Delta Choice Benefits: Guide to choosing your benefits

Many travelers believe the Delta SkyMiles program has decreased in value over the years. However, Delta Medallion status can be extremely valuable if you travel with Delta regularly. One particularly valuable perk is the Choice Benefits program available to Platinum and Diamond Medallion members.

Whether you’re a newly minted Delta Medallion member or a longtime Delta Air Lines loyalist, here’s what you need to know about Delta Choice Benefits, including how to earn them, when to select them and which benefits are best.

How to earn Delta Choice Benefits

You earn Delta Choice Benefits each calendar year you qualify for Platinum or Diamond Medallion status. Specifically, you earn one Choice Benefit when you qualify for Platinum Medallion status and three Choice Benefits when you qualify for Diamond Medallion status.

Delta now only uses one metric — Medallion Qualification Dollars — for elite qualification. Here are the current calendar year requirements for the two tiers of Delta Medallion status that offer Choice Benefits as a perk:

• Platinum Medallion status: 15,000 MQDs
• Diamond Medallion status: 28,000 MQDs

You can earn MQDs on flights and other transactions with Delta and its partners, including vacation packages and spending on cobranded Delta credit cards. Plus, those with the following premium cobranded Delta credit cards get a boost of 2,500 MQDs toward status qualification every year:

You earn one 2,500-MQD boost for each card type. Having one or more of these premium Delta cards in your wallet can be extremely helpful if you want to earn Delta Medallion status.

Related: Which credit card should you use for Delta Air Lines flights?

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When to select Delta Choice Benefits

You can select Delta Choice Benefits after earning Platinum or Diamond Medallion status based on activity within a calendar year. You must select your Choice Benefits by the day your status expires if you don’t requalify.

So, if you qualified for 2024 Medallion year status based on activity in 2023, you’d need to select your Choice Benefits by Jan. 31, 2025. Likewise, if you qualified for 2025 Medallion year status based on activity in 2024, you’d need to select your Choice Benefits by Jan. 31, 2026.

You can currently select Delta Choice Benefits via the Delta website. Starting Feb. 1, 2025, you can select Choice Benefits through the Delta app — and as of June 1, 2025, you’ll have to use the Delta app to select Choice Benefits (you’ll no longer be able to select them via the Delta website).

Some Choice Benefits expire on a set date regardless of when you select the benefit. So, you’ll get the most value from some Choice Benefits by selecting the benefit as soon as you’re eligible.

Related: Your guide to Delta Million Miler lifetime status

Options you can select as Delta Choice Benefits

Delta hasn’t yet announced the Choice Benefits for the 2026 Medallion year. Here’s a look at your options if you earned Platinum or Diamond status for the 2024 or 2025 Medallion year:

Now, let’s examine each option for those who earned Platinum or Diamond status for the 2024 or 2025 Medallion year and the value they might provide.

Upgrade certificates

After earning Platinum Medallion status, you could use your one Choice Benefits selection for four regional upgrade certificates. And if you earned Diamond Medallion status, you could use a choice to get one of the following:

• Four global upgrade certificates
• Eight regional upgrade certificates
• Two global and four regional upgrade certificates

These upgrade certificates give higher priority than Medallion complimentary upgrade requests and can get you a one-class, space-available upgrade on most fares except Delta basic economy.

However, regardless of when you select your Choice Benefits, you must book and fly using these certificates by the end of the Medallion year associated with that Choice Benefits selection. So, if you earned Platinum or Diamond status for the 2024 Medallion year, you’d need to fly using these certificates by Jan. 31, 2025.

Related: The ultimate guide to getting upgraded on Delta flights

Bonus miles

With your Choice Benefits, you can select bonus miles for yourself, another SkyMiles member or a SkyWish charity.

With Choice Benefits tied to the 2024 Medallion year, you could choose 20,000 bonus miles (worth $240 based on TPG’s December 2024 valuations) at the Platinum Medallion tier and 25,000 bonus miles (worth $300) per choice at the Diamond Medallion tier.

Meanwhile, you could choose 30,000 bonus miles (worth $360) at the Platinum Medallion tier and 35,000 bonus miles (worth $420) per choice at the Diamond Medallion tier with Choice Benefits tied to the 2025 Medallion year.

Delta Sky Club benefits

At the Delta Diamond Medallion tier, you could trade all three Choice Benefits choices for a Delta Sky Club executive membership. Travelers who earned Diamond Medallion status for the 2025 Medallion year also have the option to trade two Choice Benefits choices for an individual Delta Sky Club membership.

The executive membership — typically costing $1,495 or 149,500 miles — gives you and up to two guests (or your spouse or domestic partner and children under 21) unlimited complimentary Delta Sky Club access. Meanwhile, the individual membership — typically costing $695 or 69,500 miles — gives you unlimited complimentary Delta Sky Club access for yourself.

However, these Delta Sky Club memberships are only valid through the end of the Medallion year associated with that Choice Benefits selection. So, if you earned Diamond Medallion status for the 2024 Medallion year and used all three choices for an executive membership, it would only be valid through Jan. 31, 2025.

MQDs toward the next Medallion year

You can use Choice Benefits selections for MQDs toward the next Medallion year.

With Choice Benefits tied to the 2024 Medallion year, you could choose 500 MQDs toward Medallion qualification for the 2025 Medallion year at the Platinum Medallion tier and 1,000 MQDs per choice for the 2025 Medallion year at the Diamond Medallion tier.

Meanwhile, with Choice Benefits tied to the 2025 Medallion year, you could choose 1,000 MQDs toward Medallion qualification for the 2026 Medallion year at the Platinum Medallion tier and 2,000 MQDs per choice for the 2026 Medallion year at the Diamond Medallion tier.

Gift Delta Medallion status

You can use your Choice Benefits to gift Delta Medallion status to someone else. Each choice is worth two gifts, with Platinum Medallion members able to gift Silver Medallion status to a pair of travelers and Diamond Medallion members able to gift Gold Medallion status.

The gifted status is valid through the end of the Medallion year associated with the Choice Benefits selection. So, for Choice Benefits tied to the 2024 Medallion year, the gifted status would last through Jan. 31, 2025.

Delta Vacations Experience credit

You could use your one Choice Benefits selection after you earn Platinum Medallion status for a $400 credit toward a Delta Vacations package. Or you could wait until you earn Diamond Medallion status for a $500 credit. However, you can only select a Delta Vacations Experience credit as a Choice Benefit once per Medallion year.

The credit is valid for one year after it’s issued for a flight and hotel package. You are the only one who can use the credit, and a two-night minimum stay is required.

Delta American Express statement credit

If you are the primary cardmember of the Delta Platinum Amex, Delta Platinum Business Amex, Delta Reserve Amex or Delta Reserve Business Amex, you can choose a statement credit on your card as a Choice Benefit at each Medallion status tier.

For Choice Benefits tied to the 2024 Medallion year, you can choose a $200 statement credit at the Platinum Medallion tier and a $500 statement credit at the Diamond Medallion tier. Meanwhile, you can choose a $400 statement credit at the Platinum Medallion tier and a $700 statement credit at the Diamond Medallion tier with Choice Benefits tied to the 2025 Medallion year. However, you can’t use multiple Choice Benefits to get multiple statement credits at the Diamond Medallion tier.

Related: Delta SkyMiles Reserve vs. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business: Which card is right for you?

Delta travel voucher

You can select a Delta travel voucher with your Choice Benefits. For Choice Benefits tied to the 2024 Medallion year, each choice is worth $250. But for Choice Benefits tied to the 2025 Medallion year, a Platinum Medallion choice is worth $300 and each Diamond Medallion choice is worth $350.

You’re the only one who can use the voucher, but you can use it toward the Delta flight portion of a Delta Vacations package. Vouchers are valid for 12 months from their issuance, which should occur within 48 hours of when you select the voucher.

Wheels Up flight credit

Delta added Wheels Up private aviation flight credits as a Choice Benefits option for the 2025 Medallion year. Flight credit can only be applied to new Wheels Up bookings (excluding Wheels Up Shared Flights and Hot Flights) and expires 12 months after issuance. You can only select a Wheels Up flight credit once per Medallion year.

With a 2025 Medallion year Choice Benefit, you could choose a $1,500 Wheels Up flight credit at the Platinum Medallion tier or a $2,000 flight credit at the Diamond Medallion tier.

Sustainable aviation fuel contribution

You can use your Choice Benefits to support Delta’s use of sustainable aviation fuel. Delta will apply $250 for each choice toward the incremental cost of sustainable aviation fuel instead of traditional jet fuel.

Related: How you can donate your points and miles to charity

Starbucks Rewards Stars

Finally, U.S.-based SkyMiles members enrolled in Starbucks Rewards may choose Starbucks Rewards Stars as a Choice Benefit once at each tier. However, Stars will expire six months after the calendar month they were deposited.

Each choice tied to the 2024 Medallion year will provide 4,000 Stars, while each choice tied to the 2025 Medallion year will provide 6,000 Stars.

Related: The best credit cards to use at Starbucks

Which Delta Choice Benefit is best?

If you have 2024 Medallion year Choice Benefits that you must select by Jan. 31, 2025, you’ll likely want to avoid benefits that expire on that date. As such, the best Delta Choice Benefits for the 2024 Medallion year will be bonus miles or the Delta Vacations Experience credit for most travelers.

You have more time to use Choice Benefits for the 2025 Medallion year. As such, the best Delta Choice Benefits for the 2025 Medallion year will usually be upgrade certificates, bonus miles, American Express statement credits or a Wheels Up private aviation flight credit. Of course, you can’t get the statement credit if you don’t have an eligible Delta Amex card. And you won’t find the Wheels Up flight credit valuable if you don’t need to fly privately at least once per year.

Related: Breakfast, upgrades and more: TPG staffers reveal their favorite elite status perks

Bottom line

There are many options when it comes to Delta Choice Benefits. These benefits can provide significant value, so making an informed choice is important — especially since some perks may expire quickly if you choose them near the end of your Medallion year.