Medallion tag question
 

I'll be flying with Delta in the next couple of weeks on a transatlantic flight. Just pulled out a suitcase to make sure it was still in good shape and noticed my wife had left on her old Platinum Medallion tag. While I do belong to their programme, I rarely fly with them but was wondering if keeping the Platinum tag on there might in any way help to get my luggage off loaded quicker or if there were any other possible benefits. Of course, if Delta checked they'd know the tag wasn't mine, but still thought there might be some benefit to leaving it on?

It won't do anything for you. Everything is in the reservations system which directly pulls things from your frequent flyer account. Other than a visual, when you might try to
enter a line without showing your boarding pass and they see the tag and waive you though, but that isn't going to get you much.

It will probably keep you from having to carry the bags of another Platinum.

Exactly - this is the biggest benefit of keeping the bag tag on. While technically entitled, we all know it is common courtesy to exempt the "next lowest" status from having to carry your bags unless there is no other option. I always pass over Platinums when looking for bag carriers unless they're the only ones I can find.

Note though that most have gotten smart about checking for older versions of bag tags - if it's really old, you'll be caught right away and may even end up having to hold a lowly Gold Medallion's bag if you're not careful.

Somehow this doesn't work for me. I am a Platinum and I always end up carrying a Gold Medallion's bag and lifting it up to the bin :D I'll have to show her this thread so she learns how it should work.

Now, that might not be recommended, if you intend to keep traveling with this Gold Medallion!

I have been lifting a specific GM's bag all my life with her. She is happy . . . ;)

You can buy the tags off eBay. They mean less than nothing and were designed as marketing hype to make people feel "elite" (which is also a made up term in this context).

Exactly. They don't even serve as useful identification of luggage. I always feel a little sorry for people who need to display more of Delta's marketing as some kind of badge of honor.

Hey, at least you guys lift bags for someone with status. How is it that I, a noble Platinum, end up lifting bags for someone with no status at all?