Rack Up 300 Million Frequent Flyer Miles By Sending Your Name to Mars -- Sort Of
The longest route that commercial airlines offer will put you in the air for a cool 18 hours, which is sure help you accumulate a lot of miles (9,500 flown miles to be exact). However, NASA is making that earthly orbit look like a walk to the mailbox. NASA is allowing people to send up their name to Mars and rack up hundreds of millions of miles in the process.
NASA plans to send a rover to Mars in 2020, which represents the first leg in humankind's attempt at a round trip journey to another planet. If you want to be a (small) part of history, you can submit your name to the company before Sept 30, 2019, your name will be stenciled by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on a dime-size chip in text one-thousandth the width of a human hair. That means over a million names can fit on one chip. It's minuscule, but still pretty darn cool to know your name will fly through space on such a historic mission.
To send your name up to Mars, simply visit the submission page and enter your name, country, postal code and email. Once you've entered your information, NASA will give you an "official boarding pass" to Mars. It's equipped with all the important information, like the launch site and arrival sites, scheduled departure and, most importantly, your earned mileage totals (also available in kilometers).
On this trip from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to the Jezero Crater, Brian Kelly will earn a whopping 313,586,649 miles. While TPG doesn't have a formal valuation for NASA miles, or a guide to maximizing your NASA redemptions (we're guessing that's just bragging rights) -- it's still an out-of-this-world gesture. Maybe one day NASA will add transfer partners, who knows? The sky is (not) the limit! Okay, we'll stop there.
But, once you've signed up, you can visit the frequent flyer page to find your accrued points. Similar to how Amex credit cards look, you'll find your "Martian Since" date on the frequent flyer page. With NASA's frequent flyer program, you can earn different patches for your accomplishments. Even if you can't cash your NASA miles for a free trip to Mars, you can still rack up the intergalactic virtual stamps. That'll have to do until maybe one day when your Virgin points can take you into orbit.
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| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
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