Maximizing Benefits With Delta SkyMiles in 2024: an Insider’s Guide
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- Delta SkyMiles are easy to earn from flying, using certain credit cards, or transferring Amex points.
- SkyMiles can be used for flights on Delta or SkyTeam alliance partners like Air France and KLM.
- Read Business Insider’s guide to the best Delta credit cards.
Introduction to Delta SkyMiles
Delta is one of the world’s largest airlines. If you live in a hub city such as Atlanta, New York, or Seattle, this airline may be your carrier of choice. And if you’re loyal to this airline, earning and redeeming Delta SkyMiles through the carrier’s loyalty program can help you earn your way toward award flights.
Here’s what you should know about the Delta SkyMiles awards program.
How Delta SkyMiles works
The Delta SkyMiles loyalty program helps Delta lovers earn rewards and elite status. Loyalists can earn Delta SkyMiles from flying, from co-branded credit cards, and through a number of other options.
Since Delta flies to so many destinations within the U.S., and Delta SkyMiles are relatively easy to earn. As a result, there are many different ways for you to redeem miles with Delta and its partners in the SkyTeam airline alliance. However, many of these redemption opportunities do not provide good value.
How to Earn Delta SkyMiles
There are multiple ways to earn Delta SkyMiles. The most popular options are listed below.
Flying with Delta and partner airlines
The most obvious way to earn Delta SkyMiles is to fly on Delta. Within the past several years, Delta has changed its earning structure, so the number of redeemable miles that you earn on most Delta flights is calculated by your elite status and the total cost of the fare, as follows:
- General SkyMiles Members: 5 miles per dollar
- Silver Members: 7 miles per dollar
- Gold Members: 8 miles per dollar
- Platinum Members: 9 miles per dollar
- Diamond Members: 11 miles per dollar
Delta has more than 20 airline partners — some through the SkyTeam airline alliance, as well as a few non-alliance partners. You can earn Delta SkyMiles when flying on these partner airlines by adding your SkyMiles membership information to your flight itinerary. The number of SkyMiles you earn depends on your route and the fare class of the ticket you’ve purchased and varies by partner.
Earn miles from Delta credit cards
Another way to quickly earn a lot of Delta SkyMiles is by earning welcome offers on American Express co-branded Delta credit cards. There are seven total: Four consumer credit cards, and three business cards.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Regular APR
20.99% – 29.99% Variable
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
- Earns bonus miles at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets
- Annual companion certificate can help you recoup most, if not all, of the annual fee
- You get a free checked bag and priority boarding on Delta flights
- High annual fee
Product Details
- Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Receive a Companion Certificate on Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn $1 Medallion® Qualification Dollar for each $20 of purchases made on your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card in a calendar year and get a boost toward achieving Medallion Status for next Medallion Year.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Resy Credit: With the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Resy Credit, earn up to $10 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases using your enrolled Card.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: You can earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers after you pay with your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. Enrollment Required.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Receive Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive $100 back for Global Entry or up to $85 back for TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $350 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Regular APR
20.99% – 29.99% Variable
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
- Annual companion certificate benefit, which is valid for domestic first class and Comfort+ as well as the main cabin
- Access to Delta Sky Clubs and American Express Centurion Lounges when you’re flying Delta
- Earns 3x miles on Delta purchases
- Very high annual fee
- Doesn’t offer bonus miles on non-Delta purchases
Product Details
- Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Reserve your piece of history with the new limited edition Boeing 747 Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card design.
- Enjoy complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club® and bring up to two guests or immediate family members at a rate of $50 per person per visit when flying Delta. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
- Receive four Delta Sky Club® One-Time Guest Passes each year when you fly together on Delta. After that, you may bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 per person, per location.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.
- Earn $1 Medallion® Qualification Dollar for each $10 of purchases made on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card in a calendar year and get a boost toward achieving elevated Medallion Status for next Medallion Year.
- Receive a Companion Certificate on First Class, Delta Comfort+®, or Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- $240 Resy Credit: With the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Resy Credit, earn up to $20 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases using your enrolled Card.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: You can earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers after you pay with your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. Enrollment Required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Card receive upgrade priority over other Medallion Members within the same Medallion level and fare class.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Regular APR
20.99% – 29.99% Variable
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
- No annual fee
- Earns bonus miles at US restaurants
- Doesn’t offer benefits like a free checked bag when you fly Delta
Product Details
- Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- No Annual Fee.
- Earn 2X Miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- Earn 2X Miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases, and 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay with Miles: take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
- Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your Card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food and beverages.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Terms Apply.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
Annual Fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $150
Regular APR
20.99% – 29.99% Variable
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
- Intro annual fee is $0 for the first year (then $150)
- Earns bonus miles on select business-related purchases as well as on Delta purchases
- Get a free checked bag and Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights
- Doesn’t earn bonus miles on common expenses like dining
Product Details
- Welcome Offer: Earn 55,000 Bonus Miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- Card Members save 15% when booking Award Travel with miles on Delta flights when using delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Additionally, you can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel after you spend $10,000 in purchases in a year.
- Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases at U.S. Shipping providers and at U.S. providers for Advertising in select media on up to $50,000 of purchases per category, per year.
- Earn 2 Miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on every eligible dollar spent at restaurants.
- Earn 1 Mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases.
- Check and stow your bag with ease: First Checked Bag Free on Delta Flights + Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding.
- Elevate your travel experience with an annual statement credit of up to $150 after using your Delta Gold American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.
- Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases after using your Card.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel overseas.
- Terms and limitations apply.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
Regular APR
20.99% – 29.99% Variable
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
- Annual companion certificate benefit helps you recoup the annual fee
- Application fee credit of up to $85 for TSA PreCheck and up to $100 for Global Entry
- Doesn’t earn bonus miles on everyday purchase categories like dining and office supply stores
Product Details
- Welcome Offer: Earn 65,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate each year after renewal of your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Earn 1.5X miles* on eligible transit and U.S. shipping purchases, plus single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more. Terms and miles cap apply. *If your purchase qualifies for a category that has a higher mileage accelerator, only the higher accelerator will apply.
- Get closer to elevated Status next Medallion® Year with MQD Headstart and MQD Boost: receive $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $20 of purchases with your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card Members save 15% when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With the $120 Resy Credit, earn up to $10 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases using your enrolled Card.
- Earn up to $10 back each month after using your enrolled Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers.
- Not a Medallion Member? Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members. Ticket must be purchased on or after February 1, 2024 to be eligible to receive a complimentary upgrade.
- Receive Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
- Elevate your travel experience with an annual statement credit of up to $200 after using your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.
- Terms and limitations apply.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
Regular APR
20.99% – 29.99% Variable
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
- Annual companion certificate that works in first class
- Access to Delta Sky Club and American Express Centurion Lounges when you’re flying Delta (Effective 2/1/25, Reserve card members will receive 15 visits per year to the Delta Sky Club and must spend $75,000 or more in total eligible purchases on the card to earn an unlimited number of visits each year going forward)
- Earns 3x miles on eligible Delta purchases
- Very high annual fee
- No bonus miles on non-Delta purchases
Product Details
- Welcome Offer: Earn 75,000 Bonus Miles after spending $10,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Reserve your piece of history with the new limited edition Boeing 747 Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card design.
- Enter Delta Sky Club® at no cost. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
- Earn 3 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases.
- Get closer to elevated Status next Medallion® Year with MQD Headstart and MQD Boost: receive $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 on purchases with your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card.
- Receive a Companion Certificate on First Class, Delta Comfort+®, or Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- With the $240 Resy Credit, earn up to $20 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases using your enrolled Card.
- Earn up to $10 back each month after using your enrolled Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers.
- Save 15% when booking Award Travel on Delta flights. Not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Not a Medallion Member? Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members.
- As a benefit of Card Membership, you can check your first bag free on Delta flights, saving up to $60 on a round-trip Delta flight per person. For a family of four that’s a potential savings of up to $240 per round-trip flight.
- When you purchase a Delta flight with your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business Card, you will receive complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge or Escape Lounge – The Centurion® Studio Partner.
- Receive Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
- Elevate your travel experience with an annual statement credit of up to $250 after using your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel overseas.
- Terms and limitations apply.
Delta offers the following personal credit cards:
Delta Skymiles Gold
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a great choice if you fly Delta every once in a while.
You’ll earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership as a new cardholder, and receive a free first checked bag on Delta flights for yourself and up to eight companions on the same reservation, priority boarding, a 20% discount on inflight purchases, 15% off award flights on Delta, and a $200 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 on the card in a calendar year. There’s an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $150.
Read more about this card in our Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex Card review.
Delta SkyMiles Platinum
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card offers a bonus of 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months of card membership. Cardholders receive the same checked bag perk, priority boarding, award flight discount, and inflight discounts as the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card.
The card also comes with an annual Delta companion certificate on each card anniversary and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit of up to $100 after you apply through any authorized enrollment provider. There’s a $350 annual fee.
Read more about this card in our Delta Skymiles Platinum Amex card review.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months of card membership. It comes with a $650 annual fee, but it’s worth it if you fly Delta often.
This card offers unlimited access to Delta Sky Club airport lounges when you fly Delta and use your card to book the ticket. Beginning February 2025, this benefit will drop to just 15 complimentary SkyClub visits per year; cardholders will have to spend $75,000 or more in total eligible purchases on the card to earn an unlimited number of visits each year.
You’ll also get two Delta Sky Club one-time guest passes each year, up to $100 for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit after you apply through any authorized enrollment provider, and access to complimentary upgrades for non-elite Delta members.
Read more about this card in our Delta Skymiles Reserve review.
Delta SkyMiles Blue
The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card has a $0 annual fee and comes with a welcome bonus offer of 10,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months from account opening.
This card doesn’t offer many extra perks, but cardholders earn 2x miles on Delta and restaurant purchases and 1x miles on everything else. You’ll also get 20% back on inflight purchases of food and beverages as a statement credit, and the ability to Pay with Miles when booking on Delta.com.
Read more about this card in our Delta SkyMiles Blue Amex card review.
If you qualify for a small-business credit card — either by running your own business or by doing some freelance work — you could be eligible for one of Delta’s three business credit cards:
Delta SkyMiles Gold Business
Small-business owners who fly Delta occasionally should consider the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, with a welcome bonus offer of 55,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.
This card comes with most of the same perks as the personal Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, including a free checked bag, priority boarding, Delta award flight discount, and inflight discounts on Delta flights, as well as a $200 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 on the card in a calendar year. There’s an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $150.
Read more about this card in our American Express Delta Gold Business card review.
Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card is offering 65,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership, and cardholders receive the same perks as the personal version of the card, including a free checked bag, priority boarding, discount on Delta flights, and inflight discounts on Delta, and an annual companion certificate. There’s a $350 annual fee.
One additional benefit is the ability to earn 1.5x miles on eligible transit and U.S. shipping purchases, plus single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more on up to $100,000 per year. Cardholders also earn 3x miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
Read more about this card in our American Express Delta Platinum Business card review.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card comes with a bonus of 75,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.
You’ll get access to Delta Sky Club airport lounges when flying Delta, and access to Amex Centurion Lounges when you fly Delta and use your card to book the ticket. (As with the consumer version, this benefit drops to 15 complimentary visits per year come February 2025.)
The card has a $650 annual fee.
Read more about this card in our Amex Delta Reserve Business card review.
Having an airline credit card can get you additional perks when you fly. In addition to all of the bonus SkyMiles, most of these Delta credit cards come with benefits including free checked bags and priority boarding on Delta flights.
Earn miles from non-Delta American Express credit cards
If you prefer earning transferable points instead of locking yourself into Delta SkyMiles, consider a card that earns American Express Membership Rewards points. Membership Rewards points transfer 1:1 to Delta SkyMiles. That means you can earn Amex points and have the flexibility to transfer to Delta or use them however you see fit.
Here are a few of the best American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards points that you can transfer to Delta SkyMiles:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership
- American Express® Gold Card: 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 on purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership
- American Express® Green Card
: 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership and earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases, up to a total of $200 back, made during your first six months of card membership - The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the card within the first three months of card membership
- American Express® Business Gold Card: 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership
- Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
: 15,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening - Amex EveryDay® Credit Card
: 10,000 Membership Rewards® Points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.
Earn Delta miles through shopping and dining programs
There are also a few other ways to earn Delta SkyMiles without flying or spending on credit cards. Delta has an online shopping portal where you can earn SkyMiles based on making online purchases at thousands of different stores. If you’re making any online purchases, you should use shopping portal first — if not, you’re missing out on thousands of miles or more per year.
Delta also has a SkyMiles dining program, which allows you to get extra miles by eating out at restaurants. You link your credit cards via the SkyMiles dining website, and then when you use a linked credit card at a participating restaurant, you will earn bonus miles. These miles are in addition to the miles that you earn from the actual purchase itself.
Redeeming Delta SkyMiles
There are many ways to use Delta SkyMiles.
Booking Delta flights and seat upgrades
It may not be the most glamorous redemption, but one of the best uses of your SkyMiles is to fly Delta within the U.S.
If you’re an eligible American Express Delta cardholder, you have the option to either pay for your ticket directly with SkyMiles or use Delta’s Pay With Miles feature. With Pay With Miles, you can lower the cost of your ticket by $50 for 5,000 miles, $100 for 10,000 miles, and so on. Indeed, you can often get better than 1 cent per mile value from your SkyMiles, but this serves as a good minimum value redemption for SkyMiles.
Delta also added a benefit to most of its co-branded credit cards called TakeOff 15, which gets you a 15% discount on award flight prices when you use miles to book a Delta itinerary. If you have an eligible card, this is an easy way to make your miles go further—just note that you need to be signed in to your Delta account to take advantage, and you can’t combine this discount with certificates, gift cards, or Pay With Miles.
Remember, too, that you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Delta at a 1:1 ratio to top off your account if you’re short on SkyMiles.
You may be able to upgrade a paid or award flight using Delta SkyMiles. After you book your flight, check the Delta app or website to see what options are available to you.
Book Delta award sales
Delta was the first airline to remove its award chart several years ago. Today, the price of a flight in SkyMiles varies based on the route, the date, the time, the number of stops, and any other whims of the airline. The number of SkyMiles you’ll need for an award flight often correlates to that flight’s price in cash, although you can find some surprise fares on both sides.
Delta releases sales fares from time to time, usually unadvertised. If you keep your eyes peeled, you can find some pretty great deals on redemptions for both domestic and international awards.
Partner airline travel opportunities
Since Delta is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, you can use your Delta miles to fly on Delta’s alliance and other partners such as Air France, China Eastern, Air Tahiti Nui, and Korean Air.
Use Delta miles for merchandise and experiences
In addition to redeeming Delta SkyMiles for flights on Delta and its partners, there are also a few other ways to use them. You can use your miles for magazines, gift cards, upgrading your seat, and even other experiences. These are almost always a worse value than using your miles to fly on Delta or partner airlines, and are not recommended.
Delta SkyMiles frequently asked questions
You can earn SkyMiles by flying with Delta and its partner airlines, spending on Delta co-branded credit cards and participating in partner shopping and dining programs.
You can redeem SkyMiles for award flights, seat upgrades, Delta Sky Club memberships, exclusive experiences, merchandise, or gift cards.
Delta elite status enhances your travel experience with complimentary upgrades, priority boarding, waived fees, bonus mile earning, and exclusive partner offers. The benefits increase with each tier: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.
You can earn Delta SkyMiles elite status by accumulating Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs), Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs), and Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs). You can earn these by flying with Delta and spending on Delta co-branded credit cards.
Make the most of your SkyMiles by booking flights during promotional periods and holding a Delta credit card for a 15% discount on award flights.
Delta miles do not expire. Even if it’s been years since you’ve earned or redeemed your miles, you won’t have to worry about them disappearing on you.
Several credit cards are great for earning Delta SkyMiles. The Delta Gold Card comes with priority boarding and a free checked bag in addition to elevated rewards per dollar on Delta purchases.
Business Insider values Delta SkyMiles at 1.1 cents apiece, on average. Thus, a welcome bonus of 70,000 Delta SkyMiles could be worth $770 in travel rewards, or more if you can find a better redemption opportunity.
The Delta Gold Card offers good value for infrequent Delta travelers. However, Delta fans can consider the Delta Platinum card for its annual companion certificate, or even the top-tier Delta Reserve, which comes with airport lounge access.
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