I literally just reached AA EXP this month for the first time, only for my company to officially announce that our new preferred carrier is now Delta.

Thank goodness this new Delta status match program is excellent. Only one problem: one of the requirements is that you have taken one Delta flight (higher than basic economy) in the past 3 years. Doesn’t seem like an unreasonable requirement, but darn it… my last Delta flight was in 2020. I never personally enjoyed the idea of doing “mileage runs,” but I sure am tempted.

I actually have a Delta trip coming up in March that will yield $4,300 MQDs (enough to achieve the challenge in just a single round trip). Is it crazy for me to consider just taking a quick cheap February flight on Delta to anywhere/nowhere just to qualify?

Edit: Delta seems to have updated the wording, and now only non-US based members are required to have flown on a Delta flight in the last 3 years:

“solely for non-U.S. based members, within the last 3 years as a SkyMiles Member have flown on at least 1 Delta-marketed flight on a fare class higher than Basic Economy”