Delta Alternative Advantages: Information to picking your advantages

Many vacationers consider the Delta SkyMiles program has decreased in worth over time. Nonetheless, Delta Medallion standing could be extraordinarily worthwhile for those who journey with Delta Air Strains recurrently. One significantly worthwhile perk is the Alternative Advantages program out there to Platinum and Diamond Medallion members.

Whether or not you are a newly minted Delta Medallion member or a longtime Delta loyalist, this is what that you must find out about Delta Alternative Advantages, together with tips on how to earn them, when to pick out them and which advantages are greatest.

Methods to earn Delta Alternative Advantages

You earn Delta Alternative Advantages every calendar yr you qualify for Platinum or Diamond Medallion standing. Particularly, you earn one Alternative Profit if you qualify for Platinum Medallion standing and three Alternative Advantages if you qualify for Diamond Medallion standing.

Delta now solely makes use of one metric — Medallion Qualification {Dollars} — for elite qualification. Listed below are the present calendar yr necessities for the 2 tiers of Delta Medallion standing that supply Alternative Advantages as a perk:

• Platinum Medallion standing: 15,000 MQDs
• Diamond Medallion standing: 28,000 MQDs

You’ll be able to earn MQDs on flights and different transactions with Delta and its companions, together with trip packages and spending on cobranded Delta bank cards. Plus, these with the next premium cobranded Delta bank cards get a lift of two,500 MQDs towards standing qualification yearly:

You earn one 2,500 MQD enhance for every card kind. Having a number of of those premium Delta playing cards in your pockets could be extraordinarily useful if you wish to earn Delta Medallion standing.

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When to pick out Delta Alternative Advantages

You’ll be able to choose Delta Alternative Advantages after incomes Platinum or Diamond Medallion standing based mostly on exercise inside a calendar yr. You need to choose your Alternative Advantages by the day your standing would expire for those who did not requalify.

So, for those who certified for Medallion standing for 2025 based mostly on exercise in 2024, you’d want to pick out your Alternative Advantages by Jan. 31, 2026. Likewise, for those who certified for Medallion standing for 2026 based mostly on exercise in 2025, you’d want to pick out your Alternative Advantages by Jan. 31, 2027.

Apparently, you possibly can solely choose Delta Alternative Advantages through the Delta app. If you do not have a smartphone, you will have to buy one or borrow one from a buddy or member of the family.

Some Alternative Advantages expire on a set date no matter when you choose the profit. So, you will get probably the most worth from some Alternative Advantages by deciding on the profit as quickly as you are eligible.

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Choices you possibly can choose as Delta Alternative Advantages

Here is a take a look at your Delta Alternative Advantages choices for those who earned Platinum or Diamond Medallion standing for the 2025 or 2026 Medallion yr:

The Medallion Alternative Advantages adjustments for the 2026 Medallion yr will happen Feb. 1. Nonetheless, if you choose bonus miles, the flexibility to present Medallion standing or a Delta journey voucher previous to Feb. 1, Delta will give you the extra advantages in mid-February.

Delta hasn’t but introduced any adjustments to Alternative Advantages for those who qualify for 2027 Medallion yr standing based mostly on exercise in 2026. So, let’s look at every choice for many who earned Platinum or Diamond Medallion standing for the 2025 or 2026 Medallion yr and the worth they may present.

Improve certificates

After incomes Platinum Medallion standing, you may use your one Alternative Advantages choice for 4 regional improve certificates. And for those who earned Diamond Medallion standing, you may use a option to get one of many following:

• 4 international improve certificates
• Eight regional improve certificates
• Two international and 4 regional improve certificates

These improve certificates give larger precedence than Medallion complimentary improve requests and might get you a one-class, space-available improve on most fares besides Delta fundamental economic system.

Nonetheless, no matter when you choose your Alternative Advantages, you have to guide and fly utilizing these certificates by the top of the Medallion yr related to that Alternative Advantages choice. So, for those who earned Platinum or Diamond Medallion standing for the 2025 Medallion yr, you’d have to fly utilizing these certificates by Jan. 31, 2026.

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Bonus miles

Along with your Alternative Advantages, you possibly can choose bonus miles for your self, one other SkyMiles member or a SkyWish charity. You could possibly select:

• 30,000 bonus miles (value $375 based mostly on TPG’s January 2026 valuations) on the Platinum Medallion tier for the 2025 Medallion yr
• 35,000 bonus miles (value $437) on the Platinum Medallion tier for the 2026 Medallion yr and per alternative on the Diamond Medallion tier for the 2025 Medallion yr
• 40,000 bonus miles (value $500) per alternative on the Diamond Medallion tier for the 2026 Medallion yr

Delta Sky Membership advantages

On the Diamond Medallion tier, you may commerce all three Alternative Advantages alternatives for an govt Delta Sky Membership membership or two Alternative Advantages alternatives for a person Delta Sky Membership membership.

The chief membership — which usually prices $1,495 or 149,500 miles — offers you and as much as two friends (or your partner or home companion and youngsters beneath 21) limitless complimentary Delta Sky Membership entry. In the meantime, the person membership — which usually prices $695 or 69,500 miles — offers you limitless complimentary Delta Sky Membership entry for your self.

Nonetheless, these Delta Sky Membership memberships are solely legitimate via the top of the Medallion yr related to that Alternative Advantages choice. So, for those who earned Diamond Medallion standing for the 2025 Medallion yr and used all three selections for an govt membership, your membership could be legitimate via Jan. 31, 2026.

MQDs towards the subsequent Medallion yr

You should utilize Alternative Advantages alternatives for MQDs towards the subsequent Medallion yr. So, 2025 Medallion Alternative Advantages alternatives will apply towards qualification for the 2026 Medallion yr, and 2026 Medallion Alternative Advantages alternatives will apply towards qualification for the 2027 Medallion yr.

You could possibly select 1,000 MQDs towards the subsequent Medallion yr on the Platinum Medallion tier and a pair of,000 MQDs per alternative towards the subsequent Medallion yr on the Diamond Medallion tier.

Present Delta Medallion standing

You should utilize your Alternative Advantages to present Delta Medallion standing to another person. Every alternative is value two items for the 2025 Medallion yr and 4 items for the 2026 Medallion yr; Platinum Medallion members are capable of present Silver Medallion standing, and Diamond Medallion members are capable of present Gold Medallion standing.

The gifted standing is legitimate via the top of the Medallion yr related to the Alternative Advantages choice. So, for Alternative Advantages tied to the 2025 Medallion yr, the gifted standing would final via Jan. 31, 2026.

Delta Holidays Expertise credit score

You could possibly use your one Alternative Advantages choice after you earn Platinum Medallion standing for a $400 credit score towards a Delta Holidays bundle. Or, you may wait till you earn Diamond Medallion standing for a $500 credit score. Nonetheless, you possibly can solely choose a Delta Holidays Expertise credit score as a Alternative Profit as soon as per Medallion yr.

The credit score is legitimate for one yr after being issued for a flight-and-hotel bundle, and you’re the just one who can use it. A two-night minimal keep is required for Alternative Advantages alternatives tied to the 2025 Medallion yr, whereas a four-night minimal keep is required for alternatives tied to the 2026 Medallion yr.

Delta American Specific assertion credit score

If you’re the first cardmember of the Delta Platinum Amex, the Delta Platinum Enterprise Amex, the Delta Reserve Amex or the Delta Reserve Enterprise Amex, you possibly can select an announcement credit score in your card as a Alternative Profit at every Medallion standing tier.

You’ll be able to select a:

• $400 assertion credit score on the Platinum Medallion tier for the 2025 Medallion yr
• $250 assertion credit score on the Platinum Medallion tier for the 2026 Medallion yr (except you select earlier than Feb. 1, by which case you will get a $400 assertion credit score)
• $700 assertion credit score on the Diamond Medallion tier for the 2025 Medallion yr
• $500 assertion credit score on the Diamond Medallion tier for the 2026 Medallion yr (except you select earlier than Feb. 1, by which case you will get a $700 assertion credit score)

Nonetheless, you possibly can’t use a number of Alternative Advantages to get a number of assertion credit on the Diamond Medallion tier.

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Delta journey voucher

Along with your Alternative Advantages, you possibly can choose a Delta journey voucher. A Platinum Medallion alternative for the 2025 Medallion yr is value $300. A Platinum Medallion alternative for the 2026 Medallion yr is value $350. Every Diamond Medallion alternative for the 2025 Medallion yr is value $350, and every Diamond Medallion alternative for the 2026 Medallion yr is value $550.

You are the one one who can use the voucher, however it may be utilized towards the Delta flight portion of a Delta Holidays bundle. Vouchers are legitimate for 12 months from the date of issuance, which usually happens inside 48 hours of choosing the voucher.

Wheels Up flight credit score

You could possibly select a $1,500 Wheels Up non-public aviation flight credit score on the Platinum Medallion tier or a $2,000 flight credit score on the Diamond Medallion tier.

You’ll be able to solely apply Wheels Up flight credit to new Wheels Up bookings on “fleet” plane (excluding shared flights and scorching flights). Flight credit expire 12 months after issuance, and you’ll solely choose a Wheels Up flight credit score as soon as per Medallion yr.

Sustainable aviation gasoline contribution

You should utilize your Alternative Advantages to help Delta’s use of sustainable aviation gasoline. Delta will apply $250 for every alternative towards the incremental value of sustainable aviation gasoline as an alternative of conventional jet gasoline.

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Starbucks Rewards Stars

Lastly, SkyMiles members enrolled in Starbucks Rewards could select 6,000 Starbucks Rewards Stars as a Alternative Profit as soon as per tier. Nonetheless, Stars will expire six months after the calendar month they had been deposited.

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Which Delta Alternative Profit is greatest?

The most effective Delta Alternative Advantages rely in your particular state of affairs. Nonetheless, the perfect Delta Alternative Advantages are normally improve certificates, bonus miles, American Specific assertion credit and the Wheels Up non-public aviation flight credit score.

After all, you possibly can’t get the assertion credit score if you do not have an eligible Delta Amex card, and this feature is lowering in worth Feb. 1. You will not discover the Wheels Up flight credit score worthwhile for those who needn’t fly privately not less than as soon as per yr, and a few vacationers do not need to cope with attempting to maximise improve certificates. Subsequently, bonus miles stands out as the most beneficial choice if not one of the different three higher-value Alternative Advantages are interesting.

If you’re studying this information in January 2026 and nonetheless have 2025 Medallion yr Alternative Advantages that you have to choose by Jan. 31, you will possible need to keep away from advantages that expire on that date. Particularly, as Jan. 31 nears, the perfect Delta Alternative Advantages for the 2025 Medallion yr will turn into bonus miles or the Delta Holidays Expertise credit score.

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Backside line

There are quite a few choices out there with Delta Alternative Advantages. These advantages can present vital worth, so making an knowledgeable alternative is essential — particularly since some perks could expire shortly for those who select them close to the top of your Medallion yr.