Delta SkyMiles, the loyalty program of Delta Air Traces, is a favourite amongst many flyers. Whether or not flying or utilizing Delta cobranded bank cards, incomes SkyMiles is comparatively straightforward. This system additionally developed a fame of being pleasant for incomes and retaining elite standing, like including the flexibility to earn elite standing on award tickets and providing rollover Medallion qualifying miles.
There are a number of methods to redeem SkyMiles past free flights. Nonetheless, you sometimes get the most effective bang on your buck when you snag one in all Delta’s frequent flash gross sales which provide deeply discounted award flights each domestically and overseas. After you earn SkyMiles, there are numerous methods to redeem miles on your dream trip.
In the present day we’ll clarify all the pieces you have to learn about incomes and redeeming Delta SkyMiles.
Delta SkyMiles overview
You may earn Delta SkyMiles by way of quite a lot of strategies. Some widespread ones embrace flying, spending on Delta’s bank cards, transferring factors from American Specific Membership Rewards, purchasing by way of Delta’s SkyMiles purchasing portal and the SkyMiles eating program by way of varied different promotions provided by the airline. We’ll discuss all of those choices under.
SkyMiles program companions
The members are:
- Aerolinas Argentinas.
- Aeromexico.
- Air Europa.
- Air France.
- China Airways.
- China Japanese Airways.
- Czech Airways.
- Delta Air Traces.
- Garuda Indonesia.
- ITA Airways.
- Kenya Airways.
- KLM.
- Korean Air.
- Center East Airways.
- Saudia.
- Tarom.
- Vietnam Airways.
- Virgin Atlantic.
- Xiamen Air.
Different companions
Delta has many partnerships past SkyTeam members, providing you with quite a few choices for incomes miles even while you aren’t flying on Delta or a SkyTeam airline. Whereas these aren’t SkyTeam members, it’s best to nonetheless take into account these airways, particularly Air Tahiti, which is likely one of the greatest choices for attending to the distant Bora Bora.
Non-alliance companions:
Associated: E-book this, not that: SkyTeam award tickets
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Delta SkyMiles elite standing
This system gives 4 elite standing tiers for frequent Delta flyers: Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion and Diamond Medallion.
Delta makes use of Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs), Medallion Qualifying Segments (MQSs) and Medallion Qualifying {Dollars} (MQDs).
Incomes Delta Medallion standing
- Silver Medallion: 25,000 MQMs or 30 MQSs plus 3,000 MQDs.
- Gold Medallion: 50,000 MQMs or 60 MQSs plus 8,000 MQDs.
- Platinum Medallion: 75,000 MQMs or 100 MQSs plus 12,000 MQDs.
- Diamond Medallion: 125,000 MQMs or 140 MQSs plus 20,000 MQDs.
It’s good to earn these thresholds every year to qualify for Delta standing. With the playing cards talked about under, Delta waives the MQD necessities for Silver, Gold, and Platinum while you spend $25,000 in a calendar yr. Nonetheless, you should spend a whopping $250,000 on the cardboard to earn the MQD waiver for Diamond Medallion standing.
Listed here are some key advantages of every of Delta’s standing tiers.
SkyMiles Silver Medallion
The entry tier in Delta’s program is Silver Medallion standing. As a Silver Medallion, you’ll obtain:
- Complimentary first-class upgrades on home flights and short-haul worldwide flights. These upgrades begin clearing 24 hours earlier than departure.
- Precedence boarding and check-in.
- One complimentary checked bag.
- 7 miles per greenback spent.
SkyMiles Gold Medallion
Subsequent up is Gold Medallion. Right here’s what you’ll get as a Gold elite:
- Complimentary first-class upgrades on home flights and short-haul worldwide flights. These upgrades begin clearing three days earlier than departure.
- Upgrades to Consolation+ inside three days of departure.
- Waived same-day confirmed modifications.
- Two complimentary checked luggage.
- 8 miles per greenback spent.
SkyMiles Platinum Medallion
The third tier within the SkyMiles program is Platinum Medallion standing. Along with the beforehand talked about Silver and Gold perks, you’ll get the next:
- Complimentary first-class upgrades on home flights and short-haul worldwide flights. These upgrades begin clearing 5 days earlier than departure.
- Upgrades to Consolation+ on the time of reserving.
- Three complimentary checked luggage.
- Your choose of a Selection Profit.
- 9 miles per greenback spent.
Associated: cancel or change a Delta Air Traces flight
Delta Diamond Medallion
Lastly, the best public elite tier within the SkyMiles program is Delta Diamond Medallion. You’ll get all the pieces I simply talked about, plus some even higher perks together with three further Selection Profit choices, complimentary Clear membership, larger improve precedence and extra. Diamond members additionally obtain 11 miles per greenback spent.
Associated: The within scoop on invite-only Delta 360 Standing
earn SkyMiles
There are a number of methods to earn Delta SkyMiles. The simplest is flying Delta-operated flights, touring with a SkyTeam associate or opening a Delta cobranded bank card. It’s also possible to earn miles by way of on a regular basis actions like purchasing and eating.
Earn SkyMiles by way of bank cards
There’s a Delta bank card for everybody — the loyalist, the enterprise traveler and even the rare flyer. Right here’s a take a look at the complete suite of Delta SkyMiles bank cards from American Specific (phrases apply):
| CREDIT CARD | ANNUAL FEE | WELCOME BONUS | BONUS VALUE* | NOTABLE PERKS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Specific Card | $0 introductory annual charge for the primary yr, then $99 (see charges and charges) | Earn 70,000 bonus miles after $2,000 in spending within the first six months of cardmembership. | $987. | First checked bag free on Delta flights; Medallion® Qualification Greenback (MQDs) waiver after spending $25,000 in a calendar yr; 20% low cost on inflight purchases on Delta flights. |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Specific Card | $250 (see charges and charges) | Earn 90,000 bonus miles after $4,000 in spending within the first six months of cardmembership. | $1,269. | 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights (when paying taxes and charges with this card), an annual companion certificates every renewal for predominant cabin, round-trip journey, 10,000 MQMs towards elite standing after you spend $25,000 (as much as 20,000 MQMs per yr), 20% low cost on inflight purchases on Delta flights and first checked bag free on Delta flights. |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Specific Card | $550 (see charges and charges) | Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases in your new card in your first six months. | $1,269. | Delta Sky Membership membership and Centurion Lounge entry when touring on Delta; earn 15,000 MQMs while you spend $30,000, $60,000, $90,000 and $120,000 on the cardboard in a calendar yr; an annual companion certificates every year upon card renewal for round-trip journey in firstclass, Consolation+, Premium Choose or predominant cabin, complimentary upgrades for non-Medallions. |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold Enterprise American Specific Card | $0 introductory annual charge for the primary yr, then $99 (see charges and charges) |
Earn 75,000 bonus miles after $3,000 in spending within the first three months of cardmembership. |
$1,058. | First checked bag free on Delta flights; MQD waiver after spending $25,000 in a calendar yr; 20% low cost on inflight purchases, $100 Delta flight credit score after spending $10,000 in a calendar yr. |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Enterprise American Specific Card | $250 (see charges and charges) |
Earn 95,000 bonus miles after $4,000 of purchases within the first three months of cardmembership. |
$1,340. | Earn 10,000 MQMs at $25,000 and $50,000 in spending in a calendar yr; MQD waiver after spending $25,000 in a calendar yr; TSA PreCheck or International Entry charge credit score; precedence boarding; first checked bag free on Delta flights; 15% off award flights. |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Enterprise American Specific Card | $550 (see charges and charges) |
Earn 100,000 bonus miles after $6,000 in spending within the first three months of cardmembership |
$1,410. | Delta Sky Membership membership and Centurion Lounge entry when touring on Delta; earn 15,000 MQMs while you spend $30,000, $60,000, $90,000 and $120,000 on the cardboard in a calendar yr; an annual companion certificates every year upon card renewal for round-trip journey in firstclass, Consolation+, Premium Choose or predominant cabin; 20% low cost on inflight purchases on Delta flights and first checked bag free on Delta flights. |
Associated: Finest Delta bank cards
Earn SkyMiles by flying
While you fly Delta on a Delta-issued ticket, you earn SkyMiles based mostly on the bottom value of your ticket. Since Delta miles by no means expire, there’s no purpose to not change into a member, even when it takes some time to earn sufficient miles for a free ticket.
These with Delta Medallion elite standing earn extra miles on paid tickets:
- Basic member: 5 miles.
- Silver: 7 miles.
- Gold: 8 miles.
- Platinum: 9 miles.
- Diamond: 11 miles.
This is what this implies in observe: Say you purchase a one-way flight from John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) to Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) for $253 earlier than taxes on delta.com. If you happen to’re a common member, you’ll earn 1,265 SkyMiles. Nonetheless, you’ll earn 2,783 miles when you’re a Diamond member.
Earn SkyMiles by way of companions
One other option to earn miles is by flying Delta’s associate airways, however the way you earn these miles relies upon fully on the way you booked the ticket. For instance, while you e book associate airline tickets — like KLM — on Delta.com, you’ll earn miles the identical as a daily Delta flight — even when one other airline operates the flight.
In the meantime, when you e book a associate flight on the provider’s web site (for instance, Air France) and add your Delta SkyMiles quantity, you’ll earn miles based mostly on the gap flown. Nonetheless, the precise quantity of SkyMiles you’ll obtain varies based mostly on the associate, reserving class and whether or not you’ve got elite standing. Typically you may earn MQDs at a fraction of the value.
You may view full incomes charges for associate airways at this hyperlink.
Associated: When you’ll (and received’t) earn miles on your flight
Earn SkyMiles by way of purchasing portals
One of many best methods to earn Delta miles is thru its on-line purchasing portal. You may earn miles for purchases you ordinarily make with 1000’s of retailers on-line.
If you happen to don’t have already got an account, you should register utilizing your SkyMiles quantity so the bonus miles will probably be credited to your frequent flyer account. Then you should utilize the search field to seek out your favourite shops or a product. It’s also possible to evaluate costs and mileage charges. Keep in mind to look out for shops providing bonus miles (extra on that later), featured offers and particular bonus gives.
After deciding on your service provider, click on on the shop, product or supply and also you’ll 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 earned will probably be added to your SkyMiles account. You’ll obtain an electronic mail to substantiate when your miles have been posted, sometimes inside 3 to five days. Nonetheless, relying on the shop, it could possibly take as much as 15 days for the miles to submit to SkyMiles Purchasing.
Nearly each main airline has a purchasing portal, so use a purchasing portal aggregator to ensure you’re getting the most effective deal while you store on-line.
Associated: The final word information to the Delta SkyMiles purchasing portal
Switch Amex factors to Delta
Lastly, you may switch American Specific Membership Rewards factors on to Delta at 1:1. We do not normally advocate this as a result of we worth Membership Rewards factors larger than SkyMiles. At the moment, we worth SkyMiles at 1.41 cents apiece. That is 0.59 cents per level decrease than Amex’s 2.0 cents per level valuation, and it’s typically tough to get the next worth from Delta due to dynamic pricing.
Associated: 5 issues you have to learn about Delta SkyMiles
redeem SkyMiles
Issues to know
Usually, we have discovered the most effective redemptions on home flights. Paired with a Delta cobranded bank card (which gives a 15% low cost on awards), you may generally e book short-haul flights for below 4,000 SkyMiles one-way. That mentioned, costs will differ by day, route and cabin class.
Associate awards
Nonetheless, utilizing SkyMiles for Delta-operated flights isn’t the one option to maximize them. It’s also possible to use your miles to e book associate tickets, each on Delta’s SkyTeam and non-alliance companions.
Though associate awards are nonetheless priced based mostly on an unpublished award chart, they’ve seen their fair proportion of devaluations over the previous couple of years. Delta has added close-in reserving surcharges and elevated costs for a lot of U.S.-departing associate awards.
Candy spots
Delta flash gross sales
Delta continuously runs SkyMiles flash gross sales to short- and long-haul U.S. locations and cities in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. We’ve seen some terrific offers for Essential Cabin, Consolation+ and firstclass. Current offers embrace one-way flights to Hawaii for 13,000 SkyMiles and round-trip flights for as little as 5,000 SkyMiles for New Yorkers.
After all, these low cost tickets aren’t all the time revealed. Delta typically costs short- and mid-haul award tickets for properly below what different airways would cost for related flights. You may typically discover the most effective offers when reserving upfront and touring on off-peak dates.
Likewise, you may count on to pay extra for peak flights — for instance, New York to Orlando over Thanksgiving.
Delta and LATAM financial 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’s one of many higher methods to make use of miles.
While you seek for South America flights, you may discover cheap award charges. For instance, 64,000 SkyMiles can usually get you round-trip from JFK to São Paulo/Guarulhos Worldwide Airport (GRU). Many of those flights are nonstop. The draw back is that there solely seems to be financial system award area obtainable, not enterprise. Nonetheless, 64,000 SkyMiles round-trip is an interesting award price.
Associated: 6 Delta SkyMiles candy spots value saving up for
Backside line
With its operational efficiency, quite a few flight choices and some ways to qualify for standing, some say Delta is the most effective airline.
Regardless of its lack of award charts and unannounced program devaluations, there’s nonetheless loads to love concerning the Delta SkyMiles program. If you happen to’re a Delta frequent flyer (or fascinated about switching), a mixture of flying, purchasing portals and bank cards can improve your SkyMiles stability on your subsequent redemption.
Further reporting by Benji Stawski and Kyle Olsen.
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.
