Yeah thats really what they are. I'm not too concerned as I never really spend them (i give them to family members who don't fly a lot to help them get a free ticket). If you live near an airport that Delta mainly fly's from, not necessarily a hub, (Denver and San Fransisco) but one where they have more flights than any other carrier they're great but if you live by an airport where they only have a few flights a day then you might not want to chose Delta (Dallas and Seattle). Choose the one that is based near you or that you fly the most or what the hell get multiple memberships.