Many travel loyalty programs offer the ability to earn lifetime elite status. Ordinarily elite status has to be earned on an annual basis, so it sure is nice to be able to not worry about requalifying for status anymore.
Continue reading: Guide To Delta SkyMiles Lifetime Million Miler Status
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
This is incorrect: "As of 2024, Delta only counts eligible miles flown on Delta toward million miler status"
Miles flown on partners are also counted (as long as it's a paid fare), regardless of booking method. Still 1:1 in all cases - no class bonus.
As a practical matter, a substantial majority of the benefits are easily garnered via a premium cabin ticket.
United (I’m a 3MM on UA) does NOT factor million miler status for upgrades. Delta does!! The updated Upgrade priority changed in 2024 bumping Million miler higher in the list.
From your post at the time.
Under the new system (as of January 1, 2024), here are the tiebreakers beyond Medallion elite status (in order of priority):
Cabin purchased, including what you originally booked, or what you paid to upgrade to; in other words, for flights with a premium economy cabin, those upgrading from the cabin receive priority
Million Miler status
Whether you have the Delta SkyMiles Amex Reserve Card
Delta Corporate Travelers
MQDs earned in the current calendar year
Date and time the upgrade was requested
https://onemileatatime.com/news/delta-upgrade-priority/
I’m actually getting close to a million, but I’m not chasing. If and when it happens, cool; if not, no biggie. After all, these airlines loyalty programs can change on a whim, and when they do we consumers have little recourse, so I wouldn’t rely on any of this for the long-term. If you get an extra ‘thank you,’ a $1,000 gift card, and/or lifetime lower-level status, cool.
Agreed on earning miles on paid partner flights, but except for basic or similar fares.
Agreed. I’ve gotten MM points on partner flights. I’m 50k away from 1MM, I wish I had been more creative that last year before they changed it. I could have switched some spending and got a bit more of the $10k boosts on the CC
And, at each threshold you get higher priority. I just hit 2MM so I'm waiting to see if it makes a material difference in my upgrade success. For a long time after they moved MM status up higher I was consistently clearing 100 hours out. That changed, but I think it was more about monetization than others with higher priority.
We'll see what happens.
“I’m actually getting close to a million” …. is one presented with a long suffering and low standards acceptance award for such a tribulation? Hardly anything to crow about 1990Bot, unless you are looking for sympathy that is?
Do try a few flights on World Class Airlines for a change old bean …. 🙂
Much stronger than AA million miler program but then so are the financial results for DL vs. AA - says a ton .
It is very confusing to figure out what counts for MM status ..I can fly 3000 miles in a seat and only get credit for ???2400 towards MM status????
I became a Million Miler in the late 1980’s. I received a Hartman leather 9 1/2 x 12” note pad holder. I still have it. I think there might be some choices these days. I also got a Flying Colonel card that gave me lounge access. Delta finally got “woke” and gave me a Flying Orchid card, which was really meant for the wives of the Flying Colonels.