November 5, 2024: I recently reached Million Miler™ status with Delta Air Lines and was offered a gift to commemorate reaching a million miles with the airline.
My journey to Million Miler: A ton of travel, plus a few credit card tricks
The million miles I earned with Delta started out with my flying Northwest Airlines while growing up in Des Moines, Iowa. I went to college nearby and worked in Des Moines until I was in my late-twenties. Being in Des Moines, flying Northwest made sense as the airline had two excellent hubs in Minneapolis and Detroit that offered connections to wherever I wanted to go.
I went to business school in Michigan and relocated to the Minneapolis area afterward where I worked for a large consultancy. I continued to fly Northwest and then Delta after the Delta/Northwest merger. Most of those miles were earned as butt-in-seat miles, grinding out weekly flights to clients in coach. As Delta expanded its co-branded relationship with Amex, I used Delta credit cards to earn more Medallion Qualification Miles, which at the time counted toward Million Miler status.
When Delta announced changes to its Million Miler program to include only miles flown, I looked at my Million Miler total and decided to open a few new Delta credit cards and spend my way into getting as many Medallion Qualification Miles as possible so that I could get to Million Miler status and the lifetime Gold Medallion status that Delta grants to its 1 million mile flyers.
I hit my Million Miler status in mid-2024 on a business class flight back to the United States from Southeast Asia.
Delta Million Miler gifts in 2024: Five options, and a clear winner
Historically, Delta has offered a gift to SkyMiles member when they hit a million miles. (And the airline offers additional gifts when you hit subsequent million miler milestones.) When I reached Million Miler status with Delta, here were my gift options:
- Million Miler™ Wine Set
- Delta Airbus A350 (1:100 model)
- Delta Million Miler™ Backpack
- Delta Heritage Logo plaque
- $1,000 Delta eGift Card
I chose the $1,000 Delta gift card. And I think that is the clear choice here—none of the other gifts come close to the same amount of value. I’d much rather have $1,000 of Delta travel than something I can buy for $40 at a gift shop. (And I much prefer my Briggs and Riley backpack to what Delta had on offer.)
Bottom line: A $1,000 gift card is a nice gesture for hitting a million miles
Airline frequent flyer programs have changed a lot since I started flying. Gone are the days of picking up a paper New York Times in the Northwest WorldClub before my morning flight, and complimentary upgrades are a rarity these days. Still, it’s nice to see an airline doing something special to celebrate a milestone. And getting $1,000 worth of travel to celebrate hitting a million miles was a nice gesture. Thanks, Delta. Here’s to another million miles!
