When Svetlana Makhni had her first child in 2017, she went on maternity leave from her job in finance in New York, taking a break from the frequent transcontinental flights that had earned her Diamond Medallion status — the highest tier — with Delta Air Lines’s loyalty program. When she resumed traveling for business, she contacted the airline, which offered to restore her status while she proved she was on track to keep it.

“The fact that I’ve had a child hasn’t changed me as a customer,” she said, applauding the benefits she appreciates even more now as a parent, including penalty-free flight changes. “I think it makes me more loyal.”

While Ms. Makhni , 35, took the initiative to petition the airline, Delta has now made reinstating status an official option for loyalty-program members who have major life events, including childbirth, adoption and caring for a friend or family member, as well as matters like relocation, changing jobs or getting a graduate degree.

Adopted in May, the policy called Reclaim My Status promises to reinstate your membership at the pre-life-event level for a conditional three-month period, which is fully granted for that year if you fly at a pace equivalent to the same level of membership.