Delta Launches Retail Store Where Purchases Go Towards 2025 Status

15.11.2023 - 18:39 / travelandleisure.com / John F.Kennedy / Ed Bastian

Delta Air Lines wants to help you get your holiday shopping on — and give elite status hunters another way to start racking up those Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) for 2025.

Today, Delta has opened its “Window Seat Shop” online and in-person, where customers can buy 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 handwoven bag from Colombia, a skateboard from Nigeria, or even a private hot air balloon ride over the southwestern U.S. 

The in-person store has officially opened its doors at Delta’s Terminal 4 in New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Delta SkyMiles® American Express cardmembers have early access to the online store Tuesday, while all other SkyMiles members can start shopping online on Wednesday, Nov. 15. 

Courtesy of Delta Airlines

The Window Seat Shop will remain open until the end of November, and all purchases made will earn one Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) per dollar spent toward 2025 elite status. 

For many flyers, earning status with Delta has become increasingly difficult as the airline rolls out higher qualification requirements every year. In September, Delta initially hiked up the thresholds for 2025 elite status, met with much retaliation from its most loyal members and CEO Ed Bastian admitting that the airline went “too far.” 

Delta then made some readjustments to the program in October. Starting in 2025, MQDs will still be the sole elite qualification metric in Delta’s SkyMiles program, with the following thresholds:

Besides the limited-time earnings on Window Seat Shop purchases, customers earn one MQD for every dollar spent on eligible Delta purchases as well as Delta Vacations bookings through Delta’s travel portal.

Travelers can also earn MQDs with an eligible Delta credit card but earn significantly fewer per dollar spent.

“Our SkyMiles Members’ loyalty means everything to us, and experiences like these 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 feel when we’re able to give them the opportunity to have new experiences, whether that’s taking them directly to an adventure in a new location or bringing the best products from some of our top destinations to inspire future adventures directly to them.”