An Excruciatingly Detailed Look at My Delta Airlines Travel in 2010

In 2010, I spent $9149.27 to take 84 Delta flights for a total of 132,249 miles, or an average of $108 per flight, and an average of 1,574 miles per flight.  This represented 19% of the $48,000 I put on my American Express card this year, which, of course, gave me 48,000 more SkyMiles as well as double miles every time I used my American Express card to pay for Delta tickets on Delta.com.  I now have 666,157 miles on Delta, which is enough for 26 roundtrips to California or elsewhere in the States, or 10-15 roundtrips overseas.  Of course, all of my travel to my shows was paid for by my clients.

Thanks to Delta's amazing new rollover feature, they rolled over 70,611 miles from last year, meaning that I have 202,860 Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQM) for this year.  Once again this year, 125,000 of those MQM qualify me for Diamond Medallion Status until February 2013, which means that 77,860 miles will be rolled over to next year.  

Diamond Medallion status includes the following benefits:

• A free membership (worth $450) to the exclusive and fantastic Delta Sky Clubs worldwide, which includes (depending on the Club) unlimited food and drink, meals to order, showers, conference rooms, free Wi-Fi, cubicles to work in, and even a putting green and a movie theater.
• The ability to make and cancel an unlimited number of SkyMiles award reservations.  This essentially means that if I'm considering flying anywhere, I can immediately make an award reservation, and if airfares drop, pay for a ticket instead, and simply cancel the award reservation, even up until the day of travel.  Platinum members only get to make and cancel three per year, but Diamonds can make and cancel an unlimited number per year.
• Unlimited upgrades to first class.  I sat in coach only once this year.
• Unlimited upgrades when flying on award tickets.  This is a first in industry.  Even if I'm flying on miles, I'm still in the same position on the upgrade list (almost always #1).
• Sky Priority line at security at the airport, meaning I rarely if ever have to wait for the security line.
• Priority boarding, which means that I always get to board first, and if I choose not to board first, I can cut the line, no matter how long, and waltz onto the plane when I please.
• A 125% mileage bonus.  That means that if I fly 5000 miles round-trip to Los Angeles, I actually earn 11,250 miles, which means I only have to fly two round trips to Los Angeles to earn almost enough for a free round-trip ticket.
• The ability to change to any flight on the same day, with three hours’ notice.   I can do this in midstream, meaning that even if I have flown one segment on a connecting flight and I wish to change the next segment.
• A fantastic new benefit, which is the ability to fly into any airport in a given metropolitan area.  So for example, if my ticket is to Long Beach, I can fly into any Los Angeles airport, including LAX, Burbank, Ontario, etc.,  Or if my ticket is into LaGuardia, I can fly to JFK or Newark instead.  So this means that I can make a reservation for the absolute cheapest ticket, flying at 6 AM, into the least convenient airport, and then on the same day of my travel, switch to a more convenient airport at a much more convenient time.
• A special secret toll-free number which is answered immediately, and they greet me by name.
• Being met by a Delta representative with a handprinted sign who whisks me through customs when returning from international destinations.  This saved me an hour at JFK airport when I returned from the UK last month.
• Fantastic treatment by all Delta staff - essentially being treated like a king.

Because of my American Express card, I can gift 15,000 MQM to any SkyMiles member.  In addition to that benefit, I have three Medallion Threshold awards, which I can use for any of the following: making any SkyMiles member Gold Medallion status, or $200 in flight credit (for $600 total), or some other various and sundry certificates from Tiffany or Marriott which are honestly not that appealing.

Delta rocks.  They're a magnificent company, which is why I bought 2000 shares of stock in the company.

- Dan Nainan, Comedian


- Dan Nainan, Indian Comedian