Delta Air Lines is closing out its 100th anniversary with a program built around recognizing everyday acts of kindness. Instead of focusing on fleet upgrades or network announcements, the airline is using the holiday travel period to highlight 100,000 small acts of kindness through an initiative called Centennial Cheer.
Running from December 4, 2025 through January 5, 2026, the program invites Delta employees to hand out Holiday Medallion cards whenever they witness small but meaningful gestures, such as helping someone with a bag, giving up a seat, offering a charger, or simply showing appreciation to crew or airport staff. The cards aren’t tied to elite status or ticket class; anyone can earn one.
Above: The Delta Holiday Medallion Cards for the 2025 season. A red Holiday Medallion card and a blue You're What Makes This Season Special Card.
Travelers who receive a card can redeem it for Centennial themed merchandise through Delta’s online shop. A limited number of “Centennial Gift Sets” also include commemorative trading cards and a chance to win a $500 Delta gift card, though supplies are limited. While rewards vary, the intent is less about the prize and more about celebrating small moments of goodwill during a period known for stress and packed terminals.
Above: The Delta Air Lines Centennial Gift Card Set with the Delta Airbus A321 and Airbus A350 100 Years Trading Cards. Copyright Delta.
There’s also a two way element to the program. Select Medallion Members can recognize Delta employees with “Job Well Done” certificates, and Delta encourages travelers to email stories or photos of kindness they witness throughout their journey. The goal is to create a network wide ripple effect: passengers recognizing crew, crew recognizing customers, and staff recognizing each other.
Why Its Important:
At first read, Centennial Cheer might seem like a seasonal promotion, and in some ways it is. But it also reflects a larger shift in what airlines are choosing to emphasize as the travel landscape continues to change.
The human element is becoming a major defining factor in how travelers judge their experience. Airlines have largely caught up to one another on hardware, cabin layouts, Wi-Fi speeds, and inflight amenities. But what still varies dramatically is the human experience, especially how people treat each other in crowded terminals and tight cabin spaces. Highlighting kindness is a subtle way of solidifying a service oriented culture at a time when many travelers feel exhausted and demoralized by disruptions and operational complexity.
Above: A Delta Res Care Agent Holding a Holiday Medallion Blue Card. From the Delta marketing video.
It also softens the holiday rush. December travel often brings long lines, winter delays, overstuffed bins, and frustrated passengers. Encouraging goodwill doesn’t solve these problems, but it can shape the overall travel experience. Even one simple gesture can ease the pressures of travel for both passengers and staff.
And for Delta’s 100 year milestone, the program acts as a statement about how the airline sees its next century: not just as an operator of aircraft, but as a community built around care and service. It’s the same philosophy that has kept Delta at or near the top of major airline rankings year after year, where reliability, customer satisfaction, and a strong service culture consistently earn the carrier industry leading marks.
What Travelers Should Know:
• You don’t need elite status, everyone is eligible.
• Small gestures count.
• Cards can be redeemed for gifts
• You can also submit stories of kindness you witness, even if you weren’t directly involved.
In an industry often defined by efficiency metrics and on time reports, Centennial Cheer stands out for its simplicity. It’s a reminder that travel is still a people driven experience, and that even during peak season chaos, small gestures can go a long way, and it doesn’t take much to help the day take off a little smoother.
