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Delta suspended Million Miler gifts last year. But a couple members of the elite club emailed us something interesting: they received a Delta gift card as Million Miler gifts.
Reader “Rick” (not his real name) told us that a congratulatory email from Delta showed up rather unexpectedly yesterday. Included was a $250 Delta e-gift card.
Here’s what was in the email:
| Dear [Rick],
To start, I’d like to congratulate you again on achieving 1 Million Miler Status. Very few people become part of this group, and you’ve already arrived. To take that further, I’d also like to thank you for your continued loyalty and patience. In a year that’s been unlike any other, Members like you mean the world to us and are what keeps us striving to keep climbing. Achieving Million Miler Status is no small feat, and it deserves to be celebrated. In addition to the Million Miler benefits you’ve already received, please accept this $250 Delta eGift Card in honor of your achievement. It can be used to go wherever Delta flies, as well as toward Delta Vacations® packages – and it never expires. To redeem, visit delta.com/redeem and enter your gift card information: Delta Gift Card Number: [redacted] PIN: [redacted] In addition to your complimentary Silver Medallion Status each year, as an added enhancement your Million Miler Status will now play a role in giving you Complimentary Upgrade clearance priority. And finally, please keep your eye on your mailbox for additional gifts headed your way, including new custom Million Miler bag tags. We look forward to serving you again and again, and on behalf of the entire Delta family, thank you for choosing to fly with us. Sincerely, Ed Bastian |
Rick added that he received his (plastic) Million Miler bag tags about two or three weeks ago. But he was pleasantly surprised by today’s email.
But wait! There’s more!
A 2 Million Miler sent us this:
Dear [Redacted],
To start, I’d like to congratulate you again on achieving 2 Million Miler Status. Very few people become part of this group, and you’ve already arrived. To take that further, I’d also like to thank you for your continued loyalty and patience. In a year that’s been unlike any other, Members like you mean the world to us and are what keeps us striving to keep climbing.
Achieving Million Miler Status is no small feat, and it deserves to be celebrated. In addition to the Million Miler benefits you’ve already received, please accept this $350 Delta eGift Card in honor of your achievement. It can be used to go wherever Delta flies, as well as toward Delta Vacations® packages – and it never expires. To redeem, visit delta.com/redeem and enter your gift card information:
In addition to your complimentary Gold Medallion Status each year, as an added enhancement your Million Miler Status will now play a role in giving you Complimentary Upgrade clearance priority. And finally, please keep your eye on your mailbox for additional gifts headed your way, including new custom Million Miler bag tags.
We look forward to serving you again and again, and on behalf of the entire Delta family, thank you for choosing to fly with us.
Sincerely,
Ed Bastian
Delta Air Lines CEO
Reports are the gift cards amount goes up at each award level i.e. a $500 gift card for 3 MM and so on.
And Delta has now added something they have never ever offered before that is “free” annual complimentary Diamond Medallion Status once you cross 6 Million Elite miles with the airline. Take a look at what Delta.com now shows us:
Final Approach
Credit where it’s due: good for Delta doing something for its Million Milers in regard to gifts including adding a 5 million mile gift and the ability to reach “lifetime” Diamond Medallion. (Although some people who spend so much time on planes might not want to travel during their “off” hours.) Interestingly, gift cards seem worth more than some of the other gifts Delta offered in the past.
Although, René opted for a Tumi bag (which he sold for a few bucks) when he crossed a million miles…
Do keep in mind that ALL MQMs from anywhere count toward your million miler status. That means MQMs earned via Delta Amex Reserve card or Platinum card bonus spend counts as well as Delta and Delta partner Mileage runs.
What do you think of the million miler enhancements by Delta?
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Chris thanks for the update. Now my brain is crunching numbers to calculate how long it’ll take to go from million miler to 6 million. Ha Ha. Maybe in my next life.
@Wayne – It is kinda ridiculous that it would take 48 years if you “just” earned 125,000 MQMs to be lifetime Diamond. At that point your lifetime is likely not that much longer on this earth. Then again, it would be a fun challenge to to MS and Mileage Run to 6M as quick as possible. Ah silly goals.
Will you get a set of choice benefits each year if you hit plat or Diamond lifetime or do you still have to requalify for that every year?
@Dennis – Other than the “push year” from COVID you must earn status (any number of ways) to get a Choice Benefit selection. Now as to CLEAR free membership for annual Diamonds, we shall see but my guess is that too will only be for those who earn DM the hard way.
@Wayne, for me I guess I would need a few more lives to reach it. Anyway, just imagine you would earn those 5 more million miles. Due to rollovers (assuming rules would never change) that would be good for 40 years of Diamond Medallion. At least for members not based in the US who are exempt from any MQD requirements. So one would need another life just to enjoy the benefit of complimentary annual Diamond Medallion status.
But yes, with MQD requirements it is kinda cool. Fly a few years nonstop or something like that and then enjoy top tier status for the rest of your life.
The mentioned gift card values don’t sound too bad I think.
Well, when I am able to return to my pre-pandemic travel pattern it would take me maybe 20 more years or so to reach 1MM level … so it’s not that important what my opinion is …
I received my email last night. I have 5MM and the e-card was $500. I appreciated what Delta has done for those who made MM during the pandemic. Not sure if I will make 6MM but “Lifetime” Diamond would be GREAT!!
@PCB – Thanks for data point. Perhaps $500 is the max cap for the gift cards.
Any readers hit 6MM yet?
I just hit the 5MM mark last month, delayed 15 months by COVID, and received my email last night as well. My card was $500. I’ve still got a few good years of travel and spend in me to shot for 6MM! Planning to stick with business travel this year, and a couple of college football games, until things get better.
Hoping to see many of you on the road and at meetups again sometime soon.
I hit million miler status 7-8 months ago and never heard anything except they were shutting my account down.
They refused to accept that I changed my e-mail address and they refused to call American Express if they had a verification problem. Finally after 6 months, I sent them my passport and they accepted that for verification. I think whoever runs the airline needs many lessons in something called Customer Relations.
3 MM here. No e-mail from Delta. I wonder if this is only for MMs in competitive markets, which would exclude San Antonio, TX.
Indication of metal MM tags? The cheapo plastic tags are weak given this tag is not likely replaced every few years. This tag should be robust.
I hit Million Miler in February and got the email yesterday. Oddly, I received my Million Miler bag tags several months ago…and then received “2 Million Miler” bag tags a few weeks later.
1.6MM do not think I will get to 6 MM ever but will try to get to 2M when we can get out of the country without testing etc!!!
I’m half way toward being a
2 Million miler and permanent gold—- not bad, me thinks!
So if I reduce my flying in a few years,
I’d have a vestige of recognition to cling to.
Though I’m flying to 4 gigs in the US
Soon to see the stones plus all
My runs lined up so… one never knows! Fly on !!!
1 MM but no email from Delta. Boo!
@Kathy B – Email Delta. They should be able to help.
Did exactly what Rene said. Delta responded in a couple days with my $250 ecard and promised a goodie bag in the next few weeks. They DO care. BTW, all 1.1 million of my miles were for leisure. No business trips ever.
I have over 3MM on Delta and they have always been my preferred carrier. I have been Platinum or Diamond since the mid 90’s. That said, have seen nothing other than my bag tag pre COVID. No email, nothing but sadly I am not surprised considering the level of customer service in hospitality today. My father passed away when I was 16 and had worked for Delta for 25 years and I was flying before there were any FF programs. They do not treat their top tier patrons like they did a few years ago.