Until July 15, Delta SkyMiles members can fly just one Delta flight to earn Silver Medallion status. A qualifying flight includes any Delta, Delta Shuttle, Delta Connection, or Song flight originating in one of the following cities: Wilmington and Charlotte in North Carolina; Binghamton, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse in New York; Erie, Harrisburg/Middleton, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and State College in Pennsylvania; Providence, Rhode Island; Richmond, Virginia; and Burlington, Vermont. Code-share flights operated by carriers other than the Delta Connection carriers are excluded. (Flights must be sold under the DL code.)

To qualify, first register online, then fly one qualifying flight by July 15. Your Silver Medallion status will be valid through Feb. 28, 2006. Allow 6-8 weeks to receive Silver Medallion credentials. Fine print: www.delta.com/skymiles, ask for promo code G*9702/15.

Earn Elite Status Miles With New United Visa Card

United Airlines and Chase have a new rewards card that enables travelers to earn more miles per flight and make elite status quicker. The United Mileage Plus Platinum Class Signature Visa card has no mileage cap (regardless of program status level) and enables cardholders to earn up to 15,000 miles toward elite status (only 25K miles are required for Premier status). It yields double miles for United and Star Alliance ticket purchases, and for everyday purchases; and it offers an annual free companion ticket.

New card members earn 15,000 redeemable bonus miles upon first use of the card, with 5,000 of those miles counting toward Mileage Plus elite status. Card members can earn an additional 5,000 Elite Qualifying Miles by charging more than $35K annually. Card members also can earn up to 5,000 Elite Qualifying Miles by purchasing tickets on united.com. Each year a companion ticket is provided, valid on United, United Express or Ted.

Details: www.united.com/platinumvisa.

New Northwest Policy Raises Elite Upgrade Odds

Say your Northwest elite upgrade doesn’t get confirmed within the 24/72/120-hour confirmation window, and First Class is sold out for your flight on the day of departure — leaving you no other chance of upgrading. Now what do you do?

Try your elite upgrade luck on another flight. Northwest Airline’s new “FlyNow” option allows you to make confirmed, same-day changes to domestic flights. For a $25 fee, you can book a flight three hours earlier or later than the Northwest or Northwest Airlink-operated flight you originally reserved.

How to work it: Find a Northwest gate agent at the airport and ask him to find out which flights have the best odds of an upgrade coming through (meaning those with the most unsold First Class seats).

Come Fly With Me!

I’m still looking for a few more First Class Flyer subscribers to become special correspondents, providing reports on airline service and pricing strategies. Apply by sending me an e-mail listing the airlines you fly most frequently and the destinations you know best, along with any other information that you think makes you the ideal First Class Flyer correspondent. I can’t guarantee that everything correspondents send in will be published, but I promise to print those pieces that offer readers valuable advice. Oh yes, and you’re doing this for love, not for money. Write me today: mr.upgrade@firstclassflyer.com.