Dec 31, 2018, 10:40 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

Last edit by: Pat89339

For each request, please include the following information:

Departure Airport:
Miles Needed:
Required Spend or Budget:
Available Travel Dates:
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*:

For each response. Please quote the original request. DO NOT START A SEPARATE THREAD.

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NOTE: You will have greater chances of success if you have greater flexibility on travel dates and cost. If you need a lot of MQMs on weekends only for < 5 cpm it probably won't happen.

Other creative possibilities depending how many MQMs you need:

signup bonuses for various DL-branded AMEX cards (usually have a spend requirement)
if you already have planned travel, consider buying up (in advance, not at check in) for 50% MQM bonus and more flexible same-day-confirmed options which are another way to increase MQMs
Hilton 250 MQMs per stay of 2 nights or more
if you are close to a threshold Delta often will offer a buy-up (at exorbitant prices). 2016 thread, and speculation/anticipation thread for 2017

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*"Required Metal or Codeshares" is, approximately, asking whether you need a flight operated specifically by Delta or if partner flights are ok. If you are just looking for MQMs to hit a Medallion tier the normal way, then the answer is yes. If you are doing a status challenge, the answer is also probably yes, but read the T&C of your challenge carefully to be sure (for the regular status challenge the answer is also "yes")

NOTE: some partner flights earn MQMs at reduced rates. See this chart for more info.

Newcomers may also be interested in the FlyerTalk Glossary

DL/Sky Team: 2019 Consolidated Mileage/Status/Challenge Runs help needed

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Sep 28, 2019, 5:06 pm

#376

techsensei

Join Date: Aug 2019

Location: Netherlands

Programs: Flying Blue, Miles & More, Matmid

Posts: 8

So I have to be in BUD (departing AMS) on May 31 for a wedding, but I can’t seem to find any reasonably priced flights that would give me good XP/€. Am I doing something wrong?

Also, I have 72XP and would really like to get to Silver by the end of the year (would be a shame not to reach it having gotten this far). Any good suggestions going out of AMS?

Sep 29, 2019, 8:36 am

#377

JJBone

Join Date: Sep 2019

Posts: 2

Thanks canuck_traveler! Appreciate the info!

Sep 29, 2019, 9:35 pm

#378

MSPeconomist

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Sep 2009

Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM

Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM

Posts: 100,417

Quote:

Originally Posted by y528s

Departure Airport: MCI
Miles Needed: 21,000
Required Spend or Budget: No required spend.
Available Travel Dates: First week in November or Second week in December
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Looking to qualify for DL Gold Medallion, not a status challenge.

If you need 21,000 MQMs for Gold (is 21,000 really the exact number?), this means that you're flying probably at most 29,000 miles per year. Given your travel patterns, it might not be worthwhile to go for Gold.

Sep 30, 2019, 10:13 am

#379

MikeDTW

Join Date: Sep 2019

Programs: Delta

Posts: 2

Delta MQM Help

Departure Airport: DTW (could do ORD also)
Miles Needed: 20,000
Required Spend or Budget: $1500
Available Travel Dates: Most weekends
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: A350 preferred but open

Sep 30, 2019, 2:41 pm

#380

canuck_traveler

Join Date: May 2010

Posts: 1,895

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeDTW

Departure Airport: DTW (could do ORD also)
Miles Needed: 20,000
Required Spend or Budget: $1500
Available Travel Dates: Most weekends
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: A350 preferred but open

Delta A350 flies mostly to Europe or Asia. To Europe will probably mean that you will need to take two trips to earn the desired mileage. To Asia will most likely mean 3 days of traveling so Saturday-Sunday travel may not be enough (though you can do DTW-ICN return in two days with business or premium economy class just getting you the desired mileage.)

Do you have a Chinese visa?

Oct 1, 2019, 9:01 am

#381

divrdrew

Join Date: Jun 2003

Location: Tampa, FL

Programs: Hilton Diamond, Delta Platinum

Posts: 1,732

Please help with ideas...

Departure Airport: TPA
Miles Needed: 8200 for Platinum
Required Spend or Budget: No spend requirement...just need EQMs
Available Travel Dates: Oct 12/13, Nov 1/2/3, Nov 15/16/17, Nov 23/24
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: As long as I get EQMs, I don't care who I fly

I found a $1,000 TPA-ATL-HNL, out on Nov 1, back on Nov 2 but can't use miles to upgrade on the return. Would prefer that ability for any overnight flights. Have only two-day or three-day turns open on just a few weekends in October / November. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Oct 1, 2019, 9:14 am

#382

MSPeconomist

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Sep 2009

Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM

Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM

Posts: 100,417

Quote:

Originally Posted by canuck_traveler

It's easy for the "OP" to check which nonstop TPAC/TATL routes from DTW have the A350. For insurance, you could search for PS and then verify aircraft type. With one stop to Asia, the additional choices on DL would be MSP, SLC, LAX, SEA and maybe PDX.

Unless you can do a creative routing for TPAC, you won't earn 20,000 MQMs in coach, so look for particularly good PS fares, all of which earn 150% MQM on DL flights.

Especially in coach, mainland China and SIN flights seem particularly cheap.

BTW is it the case that *exactly* 20,000 MQMs are needed? DTW-MSP-HND//HND-MSP-DTW in PS would be close, but IIRC it's currently the 777 with suites and PS.

Oct 1, 2019, 10:03 am

#383

Shimony

Join Date: Oct 2019

Posts: 2

First comment :)

Hey guys!
Mt first comment here in the forum
And also I'm quite new to this game so go easy on me
Looking for a way to achive silver status till the end of the year with one\two round trips
I'm considering few options but really looking forward to hear what you guys have in mind

Departure Airport: TLV
Miles Needed: 12,000 MQMs
Required Spend or Budget: 1000$ tops
Available Travel Dates: long weekends till the end of December
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: -

Any finds?

Oct 1, 2019, 12:44 pm

#384

eneq

Join Date: Apr 2019

Location: DEN

Programs: DL DM

Posts: 583

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shimony

TLV-LHR-LAX on Virgin Atlantic in Y for $864. MQMs: 15,376
Link: https://www.google.com/flights#flt=T...96*2.USD.86096

The above fair is available multiple dates throughout the rest of the year.

If your budget is flexible, you can fly in Y+ for $1111. The LAX-LHR legs are on a 787, so Y+ would be in a much more comfortable seat.

Oct 1, 2019, 12:56 pm

#385

MSPeconomist

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Sep 2009

Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM

Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM

Posts: 100,417

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shimony

Excuse me, but why? You're flying only about half of the requirement for FO status, which doesn't give many benefits anyway. What do you expect to get next year from having DL FO status for maybe 10,000-15,000 miles on SkyTeam and other DL partner flights?

Oct 1, 2019, 4:11 pm

#386

Shimony

Join Date: Oct 2019

Posts: 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by eneq

TLV-LHR-LAX on Virgin Atlantic in Y for $864. MQMs: 15,376
Link:

The above fair is available multiple dates throughout the rest of the year.

If your budget is flexible, you can fly in Y+ for $1111. The LAX-LHR legs are on a 787, so Y+ would be in a much more comfortable seat.

Thanks! Defently check that out
Any idea for non-US trip?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSPeconomist

Hi thanks for the answer!
I already have 13K MQMs.. So only checking if its worth to fly and extra half for them or just throw them away..
Also I'm having KLM flight next March TLV-AMS-SFO-AMS-TLV and thought maybe to get FO status before that in this year already.
should i just let it go? Not worth the effort (cost wise)?

Oct 1, 2019, 6:24 pm

#387

Kenneth Taylor

Join Date: Oct 2015

Posts: 5

Need 12500 Delta MQMs by end of year

Departure Airport: ATL
Miles Needed: 12500
Required Spend or Budget: N/A
Available Travel Dates: Weekend Travel, best in December
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: None.

Oct 2, 2019, 7:50 am

#388

book1monte

Join Date: Oct 2019

Programs: DL

Posts: 1

Departure Airport: ATL
Miles Needed: 20,000 or more
Required Spend or Budget:cheapest preferred but maximum $2,000 (flexible)
Available Travel Dates: November 22nd - 30th
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: anything yielding high MQM for DL

really trying to hit platinum for 2020

Oct 2, 2019, 12:26 pm

#389

canuck_traveler

Join Date: May 2010

Posts: 1,895

Quote:

Originally Posted by book1monte

Some considerations:

1) ATL-SIN on Delta for about 20,000 MQMs (various dates within listed travel period)
2) Reposition to LAX (~$450) and do a LAX-JNB run on Virgin Atlantic ($1157 Economy or $1377 Economy Delight) and earn between 22,000 - 27,000 MQMs (Saturday, Nov 23 departure from LAX)
3) Reposition to JFK (~$550) and do a JFK-SIN run on China Eastern (as low as $510) and earn about 22,000 MQMs (various dates within listed travel period)

Oct 2, 2019, 7:02 pm

#390

DCNYSFLA

Join Date: Oct 2019

Posts: 10

Trying to keep DM Status

Hello friends,

I’m pretty close to keeping my DM status for 2020 but am slightly nervous that I may not make it so considering adding some additional MQM and MQD as a cushion

Departure Airport: LAX
Miles Needed: 10,000
Required Spend or Budget: $1500-2000 MQD
Available Travel Dates: 11/30-12/8 + December weekends.
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: codeshares okay

I found a biz flight on MU from LAX-ICN via PVG from 11/30-12/3 for about $2075. Do it or are there other options?

Thank you so much for the help!