Delta SkyMiles: Your complete guide to earning, redeeming and elite status

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Sept. 19, 2024

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18 min read

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One of the most popular frequent flyer programs is Delta SkyMiles, the loyalty program of Delta Air Lines. TPG's September 2024 valuations peg Delta SkyMiles at 1.2 cents apiece, and you can redeem them for flights, upgrades, hotels and more. You'll typically get the most value from your miles if you snag one of Delta's frequent flash sales, which offer discounted award flights domestically and abroad.

Whether flying or shopping online, earning SkyMiles is easy. Delta has a wide selection of cobranded credit cards, many of which are offering huge welcome offers right now that can help boost your SkyMiles account. Keep reading to find out more about the Delta SkyMiles program.

Related: Best Delta credit cards

What is the Delta SkyMiles program?

Delta SkyMiles is the loyalty program of Delta Air Lines. Joining the program is free, and your miles never expire. Delta SkyMiles has roughly 120 million members, making it the world's largest airline loyalty program.

You can earn Delta SkyMiles through a variety of methods. Some popular ones include flying with Delta and its partners, spending on Delta's cobranded cards, transferring points from American Express Membership Rewards, shopping through the Delta SkyMiles Shopping portal, dining out through the SkyMiles Dining program and partaking in various other promotions offered by the airline.

You can also earn Medallion Qualification Dollars to help you reach Delta's four elite status tiers, which provide perks like seat upgrades, priority boarding and airport lounge access.

Delta SkyMiles program partners

Delta is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, which includes over a dozen airlines worldwide. You can earn and redeem SkyMiles when you travel with any SkyTeam airline. SkyTeam serves 1,000 destinations and touches virtually every part of the globe, with flights landing on six continents.

The members are:

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Aerolineas Argentinas
Aeromexico (its partnership with Delta will reportedly end in October 2024)
Air Europa
Air France
China Airlines
China Eastern Airlines
Czech Airlines
Delta Air Lines
Garuda Indonesia
ITA Airways
Kenya Airways
KLM
Korean Air
Middle East Airlines
Saudia
Scandinavian Airlines
TAROM
Vietnam Airlines
Virgin Atlantic
XiamenAir

Other partners

Delta has several other partnerships beyond SkyTeam members, giving you numerous options for earning miles even when you aren't flying with Delta or a SkyTeam airline. Nonalliance partners include:

AirBaltic
Cape Air
China Southern Airlines
El Al
Hawaiian Airlines
LATAM
WestJet

Just note that each partnership has specific restrictions and requirements.

Delta SkyMiles elite status

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

Earning Delta Medallion status

As of Jan. 1, 2024, Delta only uses Medallion Qualification Dollars as criteria for qualification — and the requirement thresholds have increased significantly in recent years. Delta also changed the way you earn MQDs through card spending, eliminating the MQD waiver benefit from eligible cards.

You can earn MQDs in the following ways:

Delta and partner flights: Earn 1 MQD per dollar spent on Delta-marketed flights operated by Delta or its partner airlines.
Cards: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card members earn 1 MQD for every $10 spent, while Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card members earn 1 MQD for every $20 spent. These cards also provide an MQD Headstart of 2,500 MQDs each year. (Terms apply.)
Delta Vacations: Earn 1 MQD per dollar spent on the entire vacation experience (in addition to what you earn for your flight) when booking directly with Delta Vacations. You will earn MQDs on parts of the package, including stays, cars, rides and activities.

Now that it's harder to earn Medallion status, is it worth trying? Here are some key benefits of each of Delta's status tiers.

SkyMiles Silver Medallion

The lowest elite tier in Delta's SkyMiles program is Silver Medallion status. As a Silver Medallion, you'll receive:

Complimentary first-class upgrades on domestic and short-haul international flights from 24 hours before departure
Upgrades to Comfort+ within 24 hours of departure
Priority boarding (Zone 5) and check-in
One complimentary checked bag

SkyMiles Gold Medallion

Next up is Gold Medallion status, which will give you:

Complimentary first-class upgrades on domestic and short-haul international flights from three days before departure
SkyPriority status
Upgrades to Comfort+ within three days of departure
Waived fees on same-day confirmed changes
Two complimentary checked bags (within the U.S. and Canada)

SkyMiles Platinum Medallion

The third tier in the SkyMiles program is Platinum Medallion. In addition to the previously mentioned Silver Medallion and Gold Medallion perks, you'll get the following:

Complimentary first-class upgrades on domestic flights and short-haul international flights from five days before departure
Upgrades to Comfort+ at the time of booking
Three complimentary checked bags (within the U.S. and Canada)
Your pick of a Choice Benefit

SkyMiles Diamond Medallion

Finally, the highest publicly available tier in the SkyMiles program is Diamond Medallion. Diamond members get everything detailed above, plus some even better perks:

Additional Choice Benefit options
Complimentary Clear Plus membership
Higher upgrade priority

Delta also has an invitation-only status called Delta 360 — but this tier remains somewhat mysterious since Delta doesn't publish any information on its benefits or how to earn it.

How to earn SkyMiles

There are several ways to earn Delta SkyMiles. The easiest ways are flying Delta-operated flights, traveling with a SkyTeam partner and opening a Delta cobranded credit card. You can also earn miles through everyday activities like shopping and dining.

Earn SkyMiles by flying

When you fly Delta on a Delta-issued ticket in the main cabin or above (basic economy fares don't earn miles), you'll earn SkyMiles based on the base price of your ticket. The higher your status tier, the faster you'll earn miles.

General member: 5 miles per dollar
Silver Medallion: 7 miles per dollar
Gold Medallion: 8 miles per dollar
Platinum Medallion: 9 miles per dollar
Diamond Medallion: 11 miles per dollar

In practice, this means that if you buy a one-way flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for $250 before taxes, you'll earn 1,250 SkyMiles as a general member. However, you'll earn 1,750 miles as a Silver Medallion and a whopping 2,750 miles if you're a Diamond Medallion.

Another way to earn miles is by flying Delta's partner airlines, but how you earn those miles depends on how you booked the ticket. For example, when you book partner airline tickets on Delta's website, you'll earn miles the same way as you would on a Delta-operated flight.

Meanwhile, if you book a partner flight on the carrier's website (for example, Air France) and add your Delta SkyMiles number, you'll earn miles based on a percentage of the distance flown. The exact number of SkyMiles you'll receive varies based on the partner, booking class and your elite status.

Earn SkyMiles through credit cards

There's a Delta credit card for everyone — the loyalist, the business traveler and even the infrequent flyer. All of them except the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card offer the following perks:

First checked bag free and priority boarding on Delta flights
20% discount on inflight purchases
15% off award redemptions for Delta flights

Each card offers some additional perks for travelers. Here's a look at some of the best Delta SkyMiles credit cards from American Express. (Terms apply.)

Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome bonus	TPG's valuation (per September 2024 valuations)	Notable perks
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card	$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (see rates and fees)	Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership.	$600	$200 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year Up to a $100 annual statement credit toward hotels and vacation rentals through Delta Stays
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card	$350 (see rates and fees)	Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership.	$720	An annual companion certificate for the main cabin on round-trip domestic, Caribbean and Central American flights A statement credit to cover the entry fee for Global Entry ($120 every four years) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85 every 4.5 years) Up to $10 per month in statement credits for eligible U.S. Resy restaurant purchases and up to $10 per month in ride-hailing statement credits with select U.S. providers Up to a $150 annual Delta Stays statement credit Hertz Five Star status Enrollment is required for some benefits.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card	$650 (see rates and fees)	Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership.	$840	15 Delta Sky Club lounge visits per year (effective Feb. 1, 2025) and access to American Express Centurion Lounges when you book your Delta flight with the card An annual companion certificate for round-trip domestic, Caribbean or Central American flights in the main cabin, Comfort+ or first class Complimentary upgrades for non-Medallion members Up to $20 per month in statement credits for eligible U.S. Resy restaurant purchases and up to $10 per month in ride-hailing statement credits with select U.S. providers Up to a $200 annual Delta Stays statement credit Hertz President's Circle status Enrollment is required for some benefits.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card	$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (see rates and fees)	Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.	$720	Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on shipping and advertising (up to $50,000 per year, then 1 mile per dollar) A $200 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 on purchases with your card in a calendar year Up to a $150 annual Delta Stays statement credit
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card	$350 (see rates and fees)	Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.	$840	Earn 1.5 miles per dollar spent on transit at U.S. shipping providers and on single purchases of $5,000 or more (on up to $100,000 in total eligible purchases, then 1 mile per dollar) An annual companion certificate for round-trip travel within the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America in the main cabin A statement credit to cover the membership fee for Global Entry ($120 every four years) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85 every 4.5 years) Up to $10 per month in statement credits for eligible U.S. Resy restaurant purchases and up to $10 per month in ride-hailing statement credits with select U.S. providers Up to a $200 annual Delta Stays statement credit
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card	$650 (see rates and fees)	Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.	$960	15 visits per year to Delta Sky Club lounges (effective Feb. 1, 2025) and access to American Express Centurion Lounges when you book your Delta flight with the card Earn 1.5 miles per dollar spent on eligible transit, shipping and office supply store purchases, plus all eligible purchases after you spend $150,000 per year on the card An annual companion certificate for round-trip travel within the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America in the main cabin, Comfort+ or first class Complimentary upgrades for non-Medallion members Up to $20 per month in statement credits for eligible U.S. Resy restaurant purchases and up to $10 per month in ride-hailing credits with select U.S. providers Up to a $250 annual Delta Stays statement credit Hertz President's Circle status Enrollment is required for some benefits.

Earn SkyMiles through shopping portals

One of the easiest ways to earn SkyMiles is through Delta's online shopping portal, Delta SkyMiles Shopping. You can earn miles for purchases you would ordinarily make with over a thousand merchants online.

If you don't already have an account, you must register using your SkyMiles number. Then, you can use the search box to find the store or product you're looking for and compare prices and mileage rates at different merchants. You can also favorite stores, so you'll be notified when those stores offer bonus miles.

After selecting your merchant, click on the store, product or offer, and you'll be taken to the store's website to shop and check out. The store will alert the portal when you've made a purchase, and the miles you earned will be added to your SkyMiles account. You'll receive a confirmation email when your miles have been posted — this is typically within three to five days, but it can take up to 15 days.

Almost every major airline has a shopping portal, so use a shopping portal aggregator to ensure you get the best deal when you shop online.

Transfer Amex points to Delta

Finally, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to your Delta SkyMiles account at a 1:1 ratio. We don't usually recommend this because we value Amex points higher than SkyMiles. TPG values Amex points at 2 cents apiece, compared to only 1.2 cents for SkyMiles, per our September 2024 valuations.

It's often difficult to get a higher value from Delta, thanks to dynamic pricing. You'll also have to pay an excise tax offset fee when transferring Amex points to Delta (and other domestic frequent flyer programs).

How to redeem SkyMiles

Delta removed published award charts in 2015, becoming the first major U.S. airline to shift to dynamic pricing for award tickets. As a result, you will need to search on the Delta website or app to determine how many SkyMiles you need for an award ticket. Delta's site is pretty easy to navigate, and its handy calendar feature can help you find the lowest prices for your next redemption.

We've generally found the best redemptions on domestic flights. With one of the Delta cobranded cards that offers a 15% discount on Delta-operated award tickets, you can sometimes book short-haul flights for under 4,000 SkyMiles one-way. That said, prices will vary by day, route and cabin class.

Note that Delta award tickets (excluding basic economy fares) are fully refundable, so if your plans change, you can redeposit the miles and get a refund for the taxes and fees you paid. This also allows you to rebook award tickets when the mileage price drops, securing a refund of the difference in miles.

Additionally, you can use your SkyMiles to book partner tickets on most of Delta's SkyTeam and nonalliance partners. Unfortunately, these have now largely been aligned with prices on Delta's own flights, minimizing the opportunity to get better value from partner awards, especially in premium cabins.

Sweet spots

With Delta using full dynamic pricing across its route network, there aren't many sweet spots to maximize the value of your SkyMiles. Nevertheless, there are a few good options out there.

Delta flash sales

Delta frequently runs SkyMiles flash sales to short- and long-haul U.S. destinations and cities in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. We've seen some terrific deals for the main cabin, Comfort+ and first class. Past deals include round-trip flights to Europe for just 33,000 miles and fares to Tahiti starting at 60,000 miles.

Of course, these cheap tickets aren't always well advertised, so it pays to check availability often. Delta often prices short- and mid-haul award tickets for well under what other airlines would charge for similar flights. You'll often find the best deals when booking in advance and traveling on off-peak dates.

Delta and LATAM economy flights to South America

Regardless of the class of service, cash flights to South America are rarely cheap, especially to Brazil. Delta SkyMiles members can book LATAM award tickets at reasonable prices, and it's one of the better ways to use SkyMiles. For example, 66,000 SkyMiles can generally get you a round-trip itinerary from JFK to Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), and many of these flights are nonstop.

Bottom line

With its operational performance, wide route network and numerous partner airlines, Delta is often touted by some as the best domestic airline. In fact, the carrier has taken the top spot in TPG's analysis of the best airlines in the U.S. for the last five years. Although recent changes to award pricing and elite status requirements have disappointed many Delta loyalists, there's still plenty to like about the Delta SkyMiles program.

Whether you're a frequent Delta flyer or more of a casual customer, focusing on a mix of flying, using shopping portals and making purchases with Delta credit cards can increase your SkyMiles balance for your next redemption.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Card, click here.

Featured image by ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.