Summary

• Delta Air Lines launched a status match program in 2024 to give elite status equivalent to Medallion Status for three months.
• To participate, passengers need elite status with a qualifying airline and meet specific criteria.
• After the initial three months, participants can extend their status until 2026 by earning Medallion Qualifying Dollars.

Delta Air Lines launched a status match program in 2024, allowing passengers to switch their airline loyalty to Delta. This means that if a passenger has elite status with another airline, Delta will give them the equivalent Medallion Status for three months at no cost, with the possibility of extending the status.

Here, we explore how to use the Delta SkyMiles status match, the process for requesting it, and the airlines participating in the status switch challenge.

Understanding the process

A status match is the tool airlines use to try to steal elite status members from other rival carriers. Such status match programs can allow travelers to enjoy comparable benefits with a competitor and sometimes even steal them for good.

To participate in the status match program, passengers must hold elite status with at least one qualifying airline. The airline offering the status match program specifies the list of qualifying airlines. Delta Air Lines, for example, has four Medallion elite status tiers — Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond — that can be matched with elite statuses from other qualifying airlines.

In this case, United Airlines is one of the qualifying airlines. For example, having Premier Gold status with United Airlines' MileagePlus loyalty program would make you eligible for Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles Medallion Gold elite status.

How to participate?

According to Delta's website, passengers first must submit their request form to participate in the status match challenge. Once the request form is approved, you will be enrolled in the challenge and matched to Platinum, Gold, or Silver Medallion Status based on your current elite status with another airline.

The complimentary status will last for three months, starting within 24 hours of receiving your enrollment confirmation email. If the request form is not approved, you will be notified by email.

Before sending in your application, make sure you qualify for a three-month complimentary status match by meeting these criteria:

• You have not received a Status Match, promotional Medallion Status, or free Medallion Status in the last three years.
• You have been a SkyMiles Member for at least 30 days before signing up for the Status Match offer.
• You can prove you are an elite member either by providing a valid, current membership card or digital credential with your name on it or by showing a statement from the airline indicating how you earned elite status along with your name and the activities or flights that helped you achieve it.
• You currently hold elite status with a qualifying airline, earned through that airline's official requirements. This excludes receiving the status for free or through a promotional offer.

Click here to learn more about status matches.

Qualifying airlines

There are a total of 16 qualifying airlines for Delta Air Lines SkyMiles elite status match. Below, find the complete list with the status comparison chart.

How to extend your status?

After the initial three months of complimentary status, Delta is offering participants the opportunity to prolong their status until the end of the 2025 Medallion Year through January 2026. To maintain this extended status, you must achieve the specified amount of Medallion Qualifying Dollars within your three-month complimentary period:

• Silver: $1,250 Medallion Qualifying Dollars
• Gold: $2,500 Medallion Qualifying Dollars
• Platinum: $3,750 Medallion Qualifying Dollars

You can earn Medallion Qualifying Dollars in three main ways. Firstly, when you fly, you get $1 Medallion Qualifying Dollar for every dollar spent on Delta-marketed flights operated by Delta or its partners (excluding Basic Economy tickets). Secondly, using an eligible Delta SkyMiles credit card for purchases also earns you Medallion Qualifying Dollars through its boost benefit.

What do you think about this? Would you like to become an elite status member of the Delta Air Line SkyMiles loyalty program through a status match? Let us know in the comments section below.