What is the Delta MQM rollover rule?

Plus, the Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) you earn above your Medallion Tier qualification threshold will roll over to the next qualification year to give you a jump start on earning Status again – this is known as “Rollover MQMs.”



As of 2026, the traditional Medallion Qualifying Mile (MQM) system has been completely retired in favor of a 100% Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) model. This means that the concept of "rolling over" miles from one year to the next—a long-standing perk for Delta frequent flyers—no longer exists in its original form. In the "new" Delta SkyMiles program, your progress toward status resets to zero on January 1st every year. For those who held massive "MQM banks" during the 2024 transition, Delta offered a one-time choice to convert those MQMs into MQDs (at a 10:1 or 20:1 ratio) or into redeemable SkyMiles. For the current 2026 qualification year, the only way to get a "head start" is through the MQD Headstart perk offered by premium Delta SkyMiles American Express cards (Reserve and Platinum), which provides a flat $2,500 MQD boost at the start of the year. Status is now purely about the dollars spent on Delta flights, vacation packages, and co-branded credit card purchases, making the program more transparent but less rewarding for "long-distance/low-fare" flyers.

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MQMs reset each calendar year as you track toward a new year of Status. Delta follows the same policy as American for its “Medallion Year,” meaning that your status will be valid until January 31 two years after the calendar year in which you earned it.

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To give you a jump start on earning Status again, the Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) you earn above your Medallion Tier will roll over to the next qualification year. Plus, at each Tier, you earn more miles from your flights to help you get to your next vacation faster.

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Earning Delta MQMs with Credit Cards Outside of actually getting on a plane, there's only one other way to earn Delta MQMs: Delta co-branded credit cards. And even though Delta a full suite different co-branded credit cards, only two of them will help you attain status through earning MQMs.

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Those with the Delta Platinum card or Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card can earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $25,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year, up to 2 times per year.

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You'll only roll over additional MQMs if you earned at least Silver Medallion status last year for 2023. If not, you reset back to zero. Trying to figure out how many Delta MQMs you'll roll over? Subtract the number of MQMs required to earn your current level of status from how many MQMs you earned in 2022.

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Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Platinum Business Basic and Additional Card Members (“Platinum Card Members”) have access to the Delta Sky Club at a per-visit rate of $50 per person when traveling on a same-day Delta or Delta partner airline flight.

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In short, Delta SkyMiles is the rewards currency you earn and spend to book award flights on Delta and its partners, while MQMs help you earn elite status with Delta but cannot be redeemed for flights.

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100,000 Delta miles are worth an average of $1,120, according to WalletHub data. You will get the best value for your Delta miles if you use them for flights booked through Delta, though there are a few other redemption options to choose from.

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