Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to earn elite status on partner airline flights
Earning elite status on alliance partner flights means crediting a flight that a partner airline operates to your own frequent flyer programme so that it counts toward that programme's status target. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines both count partner-operated flying, but they measure it differently: Delta SkyMiles Medallion status is earned in Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) [2], while United MileagePlus members can earn award miles and Premier qualifying credits (PQP and PQF) on eligible flights [4].
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Delta earns Medallion Status through MQDs, with thresholds of $5,000 for Silver, $10,000 for Gold, $15,000 for Platinum and $28,000 for Diamond toward 2026 Medallion Status. [2]
- Delta awards $1 MQD per $1 spent on the ticket price of a Delta-marketed flight operated by Delta or by one of its partner airlines. [2]
- United's partner pages state that MileagePlus members can earn award miles and Premier qualifying credits (PQP and PQF) on eligible flights, and each page sets out the fare classes that earn on that airline. [4] [5]
- The credit a partner flight produces turns on the airline code on the ticket, the fare class booked and the programme receiving the credit. [2] [4]
Which metrics do Delta and United use for partner flights?
Delta: spend-based. SkyMiles members earn Medallion Status through MQDs, and Delta publishes these thresholds for earning toward 2026 Medallion Status. [2]
| 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, using flight numbers that include the DL airline code, and they include the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges while excluding government-imposed taxes and fees. [2] On a Delta-marketed flight operated by Delta or by a partner airline, members earn $1 MQD per $1 spent on the ticket price. [2]
United: operator, distance and fare class. United's partner pages say MileagePlus members can earn award miles and Premier qualifying credits (PQP and PQF) on eligible flights, and advise adding the MileagePlus number to the reservation and checking that it appears on the boarding pass at check-in. [4] [5] Where the ticket was bought from another airline, a third-party website or a travel agency, United says miles are earned on the flight operator, the flight distance and the fare class of the ticket. [4]
Why does the marketing carrier decide whether a flight counts?
Delta's MQD rules are written around the airline selling the ticket. MQDs are the sum of spend on Delta-marketed flights in Delta Main Classic or above. [2] Travel marketed by Core Global and Global Airline Partners and ticketed through a Delta channel, with a ticket number beginning 006, is also eligible for MQDs on the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges, and where travel is both ticketed and marketed by those partners Delta awards MQDs on published Mileage Earn Charts. [2]
United approaches the same question from the operating side: award miles accrued on codeshare flights are based on the operating carrier and its equivalent fare class, which United says can create a difference between the booking class purchased and the booking class flown. [4] That difference, in turn, determines the number of base miles and Premier qualifying credits earned. [4] The practical point is that the marketing carrier named on the ticket and the operating carrier actually flying can point to different rules. [2] [4]
How does booking class change what a partner flight earns?
On United's partner pages, earning is set out airline by airline as a percentage of flight distance that varies with the booking class, and some classes earn nothing at all. [4] [5] The tables on those pages cover tickets bought from another airline, a third-party website or a travel agency. [4] [5] A few examples show the spread.
| Partner-operated flight | Fare class | Award miles earned (including bonus) |
|---|---|---|
| Turkish Airlines, Business | C, D, Z, K | 125% [4] |
| Turkish Airlines, Deep Discount Economy | T, L, V | 50% [4] |
| SWISS, First | F, A | 200% [5] |
| SWISS, Deepest discount Economy | K | 25% [5] |
| South African Airways, Business | J, C, D, P | 125% [6] |
| Singapore Airlines, Suites & First | F | 150% [7] |
| Singapore Airlines, Deep discount Economy | K, V, N, Q | 10% [7] |
At the bottom of each scale sit the classes United lists with no mileage credit. [4] [5] [6] [7]
| Operating airline | Fare classes with no mileage credit |
|---|---|
| Turkish Airlines | F, G, I, N, P, R, U, W, X [4] |
| SWISS | I, O, R, X [5] |
| South African Airways | A, E, F, I, N, O, R, U, X [6] |
| Singapore Airlines | G, I, O, X [7] |
Delta calculates MQDs on Delta-marketed flights from the ticket price rather than a fare-class percentage, and points members to published Mileage Earn Charts where travel is ticketed and marketed by Core Global and Global Airline Partners. [2]
Exceptions and limits
- Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy) tickets are not eligible for earning miles in SkyMiles or credit toward Medallion and Million Miler Status. [2]
- Bulk, consolidator, cruise, vacation package, inclusive tour and other tickets where the fare is not disclosed count toward MQDs, except bookings through priceline.com or hotwire.com where the carrier is not disclosed before purchase; miles and MQDs are then earned on a percentage of distance flown set by the fare class paid. [2]
- Delta paid upgrades earn MQDs, with exceptions: no miles or MQDs are earned when a Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta First or Delta Comfort paid upgrade or Preferred Seat is bought at the airport in Amsterdam (AMS) or Paris (CDG) for a Delta-operated flight, and if Delta cannot provide the seat the purchase is refunded with no MQDs awarded. [2]
- Ancillary purchases and fees, including checked baggage fees, Delta Sky Club memberships, Wi-Fi passes, onboard food and drink, unaccompanied minor and pet fees, mileage purchases, ticket change fees and same-day confirmed fees, do not count toward MQDs. [2] MQDs may only be earned by the member travelling whose name and SkyMiles number are in the reservation. [2]
- Delta allows up to 6–8 weeks after a Delta-marketed flight for miles and MQDs to be deposited; MQDs do not roll over and the balance resets on or about 1 January, within a qualification year running 1 January to 31 December. [2] Delta Award Travel tickets operated by Delta partners, in Main Classic or equivalent or above and booked through a direct Delta channel, earn MQDs calculated as miles redeemed divided by 100, with government taxes and fees excluded. [2]
- On United's Turkish Airlines partner page, flights operated by AJet are not eligible for mileage accrual or redemption, and flights to and from Cuba, Iran and (other than Caracas) Venezuela are excluded from award miles and qualifying earn, with the Venezuela exclusion effective 1 May 2026 and Cuba excepted for commercial flights operated by United. [4]
- SWISS flight numbers LX 8000 through 8499 are operated by Edelweiss Air and earn miles at the Edelweiss Air accrual table. [5] United credits mileage under the MileagePlus terms in effect at the time of travel, not when the ticket was purchased, booked or reserved. [4]
Frequently asked questions
Do flights operated by a partner airline count toward elite status?
Yes, subject to conditions. Delta awards $1 MQD per $1 of ticket price on a Delta-marketed flight operated by Delta or a partner airline [2], and United says MileagePlus members can earn award miles and PQP and PQF on eligible flights operated by partners. [4]
Does the airline code on my ticket matter?
It does. Delta's MQD earning is built around Delta-marketed flights in Delta Main Classic or above [2], and United bases codeshare accrual on the operating carrier and its equivalent fare class, which can differ from the class purchased. [4]
Which booking classes earn nothing on United partners?
United lists F, G, I, N, P, R, U, W and X for Turkish Airlines, I, O, R and X for SWISS, A, E, F, I, N, O, R, U and X for South African Airways, and G, I, O and X for Singapore Airlines. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Do taxes and fees count toward Delta Medallion status?
No. MQDs include base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges but exclude government-imposed taxes and fees. [2]
Can an award ticket on a partner flight earn credit?
For Delta, award travel tickets operated by Delta partners in Main Classic or equivalent or above and booked through a direct Delta channel earn MQDs at miles redeemed divided by 100, excluding government taxes and fees. [2]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Other programmes, including American Airlines AAdvantage, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Club, Flying Blue and Emirates Skywards, are not covered here; see status thresholds across major programmes.
- Delta SkyMiles Medallion Program overview, checked 18 October 2026
- United MileagePlus: earn miles on Turkish Airlines, checked 18 October 2026
- United MileagePlus: earn miles on Swiss International Air Lines, checked 18 October 2026
- United MileagePlus: earn miles on South African Airways, checked 18 October 2026
- United MileagePlus: earn miles on Singapore Airlines, checked 18 October 2026