Delta Alternative Advantages: Information to selecting your advantages

Many vacationers consider the Delta SkyMiles program has decreased in worth through the years. Nevertheless, Delta Medallion standing might be extraordinarily precious in the event you journey with Delta Air Traces recurrently. One notably precious perk is the Alternative Advantages program obtainable 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 the right way to earn them, when to pick them and which advantages are finest.

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 once you qualify for Platinum Medallion standing and three Alternative Advantages once 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 increase for every card kind. Having a number of of those premium Delta playing cards in your pockets might be extraordinarily useful if you wish to earn Delta Medallion standing.

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When to pick 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 could choose your Alternative Advantages by the day your standing would expire in the event you did not requalify.

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

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

Some Alternative Advantages expire on a set date no matter when you choose the profit. So, you may get essentially the most worth from some Alternative Advantages by choosing 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 in the event you earned Platinum or Diamond Medallion standing for the 2025 or 2026 Medallion yr:

The Medallion Alternative Advantages modifications for the 2026 Medallion yr will happen Feb. 1. Nevertheless, 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 modifications to Alternative Advantages in the event you qualify for 2027 Medallion yr standing based mostly on exercise in 2026. So, let’s look at every choice for individuals who earned Platinum or Diamond Medallion standing for the 2025 or 2026 Medallion yr and the worth they could present.

Improve certificates

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

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

These improve certificates give increased precedence than Medallion complimentary improve requests and may get you a one-class, space-available improve on most fares besides Delta primary financial system.

Nevertheless, no matter when you choose your Alternative Advantages, it’s essential to e-book and fly utilizing these certificates by the tip of the Medallion yr related to that Alternative Advantages choice. So, in the event you 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

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

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

Delta Sky Membership advantages

On the Diamond Medallion tier, you would commerce all three Alternative Advantages picks for an government Delta Sky Membership membership or two Alternative Advantages picks for a person Delta Sky Membership membership.

The manager membership — which usually prices $1,495 or 149,500 miles — offers you and as much as two company (or your partner or home associate 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.

Nevertheless, these Delta Sky Membership memberships are solely legitimate via the tip of the Medallion yr related to that Alternative Advantages choice. So, in the event you earned Diamond Medallion standing for the 2025 Medallion yr and used all three decisions for an government membership, your membership could be legitimate via Jan. 31, 2026.

MQDs towards the subsequent Medallion yr

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

You can select 1,000 MQDs towards the subsequent Medallion yr on the Platinum Medallion tier and a pair of,000 MQDs per selection 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 selection is price two presents for the 2025 Medallion yr and 4 presents 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 tip 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 can use your one Alternative Advantages choice after you earn Platinum Medallion standing for a $400 credit score towards a Delta Holidays package deal. Or, you would wait till you earn Diamond Medallion standing for a $500 credit score. Nevertheless, 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 package deal, and you’re the just one who can use it. A two-night minimal keep is required for Alternative Advantages picks tied to the 2025 Medallion yr, whereas a four-night minimal keep is required for picks tied to the 2026 Medallion yr.

Delta American Specific assertion credit score

In case you are 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 a press release 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 may 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 may get a $700 assertion credit score)

Nevertheless, 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

Together with your Alternative Advantages, you possibly can choose a Delta journey voucher. A Platinum Medallion selection for the 2025 Medallion yr is price $300. A Platinum Medallion selection for the 2026 Medallion yr is price $350. Every Diamond Medallion selection for the 2025 Medallion yr is price $350, and every Diamond Medallion selection for the 2026 Medallion yr is price $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 package deal. 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 can 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 gas contribution

You should utilize your Alternative Advantages to assist Delta’s use of sustainable aviation gas. Delta will apply $250 for every selection towards the incremental price of sustainable aviation gas as a substitute of conventional jet gas.

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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. Nevertheless, Stars will expire six months after the calendar month they have been deposited.

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Which Delta Alternative Profit is finest?

One of the best Delta Alternative Advantages rely in your particular state of affairs. Nevertheless, the perfect Delta Alternative Advantages are often improve certificates, bonus miles, American Specific assertion credit and the Wheels Up non-public aviation flight credit score.

In fact, you possibly can’t get the assertion credit score if you do not have an eligible Delta Amex card, and this selection is reducing in worth Feb. 1. You will not discover the Wheels Up flight credit score precious in the event you need not fly privately at the least as soon as per yr, and a few vacationers do not wish to cope with attempting to maximise improve certificates. Subsequently, bonus miles will be the most dear choice if not one of the different three higher-value Alternative Advantages are interesting.

In case you are studying this information in January 2026 and nonetheless have 2025 Medallion yr Alternative Advantages that it’s essential to choose by Jan. 31, you may probably wish 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 grow to be bonus miles or the Delta Holidays Expertise credit score.

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Backside line

There are quite a few choices obtainable with Delta Alternative Advantages. These advantages can present important worth, so making an knowledgeable selection is vital — particularly since some perks could expire rapidly in the event you select them close to the tip of your Medallion yr.