Delta SkyMiles: Complete guide to earning, redeemi...

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One of the crucial widespread frequent flyer packages is Delta SkyMiles, the loyalty program of Delta Air Traces with greater than 120 million members.

Becoming a member of this system is free, and your miles by no means expire. TPG values SkyMiles at 1.25 cents every in our most recent valuations from February 2026.

You’ll be able to earn Delta SkyMiles via a wide range of strategies. Some widespread choices embody flying with Delta and its companions, spending on Delta’s cobranded playing cards, transferring factors from American Express Membership Rewards, buying via the Delta SkyMiles Shopping portal, eating via the Delta SkyMiles Dining program and profiting from various other promotions supplied by the airline.

Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card: Earn as much as 100,000 bonus miles: 80,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership, plus earn 20,000 bonus miles after spending an extra $2,000 on purchases (for a complete of $6,000) within the first six months of card membership.

You may as well earn Medallion Qualification {Dollars} that can assist you attain Delta’s 4 elite standing tiers, which give perks like seat upgrades, precedence boarding and airport lounge access.

Associated: Best Delta credit cards

Delta SkyMiles program companions

Delta is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. You’ll be able to earn and redeem SkyMiles while you journey with any SkyTeam airline, together with:

Aerolineas Argentinas
Aeromexico
Air Europa
Air France
China Airways
China Japanese Airways
Delta Air Traces
Garuda Indonesia
Kenya Airways
KLM
Korean Air
Center East Airways
Saudia
Scandinavian Airways
TAROM
Vietnam Airways
Virgin Atlantic
Xiamen Airways

Different companions

Delta has a number of different partnerships past SkyTeam members, providing you with quite a few choices for incomes miles even while you aren’t flying with Delta or a SkyTeam airline. Nonalliance companions embody:

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AirBaltic
Cape Air
El Al
LATAM
WestJet

Simply notice that every partnership has specific restrictions and requirements.

Associated: The best websites for searching SkyTeam award availability

Delta SkyMiles elite standing

Delta Sky Club Salt Lake City SLC B Concourse — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

The SkyMiles program gives four elite status tiers for frequent Delta flyers: Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion and Diamond Medallion.

Incomes Delta Medallion standing

Delta solely makes use of Medallion Qualification Dollars for qualification. You’ll be able to earn MQDs within the following methods:

Listed below are some key advantages of every of Delta’s standing tiers.

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 companion 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
No further prices for same-day confirmed adjustments

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 Choice Benefit

SkyMiles Diamond Medallion

Lastly, the best publicly obtainable tier within the SkyMiles program is Diamond Medallion. Diamond Medallion members get the whole lot detailed above, plus some even higher perks:

earn Delta SkyMiles

Delta 717 PIT — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

You’ll be able to earn Delta SkyMiles by flying Delta-operated flights, touring with a SkyTeam companion and opening a Delta cobranded bank card. You may as well earn miles via on a regular basis actions like buying and eating.

Earn SkyMiles by flying

If you fly Delta on a Delta-issued ticket in the primary cabin or above (basic economy fares don’t earn miles), you will earn SkyMiles on the bottom worth of your ticket. The upper your standing tier, the sooner you will earn miles.

Common 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 the meantime, when you e book a companion flight on that provider’s web site (for instance, Air France) and add your Delta SkyMiles quantity, you will earn miles based mostly on a share of the gap flown. The precise variety of SkyMiles you will obtain varies based on the partner, the reserving class and your elite standing.

Earn SkyMiles via bank cards

There is a Delta bank card for everybody — the loyalist, the enterprise traveler and even the rare flyer. The next playing cards provide these perks:

Here is a have a look at a few of the finest Delta SkyMiles bank cards from American Specific. (Phrases apply.)

Annual charge	Welcome bonus	TPG’s valuation (as of February 2026)	Notable perks
$0 introductory annual charge for the primary yr, then $150 (see rates and fees)	Earn as much as 90,000 bonus miles: 70,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership, plus earn 20,000 bonus miles after spending an extra $2,000 on purchases (for a complete of $5,000) within the first six months of card membership.	As much as $1,125	$200 Delta flight credit score after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases in your card in a calendar yr As much as a $100 annual assertion credit score towards motels and trip leases via Delta Stays
	Earn as much as 100,000 bonus miles: 80,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership, plus earn 20,000 bonus miles after spending an extra $2,000 on purchases (for a complete of $6,000) within the first six months of card membership.	As much as $1,250	An annual companion certificate for a fundamental cabin round-trip flight inside the U.S. or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America annually after renewing your card An announcement credit score to cowl the entry charge for World Entry ($120 each 4 years) or TSA PreCheck (as much as $85 each 4 1/2 years) As much as $10 per 30 days in assertion credit for eligible U.S. Resy restaurant purchases and as much as $10 per 30 days in ride-hailing assertion credit with choose U.S. suppliers As much as a $150 annual Delta Stays assertion credit score Hertz Five Star status (enrollment in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program is required) Enrollment is required for some advantages.
	Earn as much as 125,000 bonus miles: 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership, plus earn 25,000 bonus miles after spending an extra $3,000 on purchases (for a complete of $9,000) within the first six months of card membership.	As much as $1,563	15 Delta Sky Club lounge visits per yr (plus limitless Sky Membership visits via the top of the next Medallion yr when you spend $75,000 or extra throughout a calendar yr) and entry to American Express Centurion Lounges while you e book your Delta flight with the cardboard An annual companion certificates for a round-trip flight inside the U.S. or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America in fundamental cabin, Consolation+ or firstclass annually after renewing your card Complimentary upgrades for non-Medallion members As much as $20 per 30 days in assertion credit for eligible U.S. Resy restaurant purchases and as much as $10 per 30 days in ride-hailing assertion credit with choose U.S. suppliers As much as a $200 annual Delta Stays assertion credit score Hertz President’s Circle standing (enrollment in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program is required) Enrollment is required for some advantages.
$0 introductory annual charge for the primary yr, then $150 (see rates and fees)	Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.	$1,125	Earn 2 miles per greenback spent on U.S. transport and choose media promoting within the U.S. (as much as $50,000 per yr, then 1 mile per greenback) A $200 Delta flight credit score after you spend $10,000 on purchases along with your card in a calendar yr As much as a $150 annual Delta Stays assertion credit score
	Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.	$1,250	Earn 1.5 miles per greenback spent on transit, at U.S. transport suppliers and on single purchases of $5,000 or extra (on as much as $100,000 in whole eligible purchases, then 1 mile per greenback) An annual companion certificates for a round-trip fundamental cabin flight inside the U.S. or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America annually after renewing your card An announcement credit score to cowl the membership charge for World Entry ($120 each 4 years) or TSA PreCheck (as much as $85 each 4 1/2 years) As much as $10 per 30 days in assertion credit for eligible U.S. Resy restaurant purchases and as much as $10 per 30 days in ride-hailing assertion credit with choose U.S. suppliers As much as a $200 annual Delta Stays assertion credit score Enrollment is required for some advantages.
	Earn 125,000 bonus miles after spending $15,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.	$1,563	15 visits per yr to Delta Sky Membership lounges (plus limitless Sky Membership visits via the top of the next Medallion yr when you spend $75,000 or extra throughout a calendar yr) and entry to American Specific Centurion Lounges while you e book your Delta flight with the cardboard Earn 1.5 miles per greenback spent on eligible transit, U.S. transport and U.S. workplace provide retailer purchases, plus all eligible purchases after you spend $150,000 per yr on the cardboard An annual companion certificates for a round-trip flight inside the U.S. or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America in fundamental cabin, Consolation+ or firstclass annually after renewing your card Complimentary upgrades for non-Medallion members As much as $20 per 30 days in assertion credit for eligible U.S. Resy restaurant purchases and as much as $10 per 30 days in ride-hailing assertion credit with choose U.S. suppliers As much as a $250 annual Delta Stays assertion credit score Hertz President’s Circle standing (enrollment in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program is required) Enrollment is required for some advantages.

Associated: 5 things you need to know about Delta SkyMiles

Earn SkyMiles via buying portals

One of many best methods to earn SkyMiles is thru Delta’s on-line buying portal, Delta SkyMiles Shopping. You’ll be able to earn miles on purchases you’d ordinarily make with over a thousand retailers on-line.

When you do not have already got an account, you could register utilizing your SkyMiles quantity. Then, you should utilize the search field to seek out the shop or product you are on the lookout for and evaluate costs and mileage charges at completely different retailers. You may as well 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 while you’ve made a purchase order, and the miles you earn can be added to your SkyMiles account. You will obtain a affirmation electronic mail when your miles have been posted — that is usually inside three to 5 days, however it might take as much as 15 days.

Associated: Earn points, miles or cash back: How to maximize online shopping portals for your 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 often suggest this as a result of we worth Amex factors greater than SkyMiles.

It is usually tough to get the next fare from Delta resulting from dynamic pricing. You will additionally need to pay an excise tax offset fee when transferring Amex factors to Delta (and different home frequent flyer packages).

Associated: Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners: Redeem your points with airlines and hotels

redeem SkyMiles

Delta makes use of dynamic pricing for award tickets, so you have to to go looking on the Delta web site or app to find out what number of SkyMiles you want for an award ticket. Delta’s website is fairly simple to navigate, and its helpful calendar characteristic may also help you discover the bottom costs on your subsequent redemption.

We have typically discovered the perfect 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 underneath 4,000 SkyMiles one-way. That stated, costs will fluctuate 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 economic 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 lets you rebook award tickets when the mileage worth drops, securing a refund of the distinction in miles.

Moreover, you should utilize your SkyMiles to book partner tickets on most of Delta’s SkyTeam and nonalliance companions. Sadly, these have now largely aligned with Delta’s personal flight costs, minimizing the chance to get higher worth from companion awards, particularly in premium cabins.

Associated: How to redeem your Delta SkyMiles for maximum value

Candy spots

delta airlines economy — BEN SMITHSON/THE POINTS GUY

With Delta utilizing dynamic pricing throughout its route community, there aren’t many candy spots to maximise the worth of your SkyMiles. However, there are a couple of good choices on the market.

Delta flash gross sales

Delta incessantly runs SkyMiles flash gross sales for short- and long-haul routes to U.S. locations and cities in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. We have seen some terrific offers for the primary cabin, Consolation+ and firstclass. Previous offers embody round-trip flights to Europe for just 34,000 miles and fares to Tahiti starting at 60,000 miles.

After all, these low cost tickets aren’t at all times nicely marketed, so it pays to verify availability usually. Delta usually costs short- and mid-haul award tickets nicely underneath what different airways would cost for related flights. You will usually discover the perfect offers when reserving upfront and touring on off-peak dates.

Delta and LATAM economic 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 New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) to Sao Paulo/Guarulhos Worldwide Airport (GRU), and lots of of those flights are nonstop.

Associated: How to get value from 5,000 or fewer Delta SkyMiles

Backside line

With its strong operational efficiency, large route community and quite a few companion airways, Delta is touted by some as the perfect home airline. The truth is, the provider has taken the highest spot in TPG’s evaluation of the best airlines in the U.S. for the final seven years. Though award pricing and elite standing necessities have disillusioned many Delta loyalists, there’s nonetheless lots 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 buying portals and making purchases with Delta bank cards can enhance your SkyMiles stability on your subsequent redemption.

For charges and charges of the Delta SkyMiles Gold card, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Enterprise card, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Enterprise card, click on here.
For charges and charges of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Enterprise card, click on here.

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