Delta Air Lines and I have had problems for the past year.
i handled it operational crisismechanical problems and SkyMiles depreciated. However, I have found Delta consistently to offer the best experience among the major US carriers and suit my needs as a frequent business and traveler in New York City. So when I noticed that my Medals qualifying dollar balance would be short by about 5,000 MQDs to qualify for the Diamonds at the end of the year, I knew I had to do something.
Spending more than $5,000 on airline tickets was out of my budget, so I started looking for partner MQD activities to help me earn discounts. This is the same strategy I used last year when I booked Aeromexico’s relatively cheap business class ticket to Europe to bridge the gap from Platinum to Diamond.
This year, I finally decided to book a ticket to South Africa operated by a partner. This ticket has earned me almost 5,500 MQD at a low cost. Below you will find details about my criteria, what I booked, my experience on flights and crediting them to my SkyMiles account. This isn’t the simplest MQD run of the year, so let’s take a closer look at how it turned out.
What I have set to keep the Diamond Medal for 2023
I have spent countless hours looking for a partner MQD run that will make at least 5,000 MQDs, within my budget around $2,000 and let me visit a new country shortly.
I have reviewed many destinations in Asia, Africa and Europe. However, I still find it difficult to find year-end premium economy or business class fares that fit my budget. Travel is kicking back, and airlines know they can make the most of these routes — especially at the end of the year when many Americans take time off work to travel.
Finally, I found a flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) via London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) in economy class. Virgin Atlantic premium for $2,013. The itinerary isn’t perfect — over 16 hours in premium economy class is tough and the return flight involves a long stop in London — but it fits my core requirements.
All Virgin Atlantic premium economy fares earn the following when you credit SkyMiles, regardless of the fare class booked. Percentage is based on physical miles flown. You can view partner earnings ratios for all Delta partner airlines on this page Landing page.
| dollars qualified for medals | mile level medal | SkyMiles earned base | SkyMiles Rewards Earned | Total SkyMiles Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30%. | 150%. | 100%. | 50%. | 150%. |
So I booked and paid with Platinum Card® from American Express to earn 5 points per dollar on flight purchases (up to $500,000 for these purchases per calendar year) when booked through Amex Travel. This gives me a whopping $201.30 per Valuation of TPG and is more than enough to book a domestic one-way ticket when taking advantage of transit partners like British Aviation Avios or Avianca Life Miles.
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Also, it turns out, the long pause in London didn’t happen. I booked my flight and Virgin Atlantic got one schedule change on my return trip. Because of this, I was able to rebook the return leg to only have three hours in transit at no additional cost.
The most important part of the journey is elite status and miles earned — and it’s a long road. I’ve earned over 45,000 SkyMiles redeemable with 50% cabin bonus and 120% Diamond Medal bonus, almost 5,500 MQD and just over 27,000 MQM. I don’t need MQMs because Delta has moved MQMs since the start of the pandemic, but they will help me next year as Delta moves anything but your status tier to the next elite year.
| dollars qualified for medals | mile level medal | SkyMiles earned base | SkyMiles Rewards Earned | Total SkyMiles Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27,216. | 27,216. | 18,144. | 30,844. | 48,998. |
Issues crediting flights to my SkyMiles account
As with most things in the world of points and miles, this run didn’t go 100% as planned.
When I got back to New York, a couple of days passed and I noticed that the mileage from my trip had not been posted to my account. I initially submitted a mileage request online but received no response. After two weeks, I started to get a little worried so I contacted Delta support via iMessage.
Turns out, when I rebooked my ticket after a reschedule, my entire journey was resold with some new tickets. So the agent asked for the right number of tickets and submitted the request on my behalf. Mileage was in my account two days later — crisis averted.
Virgin Atlantic’s premium economy is (mostly) excellent
As for the in-flight experience, I’m a big fan of Virgin Atlantic’s hard and soft products.
My flights between JFK and LHR are operated by the airline’s flagship Airbus A350, while the legs between LHR and JNB are operated by its Boeing 787 aircraft.
The A350 is the star of the show. The plane’s new premium economy seats are comfortable and feature an excellent in-flight entertainment system. Plus, it had reasonably priced Wi-Fi that was fast and stable during the transatlantic journey from New York to London.
first belong to 5
Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy Class seat A350. ANDREW KUNESH/THE POINT
In fact, the A350 offers one of the best in-flight Wi-Fi experiences I’ve had with very little downtime. Wi-Fi costs £20.99 ($25.36 at time of writing) on flights between JFK and LHR, which I think is reasonable for a stable connection.
Meanwhile, Boeing 787 products are also beautiful but starting to show signs of aging. In-flight entertainment options are largely the same, but the in-flight Wi-Fi didn’t work properly on my way to or from Johannesburg. I bought a messaging plan — it only includes 20MB of data — on my way from LHR to JNB, but I can’t send or receive messages. The data limit disappears within minutes of connecting.
Service across all four segments is top-notch. I like traditional British food, especially the full English breakfast. Plus, there’s a snack bar in the kitchen that’s stocked with snacks and drinks to keep you full during the flight. With flights between JNB and LHR lasting more than 10 hours, this is much appreciated.
Thanks to my Diamond status, I have access to Virgin Atlantic Clubs in JFK, LHR and JNB. All are great and offer a wide selection of food and drink delivered right to your table.
Want to learn more about Virgin Atlantic’s premium economy? Check out TPG’s full review of aircraft A350 and Boeing 787 Cosmetics.
It’s worth it?
So is it worth spending over $2,000 and a weekend in Johannesburg to keep your elite status? Sure.
I had the most positive experience as a Diamond in 2022. I’ve been upgraded on over half of my flights and I’ve used all of my Global Upgrade Certificates even though they Price break this early year. Also, the Delta SkyClub guest card (which I choose every year as another card Choice benefits) it’s great to travel with my partner or friends because they can access the Sky Club with me.
With all the operational difficulties this year, having faster access to support is a blessing. I’ve been rebooked due to weather, hotels have been refunded by the carrier, and have generally had a good experience with Delta’s Diamond Medallion line. This support is invaluable, and as someone who travels frequently for work and travel, it has helped me stay sane more than once.
On top of that, the 48,998 SkyMiles I earned on this trip is worth $690.87 based on TPG’s valuation is 1.41 cents per SkyMile. It was a nice discount on my spending, and the mileage was sponsored for a flight back to Chicago for the holidays.
Of course, visiting Johannesburg for a few days is also a pleasure. Now I’m even more excited to be back next June when I do a two-week trip through South Africa.
Related: What is Delta Air Lines elite status worth?
bottom line
While crediting flights to my account took some work, I’m glad I booked and flew an MQD later this year.
I receive over $2,013 in my Diamond Medal benefits annually, so this mileage makes a lot of sense. While I wish crediting flights to my account wasn’t so much of a hassle, Delta’s support was most helpful via iMessage. I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same next year if I find myself missing MQD by the end of the year.
Should you run the same MQD? It depends on how often you fly, the status tier you’re running for, and how much you want to fly Delta in the future. If you’re looking to bridge the gap between Platinum and Diamond, I think it’s worth the money if you have the time to spare.
