Delta puts dollar amount on elite status By Marnie Hunter, CNN January 17, 2013 -- Updated 2322 GMT (0722 HKT) Delta Air Lines has attached a minimum spending requirement to elite frequent flier status. Delta has added a spending requirement to elite frequent flier status The bottom rung of its Medallion program will require $2,500 annually in ticket purchases Some fliers will be bumped down or out of the program because of the spending rule The move increases the odds of upgrades for fliers who qualify, mileage analyst says (CNN) -- Attention travelers: Your high-flying status with Delta Air Lines may take a dive with the airline's new frequent flier rules. Delta announced a new spending requirement Thursday for gaining elite status in the airline's SkyMiles program. In addition to racking up Medallion qualifying miles or segments, passengers will have to spend a minimum dollar amount on tickets each year for each rung on the mileage ladder. For silver status, the spending requirement is $2,500. Gold status requires $5,000 in ticket purchases, $7,500 for platinum and $12,500 for diamond status. The change starts on January 1, 2014, for membership status in the 2015 program. "Adding a revenue component to the SkyMiles Medallion program ensures that our most valued customers receive the best program benefits and a more exclusive experience," said Jeff Robertson, vice president of the SkyMiles program, in a statement. Tim Winship, publisher of Frequentflier.com expects a mixed reaction to the change among travelers,"depending on which side of the fence you find yourself on." It's a win for business travelers who easily qualify for the programs through company-paid flights, Winship said, because fewer elite members means better odds for upgrades. But travelers who have been using cheap flights as a status strategy, may get bumped down -- or out -- of the game, Winship said. Justin Cook, a sales trainer from Orlando, Florida, flies nearly every week in the mid-Atlantic or the Southeast. Cook is a Delta Diamond Medallion member -- the highest level -- yet he estimates his company spends between $8,000 to $10,000 a year on his air travel, shy of the $12,500 requirement. By 2015, he suspects he could drop two levels to gold status. I will actively be looking into other airlines to see if they will match my status.