I swore it wouldn’t happen, but happen it did. And quickly, too.
Living for decades near a Delta hub didn’t do it.
Being a Delta Skymiles member since 1997 didn’t do it.
But accidentally, inadvertently, unwittingly reaching the airline’s Silver Medallion status (I still don’t know how I managed it) gave me a big push toward Hook . . .
And getting the Delta Reserve Amex card added Line . . .
But dammit, I refuse to go all in with and Sinker.
I don’t want to be overly loyalty-bound to any airline. But with my Delta Skymiles now quickly racking up, I have a new obsession: racking up more Skymiles.
The two most straightforward and efficient ways to do this, of course, are to fly Delta frequently and to use the Delta credit card for all purchases.
But as a lowly teacher, chained to an inflexible schoolyear calendar, I can’t simply travel hither and thither whenever I wish, accumulating Skymiles willy nilly while living the life of the insouciant traveler.
And as for promoting the Delta card from second string to starting quarterback? Weirdly, I can resist this. As I mentioned when I compared credit cards, our main credit card gives us cash back, which reduces our monthly bill, and oh how I love reducing our bill.
But racking up airmiles can be quite the heady experience, too. Delta knows this and so, like a wily streetcorner dealer, it provides several other ways for the Skymiles-obsessed to get their fix.
Ways I’ve gone down the dark, backstreet alley . . . or will when the opportunity presents itself:
Opting in: This is a very bad sign indeed. Usually, I go to great lengths to keep my inbox clutter-free, but I recently logged into my account (I have my Skymiles number and password memorized now—another bad sign) and gleefully checked “Yes, please!” to every opt-in option Delta provides. Yikes.
Skymiles Dining: Because the program is free to join and easy to use, our usual restaurants are about to feel the sting of rejection. But here’s how I’m choosing to look at it: in addition to getting Skymiles for eating out, it’s getting us out of our dining rut. If I get out of this rut 11 times in a year I become a V! I! P!*, with exclusive benefits I can only dare to imagine, including—crucially—more airmiles (she said while tapping the vein of her inner arm).
*exclamation marks added for emphasis
Starbucks/Delta Partnership: I’m not a huge fan of Starbucks. It’s overpriced and frankly, the coffee I make at home with my superautomatic espresso machine tastes better. (And don’t get me started on how they pass off half-and-half as cream. Then again, everyone does this. Sigh.) However, the husband and I are often gifted with Starbucks cards (gratefully—I wouldn’t want anyone thinking otherwise), which we use to buy beans. Annoyingly, I missed this new partnership’s promotional signup window by a week, thereby losing out on 500 bonus miles (that stung). But I signed up anyway because—get this—even purchases made with gift cards given to us by others net me airmiles. Now that’s a fix worth getting. Granted, these small purchases aren’t going to put me on a flight to Timbuktu, but at least I’m not leaving easy miles on the table.
Airbnb/Delta partnership: After our first Airbnb stay, I concluded that, in just the right circumstances, Airbnb would be a good option for us, but that most of the time regular ol’ hotels were more our style. But wouldn’t you know it, I recently reserved Airbnbs in two French towns for our upcoming summer travel. I sure wish I’d known about this partnership when I booked. All it takes is entering my Skymiles number into Delta’s Airbnb portal, which then shoots me straight through to Airbnb’s website. The good news is that I have since booked another Airbnb in a third French town. Unfortunately, there’s a delayed gratification component to this fix: I won’t see the airmiles until after I complete my stay. But if I can wait 3½ years to take possession of our new travel trailer, this months-long delay shouldn’t bother me.
It does, but it shouldn’t.
Late bags: Who wants to sit around waiting at the airport carousel for luggage? I do! Turns out, if I have to wait more than 20 minutes for my bags on a domestic flight, I fill out an online form and get 2500 bonus miles. Look sharp, Delta. I won’t just be lounging at the carousel next time. I’ll be vying against you in a twisted airport version of Beat the Clock.
Using Delta Vacations: ‘Tis true. I’m actually considering it. Though it means ceding some travel planning control, the husband and I are currently engaged in negotiations (in which I will surely prevail) over a future spring break trip booked through Delta Vacations. It makes me feel like a sellout, but we Skymiles junkies can’t help ourselves, and besides, this one gives triple miles on purchases that will be in the thousands. I mean, ‘cmon people. Triple miles! (tap, tap)
There are actually several more ways to sell your soul to Delta that I have no interest in pursuing. I won’t bore you with those details here; this post is long enough already. And let’s let’s face it, if you don’t fly Delta and you’ve gotten this far, you’ve just wasted several minutes of your precious time on Earth reading worthless drivel. (Thanks for sticking it out.)
I’ll finish by saying that I’m committed to fighting the good fight and combatting total capitulation. I will strive to resist Delta’s fuzzy, fur-lined handcuffs (though clearly one wrist is already shackled), because if I’m unwilling to give my blind devotion to, say, organized religion, I probably shouldn’t give it to an airline.
Then again, if God offered airmiles . . .
Definitely hook, line and sinker……but I bet you’re not the only one!
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Yep, I’m sure they’ve ensnared the masses with their insidious deals. (Gosh, I’m good at playing the innocent victim.)
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😎
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Yup, you’re gone. Sleeping on the sidewalk in front of Delta’s corporate office with a sign that says ‘will work for miles’ can’t be far off.
🤣
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I’m embarrassed to say you’ve nailed it. Given the temps Minnesota just suffered from (and the one’s I’ve heard Maine is getting hit with) Atlanta’s temps will probably seem balmy… Perfect sleeping bag weather!
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🤣
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I didn’t know about the collaboration with Airbnb. Good to know!
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I get it! My husband is an Alaska Airlines million miler; we’re hooked.
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Wow, that’s an accomplishment. Well done!
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I know the feeling! I’m hooked on United and Hilton based on our elite status and perks — sometimes we have to take a step back and realize there are more affordable and convenient options available!
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Yeah, it’s another layer of complexity in figuring out travel – you have to do your research. Sometimes the airline deals are amazing and sometimes it’s best to just eschew the miles and go with a cheaper option.
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I’m hooked to Delta too…They are getting ridiculously expensive though
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Yes. Sun Country is something I always check along with Delta. The price difference can be staggering.
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Well I guess the marketing dept at Delta has you in their target marketing strategy. Does it work for their alliance airlines too? ( not sure which batch their with). Happy traveling!!
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I don’t think Alliance is one of Delta’s partner airlines, but don’t quote me on that.
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I guess I meant do your deals extend to the partner airlines.
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Not deals, per se, but I earn airmiles when I fly on partner airlines, like this summer when part of our itinerary has us on Delta and part has us on Air France. We’ll get miles for all the legs since I booked through Delta.
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I guess there are worse things to be addicted to! 🙂 Wishing you blue skies and smooth flying. Mel
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I have a friend who is hooked to Alaska Airlines like that. While I admire her ability to manage all of it, I prefer to travel sans handcuffs. Gimme that cash back, though.
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Yeah, I’m nearing that tipping point. Any more partnerships, alliances, portals, etc. and it’ll all be just too overwhelming.
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Huh. Delta leaves me alone, but then I haven’t flown anywhere since October 2019 so I might have already shown them I’m not worthy. I have mixed feelings about Delta to begin with, perhaps they also sense that, too.
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Their email marketing strategy is obviously working! 😋 I feel the same way about my fave clothing brand. They give me discounts, vouchers, and a platinum membership (earning me even larger discounts) and I just can’t help but shop all my clothes, bags and shoes from their online shop. Then I get another voucher for shopping, and it’s an endless circle! It’s not that I’m a shopaholic either, I try to consume within reason. But whenever I need something new, I know where to go… (Plus, I used to work there, so I know exactly which size and model will fit me!) 🙈
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Yes, their marketing strategy is working a little too well.
The husband has a clothing company like that. They butter the husband up and he just can’t resist.
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This is fantastic- my hubby got the delta amex card and has since been finding all the possible ways of getting those skymiles. I sent him your post and now he’s excitedly taking notes and adding these to his spreadsheet of point/mile accumulation know how. Though I tease him about having a spreadsheet for this, I won’t complain when we get to reap the reward of all the points 🙂
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Oh wow! He’s more addicted (or maybe just more organized) than I am! He should google this topic because there are some good articles out there that detail ALL the ways you can earn Skymiles. One thing I didn’t mention is that they have a partnership with Lyft. I did a cost comparison and Uber is cheaper where we live, both with spontaneous trips and scheduled trips (we pretty much use it only to go to/from the airport), but I had to make a Lyft account to do that comparison and we’re keeping it open in case we’re in some other state where Lyft is cheaper.
Glad my post could be of use to someone! Happy accumulating to your husband!
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If only I lived near a Delta hub; I spend far too much money at Starbucks. Who knew I could’ve been accumulating airmiles all this time?
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Dang. That’s rotten luck!
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Extremely interesting!
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Thanks! I’m glad you thought so.
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Wow, I didn’t know you could accumulate miles in so many different ways. I tend to just Yes Skyscanner or kayak and see which flights are the least expensive. I have a capital one credit card that accumulates miles and I’ve taken quite a few international flights with them.
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It was a surprise to me, too. Living near a Delta hub is what pushed us toward a dedicated Delta card. We rarely fly other airlines, but for people who have multiple options, a general card like that is probably a better idea.
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Do you check to see how much other flights are?
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Oh definitely. And whether it’s direct or with a layover. Lots of comparisons with other airlines.
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There’s nothing wrong with being overly loyalty-bound to an airline…unless said airline happens to be Southwest, as is the case with Tara. She’s traveling to Nevada for a wedding in June and it took every ounce of her strength NOT to fly Southwest given their recent, well-publicized troubles.
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Having all your airmile eggs in a Southwest basket is like being trapped in a bad marriage. She needs to file for divorce – now!
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You could be a marketing rep for Delta. And I wouldn’t blame you. Miles even when you use gift cards?! Whaaaaattt?? And exploring new restaurants? I’d love that added motivation to branch out. But the biggest prize is for using insouciant! Love that word and definitely don’t see it enough or hear it ever. I wonder if I can toss it into conversation without looking like a snob?
And if I do manage it, could I earn miles for that?
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Isn’t that a great word? I say you should definitely sneak it into a conversation. You could probably use it to describe you son – what 5-year-old isn’t insouciant, after all? (I know about your son because I listened to your interview on the way to work this morning. Very enjoyable, and you’re a natural, by the way.)
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It even SOUNDS cool, doesn’t it?
Ah, my son. He’s so cute. 🙂
Thanks for listening and so glad you enjoyed it!
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Forgot to mention: “*exclamation marks added for emphasis.” That was another one of my favorite parts of this. 🙂
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Thanks! My eagerness to become a Skymiles Dining VIP must have flowed through my fingertips and onto the keyboard. (Only 9 more “dines” to go until I reach VIP status, by the way!) 🙂
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Nice! I’ll bet Delta flies to San Diego, too…
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It surely does. Just flew there last summer!
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Now you tell me. 🙂
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As someone who’s worked for two major airlines, I can say that there are benefits to loyalty programmes. You basically trade some effort for actual, tangible upgrades. I’m excited to see you do it! And if you’re going to travel a lot anyway, might as well get some perks while you’re at it!
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Exactly. It’s all about a reasonable approach – do what works for you (dining out at certain restaurants, say) and avoid what doesn’t (e.g., taking a cruise or going to Disney – both of which could net me more Skymiles but I’ll never do).
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This post had me baffling my husband as I laughed out loud and failed to explain why! The Hubs and I have been researching airline credit cards as of a late after our debacle booking (and maintaining) flights to and from Ushuaia, Argentina (soapbox rant in my next post that procrastination has prevailed upon). Being the AirBnB slut that I am, I may have to consider Delta’s travel card. Also, you’ve intrigued me with the dining perk since we’ve become a little hermitical with our dining (I write this standing at my kitchen island glowering at a bowl of leftovers staring up at me). Thanks for the laughs, and information!
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Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it. There are several tiers of Delta Amex card you can get. My post comparing cards is from November, so it’s almost certainly a little outdated, but it’s a good starting point:
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