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My mail has really piled up at home after two weeks off enjoying the Norwegian Dawn (review up soon) and one of the things waiting for me was the new, “Made in China”, Delta Million Miler Tags.
First some background on this and elite “Brag Tag” news. A number of years ago Delta made the choice to enhance Silver Medallion elites to paper only printed elite identification. The next year Gold Medallions were enhanced, who are Skyteam Elite+ members, and also got downgraded to paper. Then, as of last year, Delta enhanced the top elites Diamond Medallions (but not Delta 360* members) from impressive metal Brag Tags to plastic ones. Most of the above is now changing back to what it once was (well, mostly).
Per Delta.com and their news feed we learn that as of THIS YEAR 2019 Diamond Medallion will again be getting metal elite tags in the mail but they will be a little different in two ways. Also, as of next year, that is 2020, ALL ELITES will again get Brag Tags to “show off your medallion status with pride“! But I mentioned some changes.
The first thing that is changing is all the tags will be without million miler designation if you have earned that i.e. 1M or 2M etc. Instead Delta is sending out separate million miler tags – wow are they cheap. If you look at the photo at the top of this page you will see there is a deep scratch on one of my tags and I have never even put it on a bag. Also notice another change that is mentioned in the Delta.com update.
Rather than the strong and sturdy metal loop that would, more or less, permanently attach your tag to your bag (#ProTip – use a dot of super glue when you close the loop), they are now including for both the million miler and, presumably, with the new metal Diamond tags “luggage connector loops made out of a more durable rubber“- sigh. One of the big complaints I get from readers is tags disappearing when they check the bag (maybe because these tags tend to end up for sale on eBay?). You can always buy a few of the old quality metal loops to have on hand to use instead.
I really enjoyed my Million Miler flight. The Delta crew were amazing and I still on twitter have one of my most cherished #AVgeek photos of popping out of the escape hatch in NRT on a 747 before the flight! As Sandeep says, few have flown that much in their lifetime.
I was so frustrated when Delta went to cheap plastic Diamond tags and MANY readers have told me their tags went snap and died a few flights into the year (maybe why Delta is changing them back to metal?). Also, let’s not forget, Delta has in the past offered (for some back in 2013) amazing metal Tiffany’s million miler tags. These were high quality with a sturdy leather loop and would last (unlike the current ones that I am sure will not).
Now on the ultimate question on these and other brag tags – why put them on your bags at all? Some folks think that it is not, as Delta says, showing off your medallion pride to use these kinds of tags but just arrogant. However, I have proven again and again (think #ProTip) on the blog and in my travels with Delta and Skyteam that having these types of tags on your bags can impact your travel in many tiny ways for the better. My wife and I both keep our metal Diamond tags on our carry-on and roll-aboard bags (nice when you are challenged by a gate agent)!
Are you a Delta 1,2,3 or more million miler? Did you get your new tags yet? Are you impressed with them and are you going to put them on your bag(s)? Are you happy all elites will again get brag tags in 2020? Let us all know! – René
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Yes, received my 1M tag. Certainly bright. When will we receive our 2019 Diamond Medallion tags for achieving Diamond status in 2018? Mid February and have not yet received. Has anyone got their new tags?
what do u expect from (an) airline that only caters to those losers?
First time diamond this year – only received the plastic tag ♂️
The new RED tags would be cuter and more durable in METAL!! And those rubber loops last a flight minute!! Rubbish..need to find my metal ones i bought for this purpose last year!
The rubber loops are weak, I used to carry a few zip ties for them and when the inevitable zipper pull comes off, even on the Tumi bag they gave me for 1MM (zipper pulls fell off twice). The new plastic tag arrived but nothing for 2019 diamond yet. Since there arguably should be a lot fewer due to the increase on spend and miles they should be able to afford metal! I stopped putting the tags on backpacks due the clanking and annoying noise, time to move back to the carryon per Rene’s insight.
Rene, Really like your Blogs, I am a 3+ Million Miler and agree with you totally, I have no interest in putting the Bright Red tag on my bags. However, I love my previous Metal Diamond Tags with the 3M in the corner which have held up so well that I tossed the plastic ones, suppose I should have put them on E-Bay instead. I became a Diamond when that level started and have continued for 9 years and always thought it would have been nice for Delta to recognize that on the tags although I am sure that would have been difficult to keep up.
There seems to be a really simple solution to all of this. We seem to all collect into two camps – either we want QUALITY brag tags that we will use with pride, or we don’t want any tags at all. Interesting how no one wants cheap tags – and yet they keep going that route. I understand and appreciate the need to control costs. So why in the world don’t they just make the tags an online election – just like the annual Choice Benefits? Then those that that don’t “elect them” won’t get them, and Delta can use the savings to give the rest of us that do “elect them” a quality tag. Everyone wins and everyone is happy.
I agree with y’all, but man, my carry-on bag is soooo heavy already with computers, tablets, phones and all that work goodies… I am perfectly happy to save 1oz of weight with the plastic brag tag 😛 These brag tags do not stop FAs and people have shoving their bags on top of yours… The brag tags serve nothing more than a great girlfriend/future-wife repellent, or as the hate symbol from my coworkers on how much I spent on Delta. 🙂
Delta 360 tags are all metal with a cheap transparent platic loop.
@Santastico – Sounds like you need to Amazon a few of the metal loops? 😉
My new red 2 million tag went missing sometime on my 1st flight after attaching it. Gone baby gone.
I put the cheap plastic ones in my Delta file for those in remote posterity. I’ll use my metal tags until they are replaced with new metal ones. I also have 4 extra metal loops I’ll hang onto and use in future as needed. I really don’t understand the logic behind saving a few pennies by going to cheap stuff.
I expect to hit 1M this year. Does delta send Million Miler cards each year, or just the year that you hit the milestone?
@Patrick – You will get them shortly after you hit the milestone. I expect they will send them each year as they are so cheap they will break each year!