Significance

• Delta has a frequent flyer program called "SkyMiles." Designed for the loyal traveler, the program offers options, privileges and benefits as rewards for flying Delta, including seating upgrades and free travel.
  
  

Features

• Points are calculated for each Delta flight. Skymiles membership is free. You can enroll online or over the phone with an agent. You will receive a membership number that you'll use whenever you make a reservation with Delta. Miles will be updated in your Skymiles account after every completed flight.
  
  

Types

• Status is dependent on amount of miles you fly in a given year.Traveling for 25,000 qualifying miles gives you Silver Medallion status, 50,000 miles puts you at Gold status, 75,000 miles bumps you to Platinum and 125,000 miles makes you a Diamond Member. All of these Medallion members receive special privileges, like being upgraded to First Class if seats are available or offering a complimentary upgrade to any companion traveling with you.
  
  

Benefits

• Priority check-in, priority boarding and discounted or complimentary lounge memberships are also offered for Skymiles members who have reached Medallion status. You baggage is usually free (up to two bags) and Delta will place a "priority" tag on your bags so they are on the luggage belt first when your plane lands at its destination. Your qualifying miles all roll over at the end of the year, so you won't lose them. However, 12 months of inactivity can result in account deletion.
  
  

Misconceptions

• Having frequent flyer miles (and status) does not mean you can always exchange the miles for a free ticket. According to a 2010 Time magazine article, frequent flyers could not exchange their Skymiles for a free, round-trip ticket in July or August of 2009, as no seats were available. You won't always be bumped to first class either. If the seats can be sold, the airline is going to sell them.