Big Delta News
Delta has come out with plenty of news today. And don’t worry, it’s good news. As travel demand continues to bounce back, Delta is offering more incentives to fly. The airline has confirmed what we wrote about snack and beverage service. Delta is also offering Medallion Status accelerators, giving customers more time to plan and rebook a trip, and will soon let you book middle seats. Let’s get into the details.
2022 Medallion Status Accelerators
Delta Air Lines has announced 2022 Medallion Status Accelerators, giving you more ways than ever to earn 2022 Medallion Status and helping you achieve the next Tier faster.
Beginning with flights on April 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021, you’ll earn:
- At least 50% more Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs), Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs) and Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) on Delta flights. This includes Pay with Miles tickets and flights booked as a part of a Delta Vacations® package, so experiencing the Medallion Difference is that much closer to reach.
- And special for this year, that 50% more extends to Award Travel, inclusive of Miles + Cash tickets – making those Award trips even more rewarding.
- Plus, an additional 25% – or 75% total – on all premium cabins (Delta One®, Delta Premium Select, First Class and Delta Comfort+®) and upgrades purchased after initial ticket purchase (cash or miles).
- Note: For April 1-May 15, 2021 travel, bonus MQMs, MQSs and MQDs will be retroactively credited to your account by May 31, 2021. If you don’t see them immediately after your flight during this time period, know they’ll be credited soon. Bonuses are only applicable to earning Medallion Status, redeemable miles on Delta flights remain the same.
In addition:
- Bonuses will also apply to challenges such as Reclaim My Status and Status Match, so while challenge thresholds won’t change, you’ll have an accelerated path to completion.
- And, bonus MQMs will also apply to your Million Miler Status Qualification.
Boosts will be automatically applied to all eligible Delta flights flown between April 1-December 31, 2021, with no action needed from you. Here are some examples of how it works:
You can find more details here.
New Tickets and Expiring Credits Extended
Delta tickets normally expire one year after purchase, but effective immediately, the airline is extending the validity of:
- All tickets expiring in 2021 to expire Dec. 31, 2022
- All tickets purchased in 2021 to expire Dec. 31, 2022
Additionally, to provide more protection for more tickets, Delta is extending its existing change fee waiver for all Basic Economy tickets purchased through April 30, 2021 – as well as all tickets that originate outside of North America.
Delta last spring extended through the end of 2022 many tickets impacted by the onset of the pandemic (those purchased prior to April 17, 2020, that were scheduled to travel on or after March 1, 2020).
Delta’s waiver makes it easier for all customers to book their trips with complete confidence, regardless of a Basic Economy ticket or travel origin.
Middle Seats Bookable Starting May 1 & More
With COVID-19 vaccinations accelerating, and several procedures in place to prevent the spread of the virus, Delta is following other airlines in unblocking middle seats.
Delta is allowing customers to book any seat effective May 1, introducing a newly designed snack and beverage service on all flights as a first step in bringing back more onboard food options, and re-opening almost all of our Delta Sky Clubs by July (including brand new clubs in Fort Lauderdale and Tokyo-Haneda).
“Don’t confuse these actions with a return to ‘normal’,” says Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “We’re still operating in a pandemic, and many of the changes we’ve made over the past year, such as strengthening our cleanliness protocols and eliminating change fees, will be permanent. Importantly, masks remain critical to our ability to safely welcome more people onboard our planes, and we remain committed to enforcing these requirements.”
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[…] Starting May 1, 2021, Delta will start selling middle seats. They’re the last airline in the U.S. still blocking middle seats. Depending on where you’re going, which airline you’re flying, and the popularity of that route, your plane could be empty or packed like sardines. […]
With the extended change waiver for Delta tickets, if I buy two tickets using a companion pass but can’t use it by expiration date (12/31) do you think that ticket could be changed to a date into 2022?