One of the vital fashionable frequent flyer applications is Delta SkyMiles, the loyalty program of Delta Air Strains. TPG’s February 2025 valuations peg Delta SkyMiles at 1.2 cents apiece, and you’ll redeem them for flights, upgrades, resorts and extra. You will usually get probably the most worth out of your miles when you snag considered one of Delta’s frequent flash gross sales, which provide discounted award flights domestically and overseas.
Whether or not flying or purchasing on-line, incomes SkyMiles is simple. Delta has a wide array of cobranded bank cards, lots of that are providing big welcome provides proper now that may assist enhance your SkyMiles account. Preserve studying to seek out out extra in regards to the Delta SkyMiles program.
Associated: Greatest Delta bank cards
What’s the Delta SkyMiles program?
Delta SkyMiles has roughly 120 million members, making it the world’s largest airline loyalty program. Becoming a member of this system is free, and your miles by no means expire.
You may earn Delta SkyMiles via a wide range of strategies. Some fashionable ones embody flying with Delta and its companions, spending on Delta’s cobranded playing cards, transferring factors from American Specific Membership Rewards, purchasing via the Delta SkyMiles Buying portal, eating out via the SkyMiles Eating program and partaking in numerous different promotions supplied by the airline.
You may also earn Medallion Qualification {Dollars} that can assist you attain Delta’s 4 elite standing tiers, which offer perks like seat upgrades, precedence boarding and airport lounge entry.
Associated: Learn how to hold your factors and miles from expiring
Delta SkyMiles program companions
Delta is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, which incorporates over a dozen airways worldwide. You may earn and redeem SkyMiles if you journey with any SkyTeam airline. SkyTeam serves 1,000 locations and touches nearly each a part of the globe, with flights touchdown on six continents.
The members are:
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- Aerolineas Argentinas
- Aeromexico
- Air Europa
- Air France
- China Airways
- China Japanese Airways
- Delta Air Strains
- Garuda Indonesia
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- Center East Airways
- SAS
- Saudia
- TAROM
- Vietnam Airways
- Virgin Atlantic
- XiamenAir
Associated: Delta bolsters 2025 plans in Europe, Asia with 2 new worldwide routes
Different companions
Delta has a number of different partnerships past SkyTeam members, supplying you with quite a few choices for incomes miles even if you aren’t flying with Delta or a SkyTeam airline. Nonalliance companions embody:
- AirBaltic
- Cape Air
- China Southern Airways
- El Al
- Hawaiian Airways
- LATAM
- WestJet
Simply observe that every partnership has particular restrictions and necessities.
Associated: The very best web sites for looking out SkyTeam award availability
Delta SkyMiles elite standing
The SkyMiles program provides 4 elite standing tiers for frequent Delta flyers: Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion and Diamond Medallion.
Incomes Delta Medallion standing
As of Jan. 1, 2024, Delta solely makes use of Medallion Qualification {Dollars} as standards for qualification — and the requirement thresholds have elevated considerably lately. Delta additionally modified the way in which you earn MQDs via card spending, eliminating the MQD waiver profit from eligible playing cards.
You may earn MQDs within the following methods:
Now that it is more durable to earn Medallion standing, is it price attempting? Listed below are some key advantages of every of Delta’s standing tiers.
Associated: Is Delta Air Strains standing price it? What this disillusioned soon-to-be-Diamond thinks
SkyMiles Silver Medallion
The bottom elite tier in Delta’s SkyMiles program is Silver Medallion standing. As a Silver Medallion, you will obtain:
- Complimentary first-class upgrades on home and short-haul worldwide flights from 24 hours earlier than departure
- Upgrades to Consolation+ inside 24 hours of departure
- Precedence boarding (Zone 5) and check-in
- One free checked bag on flights operated by Delta and choose accomplice airways, plus a free checked bag for as much as eight of your companions when touring on a Delta flight
SkyMiles Gold Medallion
Subsequent up is Gold Medallion standing, which offers you:
- Complimentary first-class upgrades on home and short-haul worldwide flights from three days earlier than departure
- Upgrades to Consolation+ inside three days of departure
- SkyPriority standing
- Waived charges on same-day confirmed modifications
SkyMiles Platinum Medallion
The third tier within the SkyMiles program is Platinum Medallion. Along with the beforehand talked about Silver Medallion and Gold Medallion perks, you will get the next:
- Complimentary first-class upgrades on home flights and short-haul worldwide flights from 5 days earlier than departure
- Upgrades to Consolation+ at reserving
- Your decide of a Selection Profit
SkyMiles Diamond Medallion
Lastly, the very best publicly obtainable tier within the SkyMiles program Diamond Medallion. Diamond members get every little thing detailed above, plus some even higher perks:
Delta additionally has an invitation-only standing known as Delta 360 — however this tier stays considerably mysterious since Delta would not publish any info on its advantages or the best way to earn it.
Associated: Delta 360 standing: What it’s and the best way to earn the invite-only elite standing
Learn how to earn SkyMiles
There are a number of methods to earn Delta SkyMiles. The simplest methods are flying Delta-operated flights, touring with a SkyTeam accomplice and opening a Delta cobranded bank card. You may also earn miles via on a regular basis actions like purchasing and eating.
Earn SkyMiles by flying
While you fly Delta on a Delta-issued ticket in the primary cabin or above (fundamental financial system fares do not earn miles), you will earn SkyMiles primarily based on the bottom value of your ticket. The upper your standing tier, the quicker you will earn miles.
- Basic member: 5 miles per greenback
- Silver Medallion: 7 miles per greenback
- Gold Medallion: 8 miles per greenback
- Platinum Medallion: 9 miles per greenback
- Diamond Medallion: 11 miles per greenback
In observe, which means that when you purchase a one-way flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) to Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) for $250 earlier than taxes, you will earn 1,250 SkyMiles as a common member. Nonetheless, you will earn 1,750 miles as a Silver Medallion and a whopping 2,750 miles when you’re a Diamond Medallion.
One other solution to earn miles is by flying Delta’s accomplice airways, however the way you earn these miles is determined by the way you booked the ticket. For instance, if you e book accomplice airline tickets on Delta’s web site, you will earn miles the identical method as you’d on a Delta-operated flight.
In the meantime, when you e book a accomplice flight on the provider’s web site (for instance, Air France) and add your Delta SkyMiles quantity, you will earn miles primarily based on a share of the gap flown. The precise variety of SkyMiles you will obtain varies primarily based on the accomplice, reserving class and your elite standing.
Associated: Can I earn the miles if I purchase somebody a ticket?
Earn SkyMiles via bank cards
There is a Delta bank card for everybody — the loyalist, the enterprise traveler and even the rare flyer. All of them besides the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Specific Card provide the next perks:
Every card provides some extra perks for vacationers. This is a have a look at a few of the finest Delta SkyMiles bank cards from American Specific. (Phrases apply.)
| Bank card | Annual charge | Welcome bonus | TPG’s valuation (as of February 2025) | Notable perks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Specific Card | $0 introductory annual charge for the primary yr, then $150 (see charges and charges) | Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases inside the first six months of card membership. | $960 |
|
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Specific Card | $350 (see charges and charges) | Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. | $1,080 |
Enrollment is required for some advantages. |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Specific Card | $650 (see charges and charges) | Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership. | $1,200 |
Enrollment is required for some advantages. |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold Enterprise American Specific Card | $0 introductory annual charge for the primary yr, then $150 (see charges and charges) |
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in your new card within the first six months of card membership. |
$1,080 |
|
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Enterprise American Specific Card | $350 (see charges and charges) | Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $8,000 within the first six months of card membership. | $1,200 |
Enrollment is required for some advantages. |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Enterprise American Specific Card | $650 (see charges and charges) |
Earn 110,000 bonus miles after spending $12,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership. |
$1,320 |
Enrollment is required for some advantages. |
Associated: 5 issues you want to learn about Delta SkyMiles
Earn SkyMiles via purchasing portals
One of many best methods to earn SkyMiles is thru Delta’s on-line purchasing portal, Delta SkyMiles Buying. You may earn miles for purchases you’d ordinarily make with over a thousand retailers on-line.
Should you do not have already got an account, you have to register utilizing your SkyMiles quantity. Then, you should utilize the search field to seek out the shop or product you are searching for and examine costs and mileage charges at completely different retailers. You may also favourite shops, so you will be notified when these shops provide bonus miles.
After choosing your service provider, click on on the shop, product or provide, and you will be taken to the shop’s web site to buy and take a look at. The shop will alert the portal if you’ve made a purchase order, and the miles you earned can be added to your SkyMiles account. You will obtain a affirmation e mail when your miles have been posted — that is usually inside three to 5 days, however it could take as much as 15 days.
Virtually each main airline has a purchasing portal, so use a purchasing portal aggregator to make sure you get the most effective deal if you store on-line.
Associated: Your information to maximizing purchasing portals to your on-line purchases
Switch Amex factors to Delta
Lastly, you may switch American Specific Membership Rewards factors to your Delta SkyMiles account at a 1:1 ratio. We do not normally advocate this as a result of we worth Amex factors greater than SkyMiles: TPG values Amex factors at 2 cents apiece, in comparison with only one.2 cents for SkyMiles, per our February 2025 valuations.
It is typically tough to get the next worth from Delta, due to dynamic pricing. You will additionally must pay an excise tax offset charge when transferring Amex factors to Delta (and different home frequent flyer applications).
Associated: American Specific Membership Rewards switch companions: Maximize your factors
Learn how to redeem SkyMiles
Delta eliminated revealed award charts in 2015, changing into the primary main U.S. airline to shift to dynamic pricing for award tickets. Consequently, you have to to look on the Delta web site or app to find out what number of SkyMiles you want for an award ticket. Delta’s web site is fairly straightforward to navigate, and its helpful calendar characteristic might help you discover the bottom costs to your subsequent redemption.
We have typically discovered the most effective redemptions on home flights. With one of many Delta cobranded playing cards that gives a 15% low cost on Delta-operated award tickets, you may generally e book short-haul flights for beneath 4,000 SkyMiles one-way. That mentioned, costs will differ by day, route and cabin class.
Be aware that Delta award tickets are absolutely refundable (on flights originating within the U.S. and Canada excluding fundamental financial system fares), so in case your plans change, you may redeposit the miles and get a refund for the taxes and charges you paid. This additionally permits you to rebook award tickets when the mileage value drops, securing a refund of the distinction in miles.
Moreover, you should utilize your SkyMiles to e book accomplice tickets on most of Delta’s SkyTeam and nonalliance companions. Sadly, these have now largely been aligned with costs on Delta’s personal flights, minimizing the chance to get higher worth from accomplice awards, particularly in premium cabins.
Associated: Learn how to redeem Delta SkyMiles for max worth
Candy spots
With Delta utilizing full dynamic pricing throughout its route community, there aren’t many candy spots to maximise the worth of your SkyMiles. However, there are just a few good choices on the market.
Delta flash gross sales
Delta steadily runs SkyMiles flash gross sales to short- and long-haul U.S. locations and cities in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. We have seen some terrific offers for the primary cabin, Consolation+ and top quality. Previous offers embody round-trip flights to Europe for simply 33,000 miles and fares to Tahiti beginning at 60,000 miles.
After all, these low-cost tickets aren’t at all times effectively marketed, so it pays to verify availability typically. Delta typically costs short- and mid-haul award tickets effectively beneath what different airways would cost for comparable flights. You will typically discover the most effective offers when reserving upfront and touring on off-peak dates.
Delta and LATAM financial system flights to South America
Whatever the class of service, money flights to South America are not often low-cost, particularly to Brazil. Delta SkyMiles members can e book LATAM award tickets at affordable costs, and it is one of many higher methods to make use of SkyMiles. For instance, 66,000 SkyMiles can typically get you a round-trip itinerary from JFK to Sao Paulo-Guarulhos Worldwide Airport (GRU), and lots of of those flights are nonstop.
Associated: Learn how to get worth from 5,000 or fewer Delta SkyMiles
Backside line
With its operational efficiency, vast route community and quite a few accomplice airways, Delta is usually touted by some as the most effective home airline. In truth, the provider has taken the highest spot in TPG’s evaluation of the finest airways within the U.S. for the final 5 years. Though latest modifications to award pricing and elite standing necessities have disillusioned many Delta loyalists, there’s nonetheless loads to love in regards to the Delta SkyMiles program.
Whether or not you are a frequent Delta flyer or extra informal buyer, specializing in a mixture of flying, utilizing purchasing portals and making purchases with Delta bank cards can enhance your SkyMiles stability to your subsequent redemption.
For charges and charges of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Enterprise Card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Enterprise Card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Enterprise Card, click on right here.
