Another benefit of a Delta gift card, compared to an ECV, is that it's probably transferable, so I could use it to book travel for others without having to be in the same reservation. However, I wonder if this change will lead to lower overall VDB compensation. I expect the once-a-year traveler might be more willing to jump at a VDB opportunity if they're getting a gift card, which is basically cash, rather than an ECV that they may or may not be able to use.