year will get you a 2024 Choice Benefit and you'll be able to convert some more MQMs to miles (after using 100K MQM to extend Plat status through 2025), but it's probably not worth spending over $1200 to get those.
Somehow I had it in my mind that buying Platinum with MQM would only give it to me for 2025, not also 2024. I don't have those cards, but I could get one. Doing so would give me the same outcome in terms of status and SM as trying to accumulate the needed MQD this late in the year to get Platinum for 2024 (and 2025 for 100K MQM) for much less cost and zero time sitting on a plane during the holidays. The Choice Benefits aren't that useful to me for the cost they would incur, either. Thanks for the external perspective to help me see what was under my nose!