Originally Posted by Robert Leach

JRF, with all due respect, what you say is simply not true.

While there was a Flying Orchid program at one time (along with a Flying Colonel program), the abbreviation "FO" as used today has nothing whatsoever to do with that program. Both of those programs were established before the idea of a Frequent Flyer program ever came into existence. The Flying Colonel program was to recognize the decision makers in business (e.g., corporate executives) with influence over travel decisions, whether they themselves flew much or not. The Flying Orchid program was to recognize, essentially, the secretaries (and later, the travel arrangers) for said executives, whether they flew much or not. Travel agents would typically nominate a customer for either Flying Colonel or Flying Orchid, submitting the nomination through the local Delta sales rep (back when the airline actually relied on travel agents for business).

In the beginning days of frequent flyer programs, there was no such thing as an elite level. However, at some point, the thought of offering special recognition and some extra benefits to the most frequent of flyers was cooked up by someone. At Delta, the intent was indeed to recognize those customers who flew most often. So, the Medallion level was created to honor those who flew often and the designation "FO" was indeed created to identify a customer who "flys often" and had reached Medallion level. There was only one Medallion level; you either flew often or you didn't. If you did, the label applied was "FO" on the manifest. Of note, the Flying Colonel and Flying Orchid programs were still in existence when the initial Medallion elite level was created. It would have made absolutely no sense at all to take a term representing Flying Orchids (who often flew only once or twice a year, since they were secretaries primarily, not travelers) and confer it on actual customers who flew a lot.

In subsequent years, the "Royal Medallion" level was created for those who flew a great deal. As I recall, the threshold for Medallion was 30,000 miles a year and for Royal Medallion it was 60,000 miles a year. I'll never forget during the early 90's economic downturn being told by a Delta city ticket office agent that, "I don't know what we would do without all you Royal Medallions." I think the designator for Royal Medallions was "RM" on the manifest.

Somewhere in the mid-90's, the three tier elite level system came out. The lowest elite level was named Silver Medallion and it adopted the old "Medallion" designator, FO. Gold Medallions were designated GM and Platinums were designated PM.

But the bottom line is that the original Medallion level was awarded to someone who "flys often" and the designator for that was most assuredly "FO", which was totally unrelated to the ongoing Flying Orchid program, which continued in existence for several years thereafter.