flyingSFO

BEWARE DELTA MILLION MILERS - Just learned after calling Delta that the Lifetime Status Benefit for MILLION MILERS is likely to change - depriving those of us that have flown Delta for all of our lives of the benefit of maintaining a Lifetime Level of status consistent with your lifetime miles.

I am just 49,445 miles short of 3,000,000 miles with Delta having flown them exclusively since 1980.

Currently:
1M miles gives your Silver Status for your lifetime,
2M miles gives you Gold Status for your lifetime
4M miles gives you Platinum Status for your lifetime

This is also what the Delta website tells you when you sign on.

NO LONGER ----- THAT IS IN THE MIDST OF BEING DISCONTINUED AND YOU WILL GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PILE REGARDLESS OF YOUR LONG-TERM STATUS WITH DELTA !!!

My 10 digit Delta FF# starts with "0" --- the current FF# for even the newest flyer are all at the least 999,999,999 FF # numbers greater - I have flown Delta for a long time.

I am such an unbelievable supporter of Delta that this disappoints me more than it damages me. I could fly another airline now that I have retired and probably save money but don't know where to look.

Jerry Butler
Delta FF # 01XXXXXXXX

TheMadBrewer

It hasn't been called "Lifetime" in a while -- "Annual Complementary" is the current language.

If you have news of other changes, please share though.

And you might want to remove your FF number.

flyingSFO

Good Point on FF # -- thanks

Also I know when I passed 1M miles and again when i passed 2M, it was still clearly labeled as a LIFETIME BENEFIT

davetravels

Are you saying that, people who are already receiving the lifetime --> AKA / ANNUAL Status benefit will LOSE what they already have, or, they just won't give it to anyone newly reaching those levels - - OR - - You're not sure of this?

I am 20,000 miles from 2 mil / Forever Gold! I've been striving for this for what seems like FOREVER!!!

KDCAflyer

Darn. I just crossed 225K. Pretty good for someone my age I suppose. All that UM travel when I was younger, plus my current flying.

That's an interesting point about FF numbers. I assume that the assigned number roughly indicates when an account was created? Mine starts with 23, and I'm pretty sure that my parents created it back in 2001.

TheMadBrewer

You are way ahead of me in posts and you were ahead of me on 2MM -- but I reached 2MM last fall. Moral? Post less, fly more (really, really just kidding)

I feel your worry -- I was at about 998,000 when NW changed their MM from "All miles" to "EQMs" When I complained, they jacked me around until they said "Sorry, to late to appeal."

I was so pissed I didn't fly them paid for nearly 5 years -- domestic was mostly AA (not enough for status) and whomever was cheaper TATL (a bunch of MartinAir and LTU plus some BA and NZ) Then one year NW/CO was cheapest for 3 TATL trips which gave me Silver with a shot at Gold and I got hooked again.

davetravels

Well, it would seem shocking to anyone if they YANK IT away from people who have already attained it?!?

That said, I should be getting 10K from Amex around mid-March, and could easily do a quick hop to Europe for another 10K. I was working on a trip to PEK that was cheap for QUITE a while that would have gotten me around 18K (I think), but the price has doubled now.

BUT - If they're gonna yank it away from people who have already gotten it - - I guess there's no sense in killing myself to get it!

KDCAflyer

For now, I'm going to assume that this is just a rumor.

Why would DL suddenly make this move? How would it benefit them to piss off a bunch of their most loyal flyers? Even if a MM isn't flying DL full-time for business anymore, having lifetime status should in theory make them more likely to choose DL for occasional leisure trips.

Often1

I am surprised that a DL agent discussed non-public information about the company's program. Ordinarily that would get an employee terminated at DL.

It would be helpful if OP would explain why he called to ask the question, what he asked, what the specific answer was, and where all of this can be verified.

KDCAflyer

People around here seem to "hear things" from medallion line agents all the time. Some recent rumors have ended up being true, but the overall track record doesn't seem great.

BamaGirl

This seems really odd considering the recent 'push' to recognize MMers on flights and on the phone lines. But, when it comes to DL diminishing the benefits of the Skymiles program, I guess I shouldn't be surprised if there is (some) truth to this.

davetravels

It doesn't cost DL anything to keep track of status and call you a MM, but, the benefits of lifetime / annual status costs.

BamaGirl

I get that is costs them a one time gift. But, other than the upgrade priority, what does it cost them? Granted I've never used my benefit as a gifted Platinum because I am still flying and am a DM. But do those with gifted priority get a Choice Benefit? Do they get any mileage earning bump or anything else I may be missing?

davetravels

Well, how about spendable SkyMiles for starters. I'll earn more SkyMiles as a lifetime GM than I will as a Nothing Medallion as my travel curtails.

yohanson

Interesting. I'm at 954,530 Lifetime MQMs right now.