I have you beat... I finally got my mom to fly DL to PVG using my Pay by SkyPeso miles, since she depleted all my UA miles. My mom didn't want to connect at LAX or SEA (got spoiled with UA's SFO-PVG) that she was willing to pay for the ticket on UA or CA - it's amazing I finally convinced her. I created an SM account for her, so I can track her flight schedules and making sure everything go through. To my surprise, my mom told me the purser approached her and welcomed her, and with a written note, to DL SM and thanked my mom for my Diamond status and loyalty to Delta, and welcome to the family, and I wasn't even on the flight! They apparently know a Diamond uses miles for a ticket on a new SM family member. I am impressed!