There is little doubt that 2006 will be a year of good wishes to the three major frequent flyer programs celebrating their 25th anniversaries this year. It means bonus offers, and, we are sure, many surprises.

These programs have come a long way, and the SkyMiles program was kind enough to share some of their more fun stats:

Total number of SkyMiles members: 38,045,786
Number of SkyMiles members in 1981: 98,206
Number of employees staffing the SkyMiles program in 1981: 24
Number of employees staffing the SkyMiles program in 2006: ~150
Number of SkyMiles members with “Sky” or “Miles” as a first or last name: 12,878
Number of continents on which Platinum Medallion members reside: 6
Age of Delta’s youngest elite member — a Silver Medallion: 2 months
Age of Delta’s oldest elite member — a Gold Medallion: 105
The most transoceanic segments flown by a SkyMiles member last year: 61
The most miles flown by a SkyMiles member last year: 519,676
Total number of miles donated by SkyMiles members to SkyWish charities: 1,212,981,729
Largest current SkyMiles balance: 21,846,145
Number of members enrolled in 1981 who are still active members: 29,086
Number of members that were enrolled in 1981 and are currently Platinum
Medallion members: 1,005

There are many other fascinating facts about the growth of these programs.

Look for a complete timeline on this Web site in the months ahead.