What is a status run?

How does a status run work?

A status run reverses the usual logic of booking a trip: instead of picking flights that reach a place, the traveller picks flights that reach a tier threshold. Because each programme defines its own qualification currency, a routing that is productive in one programme can produce nothing in another, so the planning question is how much qualifying credit a given flight, fare class and ticketing arrangement generates before the qualification period closes.

Ticketing and operating details matter as much as the route. Delta, for example, awards Medallion Qualification Dollars only to the member whose name and SkyMiles number appear in the reservation. [3] Credit can also take weeks to appear after the flight, so a run flown close to a deadline may not post in time. [3]

Status runs are usually planned backwards from a programme's published thresholds — see status thresholds in major programmes — and are the air-travel counterpart of a hotel mattress run.

How does Delta SkyMiles credit a status run?

SkyMiles Members earn Medallion Status through Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs), so the qualification currency is spend rather than distance flown. [3] Members earn $1 MQD per $1 spent on the ticket price for a Delta-marketed flight operated by Delta or by one of its partner airlines. [3] The thresholds published for 2026 Medallion Status are: [3]

MQDs are the total spend on Delta-marketed flights in Delta Main Classic or above, inclusive of the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges but exclusive of government-imposed taxes and fees, and they also include select partner airline flights and select exception fares. [3] Base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges for travel marketed by Core Global and Global Airline Partners also earn MQDs when ticketed through a Delta channel with a ticket number beginning "006"; where such travel is both ticketed and marketed by those partners, MQDs are awarded on the published Mileage Earn Charts. [3]

Award tickets can contribute too. On Delta Award Travel tickets operated by Delta partners, in Main Classic or equivalent or above and booked through a direct Delta channel, MQDs are calculated as the miles redeemed toward the award ticket price divided by 100. [3] For certain tickets where the fare is not disclosed — bulk, consolidator, cruise, vacation package and inclusive tour tickets among them — miles and MQDs are earned as a percentage of distance flown set by the fare class paid, and those tickets count toward MQDs except bookings made through priceline.com or hotwire.com where the carrier is not disclosed before purchase. [3]

How does Qantas Frequent Flyer credit a status run?

Qantas Frequent Flyer uses Status Credits, earned on eligible Qantas, Jetstar, one world member and partner airline flights, to move members through Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One. [4] Status Credits are separate from Qantas Points: a member may earn both on the same flight, but Status Credits reset at the start of each new Membership Year. [4]

Those Silver, Gold and Platinum targets each require at least four flights with a Qantas (QF) or Jetstar (JQ and GK) flight number on the ticket that earns Status Credits, and Platinum One requires at least 2,700 of the 3,600 Status Credits on flights with a Qantas flight number. [4] How much a flight produces depends on where you fly, the airline chosen and the fare purchased: the more flexible the fare and the more premium the cabin, the more Status Credits are earned. [4]

Exceptions and limits

• Excluded Delta fares. Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy) tickets are not eligible for earning miles in the SkyMiles Program or for earning credit toward Medallion and Million Miler Status. [3] Delta employee award travel, free, barter, pass travel and similar tickets are not eligible for mileage accrual and do not earn MQDs. [3]
• Ancillary spend does not count at Delta. Checked baggage fees, Sky Club memberships, Wi-Fi passes, onboard food and drink, unaccompanied minor and pet fees, mileage purchases, ticket change fees and similar charges do not earn MQDs. [3] Paid Premium cabin and Preferred Seat purchases bought at Amsterdam (AMS) or Paris (CDG) airports for a Delta-operated flight earn neither miles nor MQDs. [3]
• Flying is not the only route at Delta. Eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express cards provide a $2,500 MQD Headstart per eligible Card type each Medallion Qualification Year, limited to four deposits across all eligible cards in a year, plus an MQD Boost of $1 MQD per $20 of eligible purchases on Platinum cards or $1 per $10 on Reserve cards. [3]
• No carry-over at Delta. MQDs do not extend or roll over from year to year and the balance resets to zero on or about 1 January; the Qualification Year runs from 1 January to 31 December. [3] Miles and MQDs may take up to 6–8 weeks after a Delta-marketed flight to post. [3]
• Qantas fare and routing limits. Status Credits are earned on eligible Qantas, Jetstar, one world member and one world connect airlines only, and may not be earned on some fare types and booking classes. [4] Qantas also offers Status Hold for families. [4]
• Qantas lifetime counting. Status Credits earned every membership year contribute to Lifetime Status, with recognition awarded at 7,000 (Lifetime Silver), 14,000 (Lifetime Gold) and 75,000 (Lifetime Platinum). [4]

Frequently asked questions

Does a status run have to be a long flight?

Not necessarily. Delta awards $1 MQD per $1 of ticket price on eligible Delta-marketed flights, so the fare paid drives the credit rather than the distance. [3] At Qantas, the earn depends on where you fly, the airline and the fare purchased, with flexible fares and premium cabins earning more. [4]

Do basic economy tickets count toward a status run?

At Delta they do not: Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy) tickets are excluded from earning miles in SkyMiles or credit toward Medallion and Million Miler Status. [3] At Qantas, Status Credits may not be earned on some fare types and booking classes. [4]

Do status run flights count toward lifetime status?

At Qantas, Status Credits earned in every membership year contribute to Lifetime Status, with Silver, Gold and Platinum recognition awarded for life once the required totals are met. [4] At Delta, Main Basic tickets earn no credit toward Medallion or Million Miler Status. [3]

When does status run credit appear in the account?

Delta asks members to allow up to 6–8 weeks after completion of a Delta-marketed flight for miles and MQDs to be deposited. [3]

Related pages

Terms: qualification period, qualifying activity, elite qualifying dollars, elite qualifying miles, status points, mattress run. Overviews: status thresholds in major programmes and the full glossary.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers Delta SkyMiles and Qantas Frequent Flyer; other programmes, including American Airlines AAdvantage, United MileagePlus, Flying Blue and British Airways Club, are not covered here.

1. Delta SkyMiles Medallion Program overview, checked 18 October 2026
2. Qantas Frequent Flyer status from flying, checked 18 October 2026