Some of the standard frequent flyer packages is Delta SkyMiles, the loyalty program of Delta Air Lines. TPG’s June 2025 valuations peg Delta SkyMiles at 1.25 cents apiece, and you may redeem them for flights, upgrades, resorts and extra. You will usually get probably the most worth out of your miles in case you snag one among 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 big selection of cobranded playing cards, lots of which have huge welcome offers proper now that may assist increase your SkyMiles steadiness. Preserve studying to seek out out extra concerning the Delta SkyMiles program.
Associated: Best Delta credit 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’ll be able to earn Delta SkyMiles by means of quite a lot of strategies. Some standard ones embody flying with Delta and its companions, spending on Delta’s cobranded playing cards, transferring factors from American Express Membership Rewards, purchasing by means of the Delta SkyMiles Shopping portal, eating out by means of the SkyMiles Dining program, and partaking in various other promotions supplied by the airline.
You too can 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: How to keep your points 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’ll be able to 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:
Day by day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Day by day e-newsletter
Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists
- Aerolineas Argentinas
- Aeromexico
- Air Europa
- Air France
- China Airways
- China Jap Airways
- Delta Air Strains
- Garuda Indonesia
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- Center East Airways
- Saudia
- Scandinavian Airways
- TAROM
- Vietnam Airways
- Virgin Atlantic
- Xiamen Airways
Associated: Delta bolsters 2025 plans in Europe, Asia with 2 new international routes
Different companions
Delta has a number of different partnerships past SkyTeam members, providing you with quite a few choices for incomes miles even if you aren’t flying with Delta or a SkyTeam airline. Nonalliance companions embody:
Simply observe that every partnership has specific restrictions and requirements.
Associated: The best websites for searching SkyTeam award availability
Delta SkyMiles elite standing
The SkyMiles program presents four elite status 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 in recent times. Delta additionally modified the best way you earn MQDs by means of card spending, eliminating the MQD waiver profit from eligible playing cards.
You’ll be able to earn MQDs within the following methods:
Now that it is tougher to earn Medallion standing, is it value attempting? Listed below are some key advantages of every of Delta’s standing tiers.
Associated: Is Delta Air Lines status worth it? What this disappointed 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 associate 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 will provide you with:
- 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 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 Choice Benefit
SkyMiles Diamond Medallion
Lastly, the very best publicly obtainable tier within the SkyMiles program is Diamond Medallion. Diamond members get every little thing detailed above, plus some even higher perks:
Delta additionally has an invitation-only status known as Delta 360 — however this tier stays considerably mysterious since Delta would not publish any data on its advantages or earn it.
Associated: Delta 360 status: What it is and how to earn the invitation-only elite status
The way to earn Delta SkyMiles
There are a number of methods to earn Delta SkyMiles. The simplest methods are flying Delta-operated flights, touring with a SkyTeam associate and opening a Delta cobranded bank card. You too can earn miles by means of on a regular basis actions like purchasing and eating.
Earn SkyMiles by flying
If you fly Delta on a Delta-issued ticket in the principle cabin or above (basic economy fares don’t earn miles), you will earn SkyMiles 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 follow, which means in case 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 in case you’re a Diamond Medallion.
One other approach to earn miles is by flying Delta’s associate airways, however the way you earn these miles relies on the way you booked the ticket. For instance, if you e-book associate airline tickets on Delta’s web site, you will earn miles the identical approach as you’d on a Delta-operated flight.
In the meantime, in case you e-book a associate flight on that service’s web site (for instance, Air France) and add your Delta SkyMiles quantity, you will earn miles based mostly on a proportion of the gap flown. The precise variety of SkyMiles you will obtain varies based on the partner, reserving class and your elite standing.
Associated: Can I earn the miles if I buy someone a ticket?
Earn SkyMiles by means of 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 Express Card, provide the next perks:
Every card presents some further perks for vacationers. Here is a take a look at a few of the greatest Delta SkyMiles bank cards from American Specific. (Phrases apply.)
| Bank card | Annual payment | Welcome bonus | TPG’s valuation (as of June 2025) | Notable perks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card | $0 introductory annual payment for the primary yr, then $150 (see rates and fees) | Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases inside the first six months of card membership. Provide ends July 16. | $1,000 |
|
| Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card | $350 (see rates and fees) | Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. Provide ends July 16. | $1,125 |
Enrollment is required for some advantages. |
| Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card | $650 (see rates and fees) | Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership. Provide ends July 16. | $1,250 |
Enrollment is required for some advantages. |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card | $0 introductory annual payment for the primary yr, then $150 (see rates and fees) |
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases on the primary six months of card membership. Provide ends July 16. |
$1,125 |
|
| Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card | $350 (see rates and fees) | Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $8,000 on purchases on the primary six months from card membership. Provide ends July 16. | $1,250 |
Enrollment is required for some advantages. |
| Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card | $650 (see rates and fees) |
Earn 110,000 bonus miles after spending $12,000 on purchases on the primary six months of card membership. Provide ends July 16. |
$1,375 |
Enrollment is required for some advantages. |
Associated: 5 things you need to know about Delta SkyMiles
Earn SkyMiles by means of purchasing portals
One of many best methods to earn SkyMiles is thru Delta’s on-line purchasing portal, Delta SkyMiles Shopping. You’ll be able to earn miles on purchases you’d ordinarily make with over a thousand retailers on-line.
For those who do not have already got an account, you could register utilizing your SkyMiles quantity. Then, you need to use the search field to seek out the shop or product you are searching for and evaluate costs and mileage charges at completely different retailers. You too can 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 shall 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 could take as much as 15 days.
Nearly each main airline has a purchasing portal, so use a shopping portal aggregator to make sure you get the perfect deal if you store on-line.
Associated: Your guide to maximizing shopping portals for your online purchases
Switch Amex factors to Delta
Lastly, you’ll be able to switch American Express 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 larger than SkyMiles: TPG values Amex factors at 2 cents apiece, in comparison with only one.25 cents per SkyMile, per our June 2025 valuations.
It is typically tough to get the next worth from Delta, due to dynamic pricing. You will additionally should pay an excise tax offset fee when transferring Amex factors to Delta (and different home frequent flyer packages).
Associated: American Express Membership Rewards transfer partners: Maximize your points
The way to redeem SkyMiles
Delta eliminated printed award charts in 2015, changing into the primary main U.S. airline to shift to dynamic pricing for award tickets. In consequence, 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 simple to navigate, and its helpful calendar characteristic may help you discover the bottom costs to your subsequent redemption.
We have usually discovered the perfect redemptions on home flights. With one of many Delta cobranded playing cards that provides a 15% low cost on Delta-operated award tickets, you’ll be able to generally e-book short-haul flights for below 4,000 SkyMiles one-way. That mentioned, costs will range by day, route and cabin class.
Word 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’ll be able to redeposit the miles and get a refund for the taxes and costs you paid. This additionally means that you can rebook award tickets when the mileage value drops, securing a refund of the distinction in miles.
Moreover, you need to use your SkyMiles to book partner 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 associate awards, particularly in premium cabins.
Associated: How to redeem your Delta SkyMiles for maximum value
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. Nonetheless, there are just a few good choices on the market.
Delta flash gross sales
Delta regularly 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 principle cabin, Consolation+ and top quality. 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 test availability typically. Delta typically costs short- and mid-haul award tickets nicely below what different airways would cost for comparable flights. You will typically discover the perfect offers when reserving prematurely 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 hardly ever low cost, particularly to Brazil. Delta SkyMiles members can e-book LATAM award tickets at cheap costs, and it is one of many higher methods to make use of SkyMiles. For instance, 66,000 SkyMiles can usually get you a round-trip itinerary from 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 operational efficiency, vast route community and quite a few associate airways, Delta is touted by some as the perfect home airline. Actually, the service has taken the highest spot in TPG’s evaluation of the best airlines in the U.S. for the final seven years. Though latest modifications to award pricing and elite standing necessities have disenchanted many Delta loyalists, there’s nonetheless a lot to love concerning 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 improve your SkyMiles steadiness to your subsequent redemption.
For charges and costs of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card, click on here.
For charges and costs of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card, click on here.
For charges and costs of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card, click on here.
For charges and costs of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Enterprise Card, click on here.
For charges and costs of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Enterprise Card, click on here.
For charges and costs of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Enterprise Card, click on here.