Delta SkyMiles

Carrying over 190 million passengers in 2023, Delta Air Lines is the second-largest airline in the US. Its loyalty program – Delta SkyMiles – rewards travelers for flying with the airline and its partners, spending on its cobrand credit cards and interacting with its other partners.

That said, it’s a controversial loyalty program among points and miles enthusiasts. Award rates are unpredictable due to dynamic pricing, but there are still some great deals to be found on domestic flights. Further, elite status tiers are now solely earned based on how much you spend with the airline and on its credit cards.

But it’s still a favorite for many. Let’s take a closer look at Delta SkyMiles and why you might want to consider earning and redeeming with the program, especially if you live near a large Delta hub.

Delta SkyMiles overview

Delta SkyMiles is — as mentioned — the loyalty program for Delta Air Lines. This Atlanta-based airline has hubs around the US, including in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), New York (LGA and JFK), Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA). It also has focus cities in Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU).

The loyalty program is extremely popular, too. According to a recent report, Delta has over 130 million SkyMiles members. You can earn and redeem SkyMiles on Delta and its SkyTeam partners, which include airlines like Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic and others.

Elite benefits are expansive, too. Top-tier Delta Diamond Medallion members are eligible for perks like lounge access on eligible flights, upgrades and Choice Benefits. Choice Benefits allow elite members to pick their own benefits upon qualifying and include options like upgrade certificates, a Sky Club lounge membership and other perks.

Delta SkyMiles partners

Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, meaning it has partnerships with all other SkyTeam carriers. This lets you earn and redeem SkyMiles with these partners and enjoy reciprocal elite status benefits, like extra checked bags and preferred seating.

Here’s a look at Delta’s SkyTeam partners:

It also has a handful of non-alliance partners, including:

Delta SkyMiles elite status

Frequent Delta flyers can earn elite status based on their flying and cobrand credit card spending. The airline has four public elite status tiers and each has varying benefits, with more benefits being awarded the higher tier you have.

You earn status based on how many Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQD) you earn. You earn MQDs when you fly with Delta, which are calculated based on the fare before taxes and fees. So if a flight costs $300 before taxes, you’ll earn $300 MQDs. You can also earn MQDs with partners and cobrand credit cards — we’ll discuss this later in the guide.

This is how many MQDs you need for each Delta elite status tier. You must earn these MQDs in a single calendar year, meaning you have from January 1 to December 31 to earn status.

You’ll get various benefits when you earn Delta elite status. At the low end, Delta Silver includes basic benefits like space-available upgrades and a free checked bag. Things get more interesting, however, at the Platinum and Diamond tiers, as you can choose Comfort+ seats at booking and have a higher upgrade priority on domestic flights and short-haul international flights that can clear up to 120 hours before departure.

Delta Choice Benefits

Platinum and Diamond Medallion elites get Choice Benefits, too. These benefits range greatly, and some are more valuable than others.

Delta Platinum members can pick one of these Choice Benefits for the 2025 status year:

Meanwhile, Diamond members can pick three more benefits upon qualification for this (more exciting) list:

You can choose whichever benefits best suit your needs, but we generally recommend choosing upgrades as one of your Choice Benefits. Regional Upgrades give you confirmed or higher priority upgrades on domestic and short-haul international flights.

Meanwhile, Global Upgrades work on all flights for a one-cabin upgrade. If you use them to upgrade from Main Cabin to Premium Select on a long-haul international flight, you’ll be waitlisted for Delta One 24 hours before departure. You can also use Global Upgrades to move from economy class to Delta One on two-cabin aircraft when available.

Other good options include gifting elite status to other SkyMiles members, bonus SkyMiles, a Sky Club membership and an Amex statement credit. Do the math and see which is best for your travel habits.

SkyTeam elite benefits

There are two SkyTeam elite tiers: Elite and Elite Plus. These offer reciprocal benefits on SkyTeam partner airlines. You can take advantage of them by adding your Delta SkyMiles number to a partner ticket, regardless of where you book it.

SkyTeam Elite is a Silver Medallion benefit and includes:

Meanwhile, Gold Medallion and above include SkyTeam Elite Plus, which includes:

While some of these benefits are minimal, the lounge access on Elite Plus can be a nice perk. Just note this doesn’t work on domestic Delta flights. Instead, Gold Medallion and higher elites can only use Delta Sky Clubs when flying Premium Select or higher unless they have another way to access the Sky Club. That said, they can access partner lounges when flying Main Cabin or Comfort+ abroad.

How to earn Delta SkyMiles

Now for the fun part: earning Delta SkyMiles.

There are plenty of ways to earn them, like flying, spending on various Delta cobranded credit cards and even transferring points in from American Express Membership Rewards. Here’s an overview of the most popular ways to earn SkyMiles.

Fly with Delta Air Lines

Earning SkyMiles when you fly Delta is relatively straightforward. SkyMiles members earn 5 SkyMiles per dollar spent on the flight, before taxes and fees.

For example, a $200 flight earns 1,000 SkyMiles. This is the same regardless of how long your flight is or what cabin you’re flying. The only exception are Basic Economy fares, which do not earn SkyMiles.

Elite members earn bonus miles depending on their status tier:

You can see your estimated SkyMiles and MQD earnings on the checkout page when you book a flight directly with Delta. This infobox is located right below the payment method section of the checkout page.

Award flights booked with and operated by Delta don’t earn SkyMiles, but they do earn MQD toward elite status. You’ll earn $1 MQD per 100 SkyMiles redeemed for a flight. This means a flight that you booked for 10,000 SkyMiles earns $100 MQD.

Flying with Delta’s partner airlines

Flying with partner airlines is where things get trickier. If you book your partner ticket with Delta, you can see your accruals when you check out. But when you book a flight with a partner, you’ll earn SkyMiles and MQD based on the length of your flight and its fare class. 

Each partner has different earning rates, with Core Global Airline Partners typically earning the most across the board. You can view earning rates for each Delta partner on the airline’s website.

Additionally, elite members earn bonus miles on partner flights:

As an example, let’s say you booked a round-trip Korean Airlines flight from New York-JFK to Seoul (ICN) in R-fare business class. According to Delta’s website, this flight earns 200% SkyMiles and 30% MQD.

New York to Seoul is 13,811 miles round-trip. This means the ticket would earn 27,622 SkyMiles and 4,143 MQD without elite status. And if you had Diamond Medallion when flying, you’d earn 60,768 SkyMiles when factoring in the 120% bonus.

Use Delta SkyMiles credit cards

Delta has seven cobranded credit cards: four personal cards and three small business cards. American Express issues all of these cards and has different benefits, earning structures and annual fees. Plus, each has a welcome offer that can help you quickly pad your SkyMiles balance.

Here’s each personal Delta card, its current welcome offer, and annual fee:

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card

Fly Further for Free with the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card

• 10,000 bonus miles after $1,000 in purchases within 6 months
• 2X miles on Delta purchases and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout & delivery in the U.S.
• 1X mile on all other eligible purchases
• 20% savings on eligible in‑flight food, beverages and audio headsets via statement credits
• $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees

Whether you’re hopping a regional flight or tackling transcontinental routes, this no‑fee Delta card lets you earn valuable miles on both travel and everyday dining. Use Pay With Miles at booking to offset ticket costs, redeem for award flights or upgrade your cabin. Plus, manage rewards seamlessly in the AmEx mobile app and enjoy on‑the‑fly savings on every flight.

Terms apply. Bonus miles require $1,000 spend in first 6 months. In‑flight savings post as statement credit within 8–12 weeks. See full terms for details.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

Maximize Your Delta Travel Benefits with the SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

• 50,000 bonus miles after $2,000 in purchases within 6 months
• 2× miles on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets
• 1× mile on all other eligible purchases
• $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150
• No foreign transaction fees
• First checked bag free for you and up to 8 companions on Delta flights
• Priority boarding with Zone 5 access
• 20% savings on in‑flight food, beverages and audio headsets
• $200 Delta flight credit after $10,000 in card spend per year
• $100 annual Delta Stays credit for prepaid hotel stays or vacation rentals
• 15% miles back on Award Travel booked through delta.com or the Fly Delta app

This card delivers powerful perks for Delta flyers—from generous sign‑up miles and annual credits to standout baggage and boarding privileges. Whether you’re checking multiple bags, dining in the sky or booking award travel, you’ll enjoy seamless rewards and travel savings in every corner of the Delta network. Manage your account in the AmEx app and make every trip more rewarding.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

Elevate Your Delta Experience with the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

• 60,000 bonus miles after $3,000 in purchases within the first 6 months
• Annual Companion Certificate for a main cabin round‑trip companion fare (taxes & fees apply)
• 2,500 MQD Headstart plus 1 MQD per $20 spent toward Medallion status
• 3X miles on Delta purchases and direct hotel stays
• 2X miles at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets
• 1X mile on all other purchases
• $120 Resy credit and $120 rideshare credit annually (enrollment required)
• No foreign transaction fees
• $350 annual fee

Perfect for frequent flyers who demand premium perks, this card combines accelerated earning on everyday and travel spend with Delta’s most valuable benefits—from free checked bags and priority boarding to Medallion Qualifying Dollar boosts and companion certificates that can cover a travel companion’s ticket. Manage it all seamlessly in the AmEx app and get closer to elite status with every dollar.

Terms apply. Companion Certificate taxes & fees $22–$250. Credits require enrollment. See issuer for full details.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

Elevate Your Delta Experience with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

• 70,000 bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases within 6 months
• 3X miles on eligible Delta purchases; 1X mile on all other spend
• 15 Delta Sky Club® visits per Medallion® year, plus unlimited access after $75,000 spend and four annual guest passes
• Centurion® Lounge access when you book a Delta flight
• 2,500 MQD head start each year + 1 MQD per $10 in card spend toward elite status
• $240 Resy® credit ($20/month) & $120 rideshare credit ($10/month)
• 15% off award travel when you use miles to book flights
• Priority boarding and free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions
• $650 annual fee; no foreign transaction fees

This premium card is built for Delta loyalists who want luxury perks and a fast track to elite status. From lounge access and companion privileges to monthly statement credits and accelerated MQDs, every benefit is tailored to enhance your travel. Manage your account and track rewards seamlessly in the AmEx app—then sit back, relax, and let your card take you further.

Terms apply. See American Express for complete details and eligibility.

And here’s each Delta small business card:

Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card

Maximize Your Delta Business Travel with the SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express® Card

• 60,000 bonus miles after $4,000 in purchases within your first 6 months
• 2X miles on Delta purchases, U.S. shipping & advertising (up to $50,000 per year) and at restaurants
• 1X mile on all other eligible purchases
• First checked bag free for you and up to eight companions on Delta flights
• $200 annual Delta flight credit after $10,000 in spend per calendar year
• Add employee cards at no extra cost to earn more miles
• Complimentary AmEx® Business App for expense tracking and reporting
• No foreign transaction fees
• $0 intro annual fee first year, then $150

Whether you’re booking client travel or rewarding top performers, this card turns everyday business expenses into valuable SkyMiles. Enjoy seamless booking, automatic baggage waivers and powerful digital tools that streamline expense management—all while accelerating your path to elite status and award flights.

Terms apply. See issuer for details.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business Card

Elevate Your Business Travels with the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express® Card

• 70,000 bonus miles after $6,000 in purchases within your first 6 months
• 3X miles on purchases made directly with Delta and on hotel stays
• 1.5X miles on transit, U.S. shipping and select business purchases
• 1X mile on all other eligible purchases
• $350 annual fee
• Annual Companion Certificate for a Main Cabin companion fare (taxes & fees apply)
• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck® credit up to $100 every four years
• $120 Resy credit and $120 rideshare credit each year (enrollment required)
• 15% savings when using miles to book Delta award travel

Designed for frequent flyers and savvy business owners, this card turbocharges your earnings on every trip while unlocking top-tier perks. Enjoy accelerated miles on core categories, seamless digital tools for expense management, and premium travel benefits like complimentary upgrade list access and priority boarding. With an annual companion certificate, statement credits for Resy and rideshares, and reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, you’ll offset the fee and travel smarter all year long.

Terms apply. See full details for enrollment, spending requirements and benefit limitations.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business Card

Power Your Business Journeys with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express® Card

• 70,000 bonus miles after $6,000 in purchases within your first 6 months
• 3X miles on Delta purchases and direct hotel bookings
• 1.5X miles on U.S. shipping, transit and select business expenses
• 15 Delta Sky Club® lounge visits per Medallion® year plus four guest passes
• Up to $200 annual statement credit for Delta in‑flight purchases
• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck® credit up to $100 every four years
• Priority boarding and free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions
• $650 annual fee; no foreign transaction fees

Designed for entrepreneurs who fly Delta often, this card accelerates your miles on core travel and business categories while delivering premium lounge access and travel credits that offset the fee. Enjoy seamless expense management with employee cards at no extra cost, enhanced meeting productivity in Sky Club lounges, and automatic reimbursement for your trusted security screening program. Redeem miles flexibly for award flights or statement credits, and watch your business take off with every dollar spent.

Terms apply. Welcome bonus, lounge access and credits require qualifying purchases. See issuer’s site for full details.

We won’t run through every single benefit in this article — see our guide to Delta SkyMiles credit cards for that. However, it’s worth noting that those aiming for Delta elite status will get the most value from the Delta Platinum and Reserve cards, or their business equivalent.

These cards earn MQDs on everyday spending, no matter where you’re using your card. The Delta Platinum and Business Platinum cards earn $1 MQD per $20 spent on the card. These MQDs. Meanwhile, the Delta Reserve and Business Reserve cards earn $1 MQD per $10 spent. Plus, each card earns a $2,500 MQD bonus every year with no spending requirement.

The Reserve and Business Reserve cards also include Delta SkyClub lounge access, Delta Stays credits, Resy credits, and a slew of other benefits that can help offset the large annual fees that come with these credit cards.

Delta Gold, Platinum, and Reserve cards — and their business equivalents — also offer a 15% discount on all award flights operated by Delta. This discount is dubbed TakeOff15 and is given at the time of booking. There’s no cap on how many points you can save with this discount.

Transfer from American Express Membership Rewards

You can also transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Delta SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio, meaning 10,000 Amex points transfer to 10,000 SkyMiles. Transfers process quickly in our experience, so there’s no need to transfer before you find a ticket you’d like to book.

Just note that there is a small expense to transfer Amex points to Delta. Amex imposes an excise tax offset fee when transferring points to US airline loyalty programs. This fee is $0.0006 per point, with a maximum fee of $99 per transfer. If you transfer 15,000 Amex points to Delta, you’ll pay $9.

Other ways to earn Delta SkyMiles

You can earn SkyMiles when you interact with Delta’s other partners and when you enroll in the airline’s shopping portal and dining program. The shopping portal lets you earn SkyMiles when you shop with other vendors — think Apple, Lowes and others — when you click through the portal before you buy. Meanwhile, you can link your credit cards to the Delta dining program and earn bonus SkyMiles when you eat at partner restaurants.

Further, you can book hotels with Delta Stays and earn bonus SkyMiles by booking hotels. Just note you won’t earn hotel points or be able to use hotel elite status benefits on these reservations, so do the math and see if it makes sense for you.

There are a variety of other Delta partners you can use to earn SkyMiles too. For example, you can earn when you ride with Lyft, load your Starbucks account and book cruises. See Delta’s website for more information.

Redeeming Delta SkyMiles

You’ve earned some SkyMiles — now it’s time to redeem them. Here’s a look at your best options, with commentary on why it’s generally best to redeem them for flights.

Redeem for flights

You’ll almost always get the best value from your SkyMiles when you redeem them for award flights. Delta-operated flights — as mentioned — are priced dynamically. We’ve found that award prices typically correspond to the price of a paid ticket, but this isn’t always the case.

Generally, the best award prices are on domestic tickets. In fact, you can often find domestic airfare for under 5,000 SkyMiles one-way on off-peak dates when you book in advance. Delta does not levy fuel surcharges on its own tickets. You’re only liable for taxes in most cases.

For example, this flight from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is just 5,500 SkyMiles in basic economy. And if you have an eligible Delta credit card, the TakeOff15 perk brings it to just 4,600 SkyMiles. 



Similarly, you can book this flight from Seattle to Portland International Airport (PDX) for as little as 3,800 SkyMiles with the TakeOff15 discount.

The only time you’ll find fixed award pricing is on partner-operated flights. There’s no published award chart for these bookings, but as an example, intra-Europe flights almost always price at 10,000 SkyMiles plus taxes in economy.



Keep an eye on Delta’s SkyMiles Award Deals page for the best deals. You can filter by departure airport and where you’d like to fly. It’s a great source of inspiration and helps you find the best deals.

Redeem for upgrades

Delta no longer has set prices for cabin upgrades. Instead, the airline will often offer to sell you an upgrade after you book. Prices are variable and you can either pay for an upgrade or redeem your SkyMiles. You’ll find these upgrades when you pull up a Delta booking on the airline’s website or mobile app.

You’ll generally get just over 1 cent per point in value from these upgrades. So it’s not the best redemption, but it can come in handy when you want a more comfortable experience. You’ll earn MQD toward elite status based on the cost of the upgrade, too. Upgrades purchased with SkyMiles earn $1 MQD per 100 SkyMiles redeemed, just like award flights.

Redeem for hotels and rental cars

You can also redeem your SkyMiles for hotels and rental cars booked through Delta, but note that this isn’t typically a good deal.

As an example, we looked at hotels in New York City on the Delta Stays portal. It charged $129 for a one-night, non-refundable weekday stay at the Fairfield by Marriott New York Manhattan Times Square after taxes and fees.



The same night required 18,470 SkyMiles after taxes and fees. This yields just under 0.7 cents per point, which is significantly less than you’d get from most airfare and upgrade redemptions.

This is only one example, but we’ve found that this value generally holds across the board. So if you can help it, consider paying for your hotel and saving your SkyMiles for an award flight on a future trip.

Other ways to redeem Delta SkyMiles

Other ways to redeem your SkyMiles include Delta Vacations packages, SkyMiles Experiences, checked bags, and magazine subscriptions. However, these tend to have low redemption values when compared to award flights. Try to stay away from these redemptions if you can.

Do Delta SkyMiles expire?

No, Delta SkyMiles do not expire regardless of elite status or whether or not you have a Delta cobranded credit card. However, it’s good practice to keep an eye on your SkyMiles account to ensure you’ve earned all of the SkyMiles you’re entitled to.

Bottom line

Delta SkyMiles is one of the largest airline loyalty programs, and it can be lucrative if you fly the airline regularly for work or pleasure. As you can tell, it’s generally best to redeem your SkyMiles for award flights to get the most value from your points.

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