Delta Air Lines wants to help you get started on your holiday shopping – and give elite status hunters another way to accumulate Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) for 2025.
Today, Delta opened its Window Seat Shop online and in person, where customers can purchase locally made goods from small businesses or in-person experiences across its international network, the airline confirmed to T+L. Items on display include a hand-woven bag from Colombia, a skateboard from Nigeria or even a private hot air balloon ride over the southwestern US.
The brick-and-mortar store has officially opened its doors in Delta’s Terminal 4 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Delta SkyMiles® American Express cardmembers will have early access to the online store on Tuesday, while all other SkyMiles members can begin shopping online on Wednesday, November 15.
The Window Seat Shop will remain open through the end of November, and all purchases will earn one Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) toward 2025 elite status for every dollar spent.
Earning status with Delta has become increasingly difficult for many flyers as the airline continues to raise qualification requirements each year. In September, Delta initially raised the thresholds for 2025 elite status, prompting a backlash from its most loyal members and an admission from CEO Ed Bastian that the airline had “gone too far”.
Delta then made some adjustments to the programme in October. Starting in 2025, MQDs will still be the only elite qualification metric in Delta’s SkyMiles programme, with the following thresholds:
5,000 MQDs for Silver Medallion status
10,000 MQDs for Gold status
15,000 MQDs for Platinum status
28,000 MQDs for Diamond status
“The loyalty of our SkyMiles members means everything to us, and experiences like this are representative of what our members can continue to expect from us,” said Alicia Tillman, Delta’s chief marketing officer, in a statement. “We want them to feel the same excitement we do when we’re able to offer them new experiences, whether it’s taking them directly to an adventure in a new place or bringing the best products from some of our top destinations directly to them to inspire future adventures.”