Some of the most fun Alex has had on a plane lately has been to collect Delta trading cards. Recently, he scored three of them while chatting with the pilots.

What are Delta trading cards?

You might have run into these on social media stories here and there raving about Delta trading cards that you can get from the captain. But what are they? Well, Delta says that the cards started all the way back in 2003 to celebrate the life of the MD-11 aircraft. Since then, each card created has honored a different aircraft in the Delta portfolio. On the back of the cards, you’ll find some facts about the plane represented on the front.

So how do you find Delta trading cards?

Now that you know what the cards are, what’s the best way to grab some of your own? I’ll say that I used to ask the pilots directly when deplaning. My thought process previously was that it pretty much was the only time the pilots would be hanging out, saying goodbye and thanks for flying to customers as they depart. The only problem with this method was that it was common for pilots to say they ran out of the cards.

I have seen others request them from the flight attendants midflight. I think the thought-process here was that it allowed freedom for the pilots to provide them when they had perhaps the most freedom in their jobs. Of course, the main downside is that it might not be as easy for the flight attendant to find the time to assist. Naturally, the middle of the flight might be a harder time on the flight attendant.

Lately, we’ve been getting more in the habit of asking pilots for the cards upon entry into the aircraft. It’s a simple request to the flight attendants to ask if the pilots have any Delta trading cards. When making the request, we’re sure to also add in a comment that we recognize they might be busy and can always ask later. More often than not in our experience, the flight attendant will step aside and tell us to go to the cockpit and ask them ourselves.

That leads to a fun cockpit experience for the kids and makes for something that entertains them beyond the flight itself. Personally, I feel like asking at the start of the flight is going to give you the best odds.

Anything else?

Delta says that there are over 68 unique cards in the Delta trading cards collection, and there is no way we will ever collect them all. Alex has been very much into collecting cards (*cough* Pokémon *cough*) and has debated sending in cards to get graded. He also was thinking of getting his cards graded and surely I was thinking no grading service would do it. But of course, I’m wrong on that.

You might think the pilots of a certain aircraft are only going to carry cards of that aircraft. That’s actually an incorrect assumption. Pilots might actually have more variety than you think and will openly share more than one with you (based partly on your giddiness levels). I believe the only exception might be the Delta Connection options, where those pilots will be the only ones that have the CRJ-900 and E175 cards.

Suggested reading:

• Why I Always Check a Bag with Delta
• Volunteering for Delta Flight Bumps
• Why You Need to Collect Delta SkyMiles