Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
Part of Atmos Rewards hub · Delta SkyMiles hub
GUIDE
Delta SkyMiles vs Alaska Atmos Rewards: status and miles
Delta SkyMiles and Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards are two airline loyalty programmes, and Delta's Medallion Status Match Challenge links their elite tiers directly: Atmos Silver matches Silver Medallion, Atmos Gold matches Gold Medallion, and Atmos Platinum and Atmos Titanium match Platinum Medallion. [7] Delta's own status is earned with Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs), with thresholds toward 2026 Medallion Status of $5,000 for Silver, $10,000 for Gold, $15,000 for Platinum and $28,000 for Diamond. [1]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Delta publishes four Medallion tiers with a fixed MQD threshold for each, while Atmos Rewards appears in Delta's status-match chart with four tiers of its own: Silver, Gold, and Platinum and Titanium. [1] [7]
- An Atmos Rewards member can hold complimentary Delta Medallion Status for 90 days and keep it by earning MQDs on Delta flights during the match period. [7]
- SkyMiles award tickets allow two connections per origin and destination on domestic travel and three on international travel, and awards originating in the United States and Canada can be changed or cancelled without a redeposit or change fee, apart from Delta Basic experience fares. [5]
How do you qualify for Delta Medallion Status?
SkyMiles members earn Medallion Status with MQDs rather than with miles flown, and the thresholds Delta publishes toward 2026 Medallion Status are below. [1]
| Medallion tier | MQDs required |
|---|---|
| Silver Medallion | $5,000 |
| Gold Medallion | $10,000 |
| Platinum Medallion | $15,000 |
| Diamond Medallion | $28,000 |
MQDs are a member's spend on Delta-marketed flights in Delta Main Classic or above, including base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges but excluding government-imposed taxes and fees, and select partner airline flights and select exception fares also count. [1] Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy) tickets earn no miles, no MQDs and no Million Miler credit. [1] A Qualification Year runs from 1 January to 31 December and MQDs do not roll over, with the balance reset to zero on or about 1 January. [1] The Medallion year that the status covers runs from 1 February to 31 January. [8]
Holders of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum, Platinum Business, Reserve and Reserve Business American Express cards receive an MQD Headstart of $2,500 per eligible card type each Medallion Qualification Year, capped at four deposits and $10,000 in total per year. [1] Card spending can also add MQD Boost at $1 MQD per $20 of eligible purchases on the Platinum cards and $1 per $10 on the Reserve cards. [1] On the Alaska side, Delta's comparison chart lists Atmos Silver, Atmos Gold, and Atmos Platinum and Titanium and treats them as equivalent to Silver, Gold, and Platinum Medallion. [7] Those tiers are set out in the Atmos Rewards elite status guide, and Delta's earning detail sits in the Delta SkyMiles elite status guide.
How does an Atmos Rewards member match to Medallion Status?
Delta's Status Match Challenge gives approved applicants complimentary Medallion Status for 90 days, matched to Platinum, Gold or Silver; Diamond Medallion is not offered through the challenge. [7] To take part, a SkyMiles member must have been enrolled for at least 30 days, must have flown at least one Delta-marketed flight above Delta Main Basic within the previous three years, and must show elite status earned through another airline's published requirements. [7]
| Atmos Rewards status | Matched Medallion Status |
|---|---|
| Atmos Silver | Silver Medallion |
| Atmos Gold | Gold Medallion |
| Atmos Platinum and Atmos Titanium | Platinum Medallion |
Extending the status past 90 days means earning MQDs during the three-month match period: $1,250 for Silver, $2,500 for Gold or $3,750 for Platinum. [7] MQDs from the MQD Headstart do not count toward the challenge, although MQDs earned with an eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express card do. [7] Members who enrol between 1 January and 31 December 2026 and complete the challenge are awarded status through 31 January 2028. [7] A member matched to Platinum does not receive Choice Benefits unless the Platinum extension requirement is met. [7]
Which upgrades does Medallion Status unlock?
Medallion Status brings Unlimited Complimentary Upgrades, which exclude Delta Basic experiences. [1] [6] Diamond Medallion carries the highest complimentary upgrade priority of the four tiers. [1] On paid travel, Global or Regional Upgrade Certificates can be applied to Award Travel tickets, Miles + Cash tickets on Delta-operated flights and Pay with Miles tickets, again excluding Delta Basic experiences. [5] An Award Ticket cannot itself be upgraded with a Mileage Upgrade Award, which is valid only for one-way travel in certain markets and carriers other than Delta-operated and Delta-marketed flights, and only on a published qualifying fare. [5] Separately, Upgrade with Miles lets a member pay the difference in miles to a premium product on eligible Delta Classic or Extra experiences within the U.S. 50. [5]
What companion benefits come with Medallion Status?
Medallion Complimentary Upgrades on Award Tickets and Pay with Miles tickets extend to the member and one travelling companion who is a SkyMiles member on the same reservation. [5] Delta describes complimentary upgrades as available for the member and a travel companion, and Medallion members also get a first checked bag free for themselves and their companions. [6] [7] Card benefits sit outside the programme rules: where an American Express Companion Certificate is used on the flight portion of a Delta Vacations package, the companion traveller earns no MQDs for that package. [1]
How do SkyMiles members earn on partner flights?
On Delta-marketed flights, and on certain Delta-ticketed flights with a ticket number beginning 006, members earn 5 miles per U.S. dollar on qualifying Classic or Refundable experiences, 7 miles per dollar on qualifying Extra experiences and 2 miles per dollar on qualifying Delta Basic experiences, in each case on base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges but not government taxes and fees. [5] Flights marketed by partner airlines but not issued on 006 ticket stock earn miles as a percentage of distance flown, set by the fare class paid. [5] The partner list runs past 20 airlines and includes Virgin Atlantic, Air France, KLM, LATAM and Aeromexico. [6] For MQD purposes, travel marketed by Delta's Core Global and Global Airline Partners and ticketed through a Delta channel counts on base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges, while travel both ticketed and marketed by those partners is credited using the published mileage earn charts. [1] A flight, hotel stay or car rental can be credited to only one loyalty programme per itinerary. [5]
How do SkyMiles award redemptions work?
SkyMiles miles do not expire under the Mileage Expiration policy. [5] [6] Award Travel is limited to two connections per origin and destination on domestic travel and three on international travel, and award seats may be limited and unavailable on some Delta Connection or partner-operated flights. [5] For travel originating in the United States and Canada to anywhere in the world, members can change origin, destination, routing, date and time, or cancel, without a redeposit or change fee, except Delta Basic experience fares, where a change fee applies if changes are permitted; for some travel originating outside the United States and Canada the rules vary and tickets may be non-cancelable or changeable for a fee. [5]
Taxes and fees stay with the passenger, including the September 11th Security Fee of $5.60 per one-way trip, and redeeming at an airport ticket location or Delta city ticket office carries an additional fee. [5] Award travel within or originating in China, Russia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Brazil and any country in Africa requires 72 hours' advance purchase, and name changes are not permitted once an award ticket has been issued. [5] Miles + Cash is offered on select round-trip flights, while Pay with Miles is limited to holders of an eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express card booking on delta.com. [5] Award tickets operated by Delta and Delta Global Airline Partners in Delta Main Classic or above earn MQDs when booked through a direct Delta channel, at the miles redeemed toward the award ticket price divided by 100. [1]
Exceptions and limits
- Miles that do not expire can still be removed: Delta may deactivate or close an account and forfeit miles, Medallion Status and benefits on closure in cases including fraud, a member's own request, death, unanswered repeated contact, duplicate accounts, residence where membership is prohibited, or a breach of the programme rules. [5]
- Only one person may hold a SkyMiles account, and miles may not be sold or transferred except through the SkyMiles Transfer Miles Program. [5]
- Missing mileage or MQD credit must be requested within nine months of the flight date or qualifying transaction. [5]
- Matched Platinum Medallion Status does not include Choice Benefits until the Platinum extension requirement is met, and the challenge is offered only at Silver, Gold and Platinum. [7]
Frequently asked questions
Can Atmos Rewards status get me Delta Medallion Status?
Yes. Delta's Status Match Challenge matches Atmos Silver to Silver Medallion, Atmos Gold to Gold Medallion, and Atmos Platinum and Atmos Titanium to Platinum Medallion, complimentary for 90 days. [7]
How much spending earns Delta Silver Medallion?
$5,000 MQDs toward 2026 Medallion Status, with Gold at $10,000, Platinum at $15,000 and Diamond at $28,000. [1]
Do SkyMiles miles expire?
No. Under the Mileage Expiration policy miles do not expire, but miles and benefits are forfeited if the account is closed. [5]
Can I upgrade a SkyMiles award ticket?
Global or Regional Upgrade Certificates can be used on Award Travel tickets except Delta Basic experiences, but an Award Ticket cannot be upgraded with a Mileage Upgrade Award. [5]
How many stops can a SkyMiles award ticket have?
Two connections per origin and destination on domestic travel and three on international travel. [5]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers Delta SkyMiles and Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards only; other programmes, including United MileagePlus and American Airlines AAdvantage, are not covered here. Delta SkyMiles vs United MileagePlus handles that comparison.
- Delta SkyMiles Medallion Program overview, checked 18 October 2026
- Delta SkyMiles Membership Guide and Program Rules, checked 18 October 2026
- Delta SkyMiles loyalty programme overview, checked 18 October 2026
- Delta SkyMiles Medallion Status Match Challenge, checked 18 October 2026
- Delta SkyMiles Million Miler status, checked 18 October 2026