Platinum Medallion is the only Delta status we care about. It guarantees Comfort+ upgrades, which means extra legroom.
The way we did it this year, and how we plan to do it going forward after Delta changed how status is earned, is a mix of flying, credit card spending, and the $7,500 MQD Headstart we get just for having three Delta Amex cards. That headstart is a huge boost—it means we only need to come up with $7,500 more MQDs to hit Platinum.
We put enough spending on the Delta Reserve Amex since it earns 1 MQD for every $10 spent to fill in the gap between the $7500 MQDs from having the Amex cards and flight spend.
Between the MQDs we get from spending and the flights we take, we were able to reach Platinum without going out of our way. We don’t book premium cabins, and we don’t fly just to chase status—we just take the trips we need to and let everything add up naturally. Since Main Cabin and Comfort+ tickets earn 1 MQD per dollar, whatever we spend on flights also helps push us toward the goal.
The annual fees on these cards aren’t cheap, but they’re more than offset by the benefits. The Delta Reserve Amex is $650 a year, and both the Delta Platinum Amex (personal and business) are $350 each, for a total of $1,350 in fees. But between the three cards, we get three Companion Certificates that cover a round-trip ticket - buy one get one free - within the U.S., Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. These alone can easily be worth more than the card fees, depending on the flight. The Reserve’s certificate is even better because it can be used for First Class if we ever decide to book that.
My wife also has the Amex Delta Platinum and Amex Business Delta Platinum for two more companion passes and $350 Delta Stays credits. That’s enough with flights to reach Gold Medallion.
When we fly together, we both get upgraded based on my status.
On top of that, each card comes with a $200 Delta Stays credit per year, which adds up to $600 in hotel credits we’d use anyway. That, plus the value of the Companion Certificates, more than covers the cost of holding these cards. The Reserve Amex also gives us 15 Sky Club visits per year, which makes airport time a lot more comfortable.
This setup helped us earn Platinum Medallion this year, and with Delta’s new rules, it’s how we plan to do it moving forward.
