Airlines + Airports

What to Know About the Delta SkyMiles Program — Including How to Earn Status and Redeem Miles

Here’s everything you need to know about Delta's loyalty program.

By

Published on December 9, 2023

How to Sign Up

Signing up for Delta SkyMiles is a straightforward process that can be completed online through Delta's website. Visit the SkyMiles enrollment page and enter the requested personal information, including your name, contact details, and a valid email address.

Once the basic information is submitted, you’ll create a secure login and password for your SkyMiles account. Choose a strong password — your miles are essentially a form of currency, so you'll want to protect them. Additionally, you can opt-in to receive email updates and promotional offers from Delta.

After completing the enrollment, you’ll receive a unique SkyMiles number that you can use to earn and redeem miles. With a SkyMiles account activated, you’ll begin accumulating miles on Delta flights and participating partner airlines, so long as you attach that number to your bookings.

A woman checking in with a Amex Delta Card — Courtesy of Delta

How to Earn Miles

Flights

One of the primary ways to earn SkyMiles is by flying with Delta or one of its partner airlines, the majority of which are part of the SkyTeam alliance. When you book Delta-operated flights, you earn SkyMiles based on the base price of your ticket. Different elite status tiers earn varying bonus miles per dollar spent.

For example, as a general member, you earn five miles per dollar spent, while a Diamond Medallion member can earn up to 11 miles per dollar spent. These miles are accrued when you fly on Delta, SkyTeam alliance members, or other partner airlines.

Note that earning on SkyTeam alliance or partner airlines works slightly differently — miles are often granted based on a percentage of the distance flown, with a bonus for higher fare classes. For instance, a Silver Medallion member flying a round-trip business-class ticket on Air France from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport would earn 20,356 redeemable miles — 7,270 miles for the distance flown with the remaining miles a result of both a fare class and elite status bonus.

Credit Cards

Delta also offers co-branded credit cards in partnership with American Express. These cards provide numerous benefits, including earning SkyMiles with every purchase. Cardholders can earn bonus miles for spending on Delta flights and receive benefits like lounge access, priority boarding, and free checked bags.

The Delta credit card lineup includes options like the Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum, and Reserve cards, each with its own perks and annual fees. These cards often come with welcome bonuses, adding a significant number of miles to your account upon approval.

Delta made changes to the Skymiles program earlier this year after receiving backlash on some proposed adjustments, including lounge access. "There's overcrowding at Delta Sky Clubs due to the success of their credit card partnerships," Gilbert Ott, director of partnerships at Point.me, tells T+L. "This is being worked on daily, and the new clubs are actually so nice now that they're worth going to."

Amex Delta Credit Cards — Courtesy of Delta

Other Ways to Earn

Transfer Points: You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points directly to Delta at a 1:1 ratio, though this is generally not recommended due to differences in point valuations.
Shopping Portals: Delta has an online shopping portal where you can earn SkyMiles for everyday purchases. By shopping through the portal with affiliated merchants, you can accumulate miles. The miles earned vary depending on the merchant and ongoing bonus offers.
Dining Programs: Delta's SkyMiles dining program allows you to earn miles when you dine at participating restaurants. You can earn additional miles by linking your credit card to your SkyMiles account and dining at eligible establishments.
Promotions and Partnerships: Keep an eye out for special promotions and partnerships offered by Delta, which can provide opportunities to earn bonus miles. These can include promotions with hotel chains and car rental companies.
Flying with Partner Airlines: Delta is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, and you can earn and redeem miles when flying with SkyTeam partner airlines. Additionally, Delta has partnerships with non-alliance airlines like Hawaiian Airlines and WestJet, providing more opportunities to earn miles.

Delta Flight attendants in an airport — Courtesy of Delta

Delta Medallion Status Tiers

Each Delta Medallion status tier offers progressively more benefits and privileges. The airline’s status tiers are subject to annual qualification requirements — historically a certain amount of flying plus a certain dollar spend. Starting in 2024, status will be determined only by dollar spend. Achieving higher tiers brings additional perks, such as complimentary upgrades, priority services, and bonus miles earned per dollar spent.

Delta's loyalty program underwent significant changes in 2023 that were largely poorly received by its elites. Though Delta rolled back some of those changes, additional ones will likely be announced in 2024. So if you’re gunning for status, stay up-to-date via Delta's website on the specific requirements and benefits for each status tier.

Silver Medallion

Requirements (2023):

25,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) or 30 Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs)
$3,000 Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) or $25,000 spent on eligible co-branded credit cards

Requirements (2024):

$5,000 MQDs

Benefits:

Complimentary first-class upgrades on domestic and short-haul international flights (up to 24 hours before departure)
Priority boarding and check-in
One complimentary checked bag
Seven miles earned per dollar spent

Gold Medallion

Requirements (2023):

50,000 MQMs or 60 MQSs
$8,000 MQDs or $25,000 on eligible co-branded credit cards

Requirements (2024):

$10,000 MQDs

Benefits (in addition to Silver Medallion benefits):

Complimentary first-class upgrades on domestic and short-haul international flights (up to three days before departure)
Upgrades to Comfort+ within three days of departure
Waived same-day confirmed changes
Two complimentary checked bags
Eight miles earned per dollar spent

Platinum Medallion

Requirements (2023):

75,000 MQMs or 100 MQSs
$12,000 MQDs or $25,000 on eligible co-branded credit cards

Requirements (2024):

$15,000 MQDs

Benefits (in addition to Gold Medallion benefits):

Complimentary first-class upgrades on domestic and short-haul international flights (up to five days before departure).
Upgrades to Comfort+ at the time of booking
Three complimentary checked bags
Choice Benefit that can be redeemed for special perks, including upgrade certificates
Nine miles earned per dollar spent

Diamond Medallion

Requirements (2023):

125,000 MQMs or 140 MQSs
$20,000 MQDs or $250,000 on eligible co-branded credit cards

Requirements (2024):

$28,000 MQDs

Benefits (in addition to Platinum Medallion benefits):

Three additional Choice Benefit options that can be redeemed for special perks, including upgrade certificates
Complimentary Clear membership
Higher upgrade priority
11 miles earned per dollar spent

A business traveler working on his tablet — Courtesy of Delta

Redeeming Miles

Flights

You can redeem miles for free flights, though you'll still have to pay taxes and fees. In terms of how many miles you'll need to redeem for a free flight, that varies. Delta no longer publishes award charts, but instead uses dynamic pricing for award tickets. That means the number of miles required for redemption will vary based on factors like the route, date, and cabin class. There is an upside here — passengers have the ability to use points on most days with few blackout dates, points out Ott. “There's almost always a points price, rather than binary yes or no, and upgrades are simple to process using points in the app," he says. "The price may not be ideal, but it's usually there.”

SkyMiles award tickets are fully refundable, allowing you to redeposit the miles and receive a refund of the taxes and fees if your plans change. You can also rebook an award ticket if the mileage price drops, and you’ll receive a refund of the difference in miles. Delta also offers eligible co-branded credit cardholders a 15 percent discount on award tickets for Delta-operated flights.

Upgrades

You can sometimes use SkyMiles to upgrade to a higher cabin class, such as Main Cabin to Comfort+ or even Delta One. These upgrades will be presented to you in the app or on the website. Complimentary upgrades are also available for elite members, with priority based on your Medallion status.

Partner Airline Redemptions

Delta is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, allowing you to redeem SkyMiles for flights on SkyTeam partner airlines, including Air France, KLM, and Korean Air. You can also redeem SkyMiles for flights on non-alliance partner airlines, such as Hawaiian Airlines and WestJet. Partner award ticket pricing is subject to dynamic pricing, and the exact number of miles needed varies based on partner, booking class, and other factors. You'll have to redeem the miles through Delta's website, not the partner airline's website.

Other Ways to Redeem Miles

In addition to flights, you can use SkyMiles for other redemption options, such as:

Hotel stays
Car rentals
Delta Vacations packages
Delta Sky Club access
Delta gift cards

A flight attendant serving a passenger a drink — Courtesy of Delta

Mileage Valuation

The value of SkyMiles varies depending on the specific redemption. On average, SkyMiles are valued at around 1.2 cents per mile, but this can change due to dynamic pricing. The exact value of your miles depends on the route and cabin class.

Delta frequently runs SkyMiles flash sales, offering discounted award flights to various destinations, which can boost the value of your miles. Some sweet spots include short-haul domestic flights, where you can sometimes book for under 4,000 SkyMiles one-way with the co-branded credit card discount.

How to Get the Most Out of Your SkyMiles

Stay informed about promotions.

Watch for Delta's frequent promotions, flash sales, and bonus mile offers. These can provide excellent opportunities to maximize the value of your SkyMiles.

Use co-branded credit cards.

Consider applying for one of Delta's co-branded credit cards, such as the Gold, Platinum, or Reserve cards from American Express. These cards offer benefits like priority boarding, free checked bags, and earning bonus miles on everyday purchases.

Don't limit yourself to Delta flights.

Explore partner airlines within SkyTeam and non-alliance partners for additional earning and redemption options — just be sure to read the fine print.