The Delta SkyMiles loyalty program has a lifetime (Million Miler) status component to it that could be worth earning if you’re loyal to the brand.

What is ‘lifetime’ status?

Lifetime status is used as a reward for your commitment to the airline. You’ll never fall below the corresponding elite status threshold, even if you take a year off. Once you hit a million miles or more, you could earn this lifetime elite status.

You might think of ‘lifetime’ status as representing status for the rest of your life. That could be true, depending on how long you live, but that might not be true for all. You might also think of it as keeping the status for the lifetime of the loyalty program, which is potentially more correct, but that’s not also always true. Think of it as an indefinite ending to the status level. That’s it. Airlines can and do change what you get at each lifetime status threshold. And sometimes what they do to the normal elite status program can impact you as a lifetime elite.

Thus, lifetime status isn’t something you should actively strive for unless you’re in spitting distance of earning it. If you think saving up points to use in the future is a gamble, how about basing your flying for a decade or more on something that might not be there in the future?

There’s a reason why these companies are moving away from the ‘lifetime’ naming of the status to calling it ‘Million Miler’. They want to remove the notion that you should expect something ‘for life’.

How do you earn Delta SkyMiles Million Miler status?

The normal elite qualification process for the Delta SkyMiles program is Medallion-Qualifying Dollars (MQD). As you might be able to guess from the name of elite currency, the more you spend with Delta, the more important you are to the company. Remember when things used to matter more than just how much you spend? With normal annual qualification requirements, you only have one year to prove your importance to Delta in exchange for benefits. You can earn MQD through flying on Delta or its partners, and through the occasional promotion that covers other travel partners.

When it comes to lifetime Million Miler status, you can ignore completely ignore MQD. Delta SkyMiles Million Miler status is based on butt-in-seat miles.

Do award flights help earn Delta Million Miler status?

Yes, if you booked the award flights using your Delta SkyMiles points, your flight will count towards Million Miler qualification. This is unlike American and United, which both only count flights paid with cash. Finally, something where SkyMiles is more generous than the competition, right?

If you book Delta awards using partner programs (like Air France / KLM Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club), don’t expect those flights to count. You need to use your Delta SkyMiles to get credit.

What elite status levels are possible with Delta Million Miler status?

The table below helps outline the different status levels you can earn with Delta Air Lines. Benefits start at 1 million lifetime miles with Delta.

With each threshold, you’ll earn a special gift of your choosing via the program’s dedicated Million Miler website. What gifts are options? Based on what others have indicated, here’s what you might get:

• Million Miler wine set (bottle of Prélude Grands Crus champagne and two wine glasses) + $500 Delta gift card
• Model A350 (1:100 scale) personalized with your name + $500 Delta gift card
• ROYCE overnight executive duffel (retails for $600), can personalize with your initials + $500 Delta gift card
• Delta Million Miler backpack by ROYCE + $500 Delta gift card
• Framed Delta heritage logos or world map
• Delta gift card (starts at $1,000 value for 1 million milers, and goes up by $250 for each extra 1 million miles)

These days, you tend to have 3 months to select your gift. If you don’t select one in time, I’ve heard the company chooses one for you.

What does each elite status level get you with Delta SkyMiles?

Earning lifetime status is nice, but what exactly does it get you? Cutting through the fat a little, here are the main benefits with each status threshold:

Silver Medallion status (not obtainable via lifetime status)

• 1 free checked bag
• 40% mileage bonus
• Choose Comfort+ seats for free starting 24 hours before departure (excluding basic economy)
• Free same-day flight change (excluding basic economy)
• Space-available complimentary upgrades within North America starting 24 hours before departure (domestic Delta One upgrades must be same-day, excluding basic economy)
• SkyTeam Elite status

Gold Medallion status

• 1 free checked bag
• 60% mileage bonus
• Choose Comfort+ seats for free starting 72 hours before departure (excluding basic economy)
• Free same-day flight change (excluding basic economy)
• Space-available complimentary upgrades within North America starting 72 hours before departure (domestic Delta One upgrades must be same-day, excluding basic economy)
• SkyTeam Elite Plus status

Platinum Medallion status

• Choice benefits (including 4 regional upgrade certificates, 35,000 SkyMiles, $350 Delta travel voucher, and more)
• 1 free checked bag
• 80% mileage bonus
• Choose Comfort+ seats for free at time of booking (excluding basic economy)
• Free same-day flight change (excluding basic economy)
• Space-available complimentary upgrades within North America starting 120 hours before departure (domestic Delta One upgrades must be same-day, excluding basic economy)
• SkyTeam Elite Plus status

Diamond Medallion status

• Choice benefits (including 4 global upgrade certificates or 8 regional upgrade certificates, 40,000 SkyMiles, $550 Delta travel voucher, and more)
• 1 free checked bag
• 120% mileage bonus
• Choose Comfort+ seats for free at time of booking (excluding basic economy)
• Free same-day flight change (excluding basic economy)
• Space-available complimentary upgrades within North America starting 120 hours before departure (domestic Delta One upgrades must be same-day, excluding basic economy)
• SkyTeam Elite Plus status

Delta 360° status

• Highest priority for upgrades and services
• Use of Delta One Facility Check-In services
• When also flying in first class, can access the Delta One Lounge (entry of up to 2 guests or immediate family allowed at $100/guest)

How does Delta lifetime status compare to the competition?

Delta’s primary competitors are American, United, and Southwest.

• American offers a weaker lifetime status program than what Delta offers. While Delta starts off at mid-tier and enables the possibility of invite-only 360° status, American starts at entry-level status and only goes up to Executive Platinum (not Concierge Key). American’s weaker program is likely a reflection of how all miles used to be considered lifetime miles until 2012.
  
  As a last bit of distinction, Delta flights booked with SkyMiles earns credit towards lifetime status while awards with AA miles do not.
  
• United offers equivalent status levels as what Delta offers, but United members can get invite-only status starting at 4 million miles rather than 5 million with Delta.
  
  Additionally, United offers comparable status to a companion living at the same address while Delta only gives gifts. At the same time, Delta counts flights booked with SkyMiles to the lifetime counter while United does not.
  
• Southwest does not have a lifetime elite status program.

Are there any shortcuts to earning Delta SkyMiles Million Miler status?

If only!

There used to be a faster way to earn lifetime Delta status. Delta used to use the Medallion-Qualifying Miles (MQM) currency as the basis for both annual status and a measurement of lifetime miles. There were ways to manipulate this, such as taking partner flights and credit card spend. However, once Delta moved to MQD and eliminated MQM, the only way you’ll earn it is by flying Delta or its partners.