Can DL, UA and AA really call them "miles" anymore?
They can call it what they want, regardless of what you think. Airlines are a business, and like most big businesses, they specialize in obfuscation. Just like all the made up fees they tack on to awards, hotel resort fees, etc. I remember in the 70's, during the gas crisis, small fuel efficient cars were selling at a premium over the sticker price. There was actually a line item called ADP, and it was tacked on to the bottom line. I discovered later that it stood for "Additional Dealer Profit".