Guide to Delta SkyMiles: How To Earn and Redeem for Best Value

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One of the best ways to save money on travel is to join a loyalty program and earn miles that you can redeem for free airfare and upgrades. 

Delta is one of the largest airlines in the U.S. and a member of a global airline alliance, which means joining Delta's SkyMiles program can be an efficient way to maximize your travel dollars. No matter where you go, there’s a good chance you can use SkyMiles. 

Plus, when combined with co-branded credit cards, you have the opportunity to super-charge your ability to earn points and gain status.

How the Delta SkyMiles Program Works

Like other loyalty programs, Delta SkyMiles works by awarding you points, or “miles,” for certain actions. For example, you might earn 5 miles for every $1 you spend on a flight with Delta. So, if you spent $600 on a ticket, you would receive 3,000 SkyMiles.

You can earn more miles when you use co-branded credit cards or connect your SkyMiles account to other services. For example, SkyMiles partners with Uber — every time you take an Uber ride, miles are added to your SkyMiles account.

You can then redeem accumulated points to pay for flights. Even if you don’t have enough points to pay for a flight, there are other redemption options, like using SkyMiles to upgrade your seat or to check a bag. 

Delta SkyMiles never expire, so you don’t have to worry about using them within a set period. 

Note that Delta SkyMiles can’t be redeemed for taxes and fees, so you still have to pay those out of pocket. Delta generally shows you the dollar amount of taxes and fees when you research your options.

Medallion status and Medallion Qualification Dollars

Part of the SkyMiles program is the ability to earn Medallion status. 

You earn status by reaching a certain amount of dollars spent on Delta flights, called Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs). 

Each status level comes with benefits like waived bag fees, priority boarding, and complimentary upgrades. As you reach higher Medallion tiers, you get additional perks like access to the Sky Priority suite of services, customized benefits, lounge access, and CLEAR Plus membership. 

However, your MQDs reset each year. So, every calendar year, you start from zero MQDs and have to work your way up. 

To reach each Medallion status, you need to spend a set amount on Delta flights each year:

• Silver: $5,000 MQDs
• Gold: $10,000 MQDs
• Platinum: $15,000 MQDs
• Diamond: $28,000 MQDs

When you reach a Medallion status, you earn miles at a faster pace and get special benefits.

For example, the Choice Benefits program is available at Platinum and Diamond status and includes access to Delta Vacations Experiences, travel vouchers, upgrade certificates, and more. 

You receive complimentary annual Medallion status once you’ve flown one million miles with Delta. 

READ MORE: How To Earn Airline Elite Status — and Is It Worth It?

Points value

When you redeem miles, they’re converted into a dollar value. 

There’s no one way to value points because your redemption value varies depending on the route you take, your travel dates, which seating class you select, and how Delta values them.

For example, some experts value Delta SkyMiles at 1.2 cents apiece, but Delta’s Pay with Miles feature values the redemption at $50 for every 5,000 miles — or 1 cent per mile. 

Let’s say you’re flying Delta from Salt Lake City, UT, to Albany, NY. On my search, the lowest price in the main cabin was $367, which corresponds to 29,300 SkyMiles. The value in that case is 1.25 cents per mile. 

But if you fly first class, you pay 106,500 miles for a ticket that would cost $1,197. The value of each mile is now 1.12 cents apiece. 

So, in this case, you get slightly more value when redeeming for a main cabin seat.

However, you might find even better value if you wait and use your SkyMiles on an international flight to get Delta One seating. 

I searched for a ticket in July from Salt Lake City to London Heathrow and found one that cost $13,590. I could get that seat for 627,500 miles, though, resulting in a value of about 2.17 cents.

Remember that you still need to pay applicable taxes and fees. In this example, if I redeemed 627,500 in SkyMiles, I’d still need to cover $388 in fees.

Just as airfare changes on a day-to-day basis, the redemption value of miles in an airline loyalty program also fluctuates. You can assume, though, that most of the time, your SkyMiles will be “worth” between 0.80 and 1.20 cents apiece.

READ MORE: When To Use Points vs. Cash for Booking Travel

How To Earn Delta SkyMiles

Now that you know how the program generally works, it’s time to figure out how to accumulate SkyMiles. 

Fly on Delta

The most basic way to earn Delta SkyMiles is to fly Delta: 

• At its base level, you earn 5 miles for every $1 spent on Classic or Refundable fares. 
• When you purchase an Extra fare, you earn 7 miles for every $1 spent.

You can earn more miles per dollar by achieving status:

• Silver Medallion: 7 miles per $1
• Gold Medallion: 8 miles per $1
• Platinum Medallion: 9 miles per $1
• Diamond Medallion: 11 miles per $1

Certain partners and exception fares might come with different ways to earn miles, so it’s important to pay attention to those details. 

Fly on SkyTeam partners

You also earn miles when you fly with Delta SkyTeam partners, although you might not earn the same amount as you would on a Delta-marketed flight. 

SkyTeam partners include:

• Aeromexico
• Aerolíneas Argentinas
• Air Europa
• Air France
• China Eastern
• China Airlines
• China Southern
• EL AL Israel Airlines 
• Garuda Indonesia
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Kenya Airways
• KLM
• Korean Air
• Latam Airlines
• MEA
• Saudia Airlines
• Scandinavian Airlines
• TAROM
• Vietnam Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• WestJet
• Xiamen Airlines

Your SkyMiles benefits and status usually transfer to these airlines, although some benefits might be slightly different or a little reduced. For example, Hawaiian Airlines currently does not offer any Medallion benefits.

Depending on the airline and fare, you might be able to transfer your Delta SkyMiles to one of the partners for redemption on their airline.

Use co-branded credit cards

One of the fastest ways to accumulate miles is by using co-branded credit cards. 

Delta has seven SkyMiles credit cards that let you earn additional SkyMiles points every time you make a purchase. Four are consumer cards and three are business cards. All of the cards are issued by American Express: 

• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express
• Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

Every purchase you make with these cards results in a mile being added to your account, and certain categories come with the ability to earn a higher number of miles per dollar spent.

On top of that, you often receive a welcome offer of extra miles when you first sign up for one of the cards, which can help kickstart your earnings. 

However, some of the cards have annual fees, so consider whether you will earn enough miles to make paying the fee worth it.

Remember to only spend what you normally would and pay off your balance each month. It’s not worth going into credit card debt just to earn miles.

READ MORE: How To Use Credit Card Points for Travel

Card	Details
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Learn More	Rewards rate: 2x miles on Delta purchases; 2x miles at U.S. supermarkets; 2x miles at restaurants; 1x miles on all other eligible purchases Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Annual fee: $0 for the first year, then $150 (rates and fees)
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card Learn More	Rewards rate: 2x miles on Delta purchases and at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.; 1x mile on all other eligible purchases Welcome offer: Earn 10,000 Bonus Miles after spending $1,000 in the first 6 months Annual fee: $0 (rates and fees)
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Learn More	Rewards rate: 3x miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels; 2x miles at restaurants worldwide, and on U.S. takeout, delivery, and supermarkets; 1x miles on everything else Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Annual fee: $350 (rates and fees)
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Learn More	Rewards rate: 3x miles on Delta purchases; 1x on all other eligible purchases Welcome offer: Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Annual fee: $650 (rates and fees)
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card Learn More	Rewards rate: 2x miles on Delta purchases; 2x miles on restaurants, U.S. shipping; and select U.S. advertising (up to $50,000 per category, per year); 1x miles on other purchases Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Annual fee: $0 for the first year, then $150 (rates and fees)
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card Learn More	Rewards rate: 3x miles on direct Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels; 1.5x miles on eligible transit and U.S. shipping purchases, plus single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more on up to a total of $100,000 per year (terms and miles cap apply; if your purchase qualifies for a category that has a higher mileage accelerator, only the higher accelerator will apply); 1x miles on all other eligible purchases Welcome offer: Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Annual fee: $350 (rates and fees)
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card Learn More	Rewards rate: 3x miles per $1 spent on Delta purchases; 1.5x miles on eligible transit, U.S. shipping, and U.S. office supply store purchases, plus all eligible purchases after you spend $150,000 in a year (if your purchase qualifies for a category that has a higher mileage accelerator, only the higher accelerator will apply); 1x miles on everything else Welcome offer: Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after spending $12,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Annual fee: $650 (rates and fees)

Book other travel through Delta

You can also book other types of travel through Delta and boost your miles earnings. Hotels, car rentals, and cruises booked through Delta all come with 2 miles per dollar spent. 

If you get a package through Delta Vacations, you can earn up to 10,000 bonus miles on top of your flight miles.

RELATED: Get Free SkyMiles with Delta’s Bags-on-Time Guarantee

Shop with SkyMiles partners

By connecting your SkyMiles account to other accounts you use, it’s possible to earn extra miles. 

For example, Delta currently partners with Uber and Uber Eats. If you connect your Uber account, you receive miles when you book a qualifying ride. 

Likewise, qualifying Airbnb stays can lead to more points, and even hotel stays can translate to more SkyMiles, via programs through Bonvoy and IHG.

Note tht these programs sometimes end, so it’s important to pay attention to the terms and conditions.

Buy Delta SkyMiles

Lastly, you can buy Delta SkyMiles to boost your balance. 

You must buy miles in increments of 2,000, and the cost starts at $70 for 2,000 miles, or 0.035 cents per mile. 

How To Redeem Delta SkyMiles

Redeeming Delta SkyMiles is fairly straightforward. You can redeem miles on Delta.com or the mobile app. 

When searching for an itinerary, you can choose to see “prices” in miles. If you find a route for which you have the miles, you can redeem them at checkout, just as if you were going through the process with dollars. 

You can also buy tickets for other passengers on the same itinerary. 

Miles don’t have to just be redeemed for the fare. You can also use miles to upgrade your seat, for checked baggage, or to cover ticket change fees and same-day confirmation fees.

Finally, if you’re at a Delta SkyClub, you can redeem miles for premium drinks.

Delta transfer partners

You typically can’t transfer Delta SkyMiles to other airlines, but you can redeem your miles on partner airlines. 

However, your SkyMiles redemption might not be a 1:1 redemption on another airline. Check the fine print before you redeem your SkyMiles with a partner program.

It’s also possible to turn points from other programs into Delta SkyMiles. For example, if you have Marriott Bonvoy points, you can convert 9,000 of them into 3,000 SkyMiles. 

Other transfer partners include Hilton Honors, IHG, Hertz, and Radisson. 

Additionally, you can transfer Amex Membership Rewards® points 1:1 to the SkyMiles program.

Donate, give, or transfer miles

The Delta SkyMiles program allows you to donate, give, or transfer miles to other SkyMiles members. 

• Donate: Delta has partnerships with various charities through its SkyWish program that support wounded veterans, provide disaster relief, and fund education initiatives.
• Transfer: If you have friends or family who are short a few miles, you can send them some of yours. The recipient must have a Delta SkyMiles number.
• Gift: You can give the gift of travel by giving someone SkyMiles. Just note that there are transaction fees when you transfer miles to someone else.

FAQs

TL;DR: Is Delta SkyMiles Worth it?

If you fly Delta regularly, the SkyMiles program can save you money, with a points value of 0.80 to 1.20 cents per mile — and no expiration. But always calculate the points value before cashing in your points, as the value depends on your route and fare class.

To boost your rewards earning, use a credit card that either earns SkyMiles (like the no-fee Blue or premium Reserve) or a non-branded card that earns Amex Membership Rewards, which are transferable to Delta.

If you’ve got your eye on elite status, you’ll need to spend at least $5,000 on Delta flights in a year to unlock the first tier of Medallion status (Silver) and its perks. 

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Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.