The Complete Guide to Delta SkyMiles

One of the largest airlines in North America and the world, Delta Air Lines operates hubs at eight U.S. airports: Atlanta (which is Delta’s headquarters), Boston, Cincinnati, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Salt Lake City and Seattle-Tacoma. International hubs and key Delta markets are Amsterdam, Mexico City, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Seoul-Incheon and Tokyo

Delta is huge on its own, but it is also a member of the SkyTeam alliance, which includes airlines like Aeromexico, Air France-KLM, China Eastern, Korean Air and Virgin Atlantic. Then it has its own separate international airline partners including LATAM and WestJet, making it possible to earn and redeem Delta SkyMiles (and get elite status benefits) on other airlines besides Delta.

But you don’t need to live in a Delta-dominated city or fly the airline regularly to benefit from the airline's frequent flyer program, Delta SkyMiles. If there’s a chance you’ll fly Delta in the future, you might as well sign up for SkyMiles as the program is free to join. And given its wide array of partnerships with companies ranging from Lyft to Starbucks, there are tons of ways to earn Delta miles so you can get closer to that free flight — even if you're not a jetsetter.

To start earning miles with Delta, sign up for a SkyMiles frequent flyer account. Register here; it’s free to join.

Beyond serving as the loyalty program name, SkyMiles are also the currency that members can earn and later redeem for flights with Delta or partners, hotel stays and other rewards.

You can generally earn miles by flying, spending on cards (Delta has several co-branded cards for its loyalists), traveling with partners, or dining and shopping through designated programs.

Delta SkyMiles do not expire, which is great news for infrequent travelers or those who have loyalty across multiple airline programs.

» Jump ahead to credit cards that earn SkyMiles or see our roundup of the best Delta credit cards

Based on the most recent analysis, NerdWallet values Delta Air Lines SkyMiles at 1.2 cents apiece. To determine the value of reward miles, we compared cash prices and reward redemptions for economy roundtrip routes across several destinations and dates.

We divided the cost of the cash ticket by the cost of the reward ticket to determine a “cent per mile” value for each flight, then averaged this value across several flights and dates. Read more about how we arrived at these figures.

This is therefore a baseline value for Delta miles, based on real-world data collected from hundreds of economy routes; it is not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 1.2 cents or more in value from your Delta miles.

Use our handy Delta SkyMiles calculator to determine the value of your stash of miles.

How has this value changed over time?

Like many other airline miles, the value of Delta SkyMiles jumped in 2021 and 2022, up from a low of 0.9 cents per mile in 2020. As of 2023, the value is 1.2 cents.

Flying on Delta and its partner airlines is the easiest way to earn miles. But there are ways to rack up miles besides flying, such as using a Delta-branded credit card or spending money with Delta partner companies.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

The Delta SkyMiles you earn never expire as long as your account is open; this is different from how things work with some other frequent-flyer programs.

So how are SkyMiles calculated? It depends on how you earn them — whether you're flying or spending, plus your elite status level.

Flying on Delta or its partners

Earn miles by flying on Delta

The number of SkyMiles you earn on Delta flights is based on how much you spend, not how far you fly. The base earning rate is 5 miles per $1 spent, but you earn higher rates depending on whether you have elite status, which Delta refers to as "Medallion" status. (We'll have more on Medallion levels later — or you can jump ahead to that part now.)

You earn SkyMiles only on the base fare and fees imposed by the airline. You don't earn any rewards on taxes or government-imposed fees that are rolled into the cost of your ticket.

So if you are a basic SkyMiles member and spend $150 on a flight, $50 of which is fees, you’ll earn 5 x 100 = 500 SkyMiles. Note, you will not earn SkyMiles on any basic economy tickets.

Earn Delta miles by flying on partner airlines

Each partner airline has its own rules for earning SkyMiles. In general, the rewards you earn on partner airlines are based on the distance of the flight — so they really are "miles." You can earn bonus miles based on the fare class (such as economy, business or first) and your Medallion status.

JUMP to learn more about Delta's partners.

Spend on Delta credit cards

Delta offers co-branded credit cards with American Express. See below for a more detailed look at Delta's co-branded card collection.

Our favorite Delta credit card is the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card. The card gives you 2 SkyMiles per dollar spent with Delta. When you pay for tickets with the card, you get the first checked bag free for you and up to eight other people traveling on your reservation ( see rates and fees ). Terms apply.

There's a great welcome bonus for new cardholders, too: 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. Terms Apply. The annual fee is $0 intro for the first year, then $150 (see rates and fees).

» Jump ahead to other credit cards that earn SkyMiles

Other ways to earn Delta SkyMiles

Delta's non-airline partners include:

• Hotels and Airbnb: You can earn SkyMiles at thousands of properties in most major hotel chains. In some cases, you earn a flat number of points per stay; in others, you earn points based on how much you spend. You can also earn miles at Airbnb.

• Auto rentals and Lyft: Several major rental agencies have an option to earn SkyMiles. And if you prefer rental car alternatives, here's a deal from Turo: Delta SkyMiles Members who link their SkyMiles number to their Turo profile will be able to earn 2,000 miles on their first Turo trip and 500 miles on every trip thereafter. You can also earn miles using the Lyft ride-hailing service. Details here.

• Dining: Register your credit card with SkyMiles Dining and earn up to 5 miles per dollar when you use that card at thousands of participating restaurants. (You can use any credit card; it doesn't have to be a Delta-branded card.)

• Shopping: Earn miles at hundreds of online merchants through the airline's shopping portal, SkyMiles Shopping.

• Transfer from other programs: Delta SkyMiles is a transfer partner for both American Express Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.

Buy Delta miles

You can buy additional SkyMiles through the Delta website, but this generally isn't a good value.

SkyMiles cost 3.5 cents apiece when purchased like this, which means you're paying more than three times what the miles are worth on average.

» Learn more: Your guide to earning Delta Air Lines SkyMiles

Delta's cards are issued by American Express, and all of the cards offer different spending rewards.

Personal Delta cards

Delta business cards

Delta offers three business cards:

» Learn more: Which Delta Air Lines card should you get?

So how do you use points from Delta SkyMiles? Not all redemptions are created equal. Use these tips to maximize Delta SkyMiles redemption value.

Good redemption options

SkyMiles are redeemable for flights through Delta Air Lines and its partners. In most cases, you redeem by booking through Delta's website. Go to the booking tool and choose the option for seeing the price in miles. Then enter information about when and where you want to travel, and choose your fare class.

How many SkyMiles are needed for a flight? It depends on your destination, but SkyMiles members can redeem as few as 4,500 SkyMiles for a domestic short-haul flight.

Unlike some other airlines, the Delta frequent flyer program doesn't publish an award chart showing you exactly how many miles you need for a given flight. You have to figure it out the hard way — by entering your flight information and seeing what it costs in terms of miles.

Delta advertises that there are no blackout dates for award travel.

You can also use miles to purchase seat upgrades; membership to Delta Sky Clubs airport lounges; vacation packages; exclusive experiences; merchandise, gift cards, hotel stays and car rental in the SkyMiles Marketplace; or donations to charity through Delta SkyWish.

If you happen to have at least 2.5 million SkyMiles in your account — and who doesn't? — you can redeem them for private jet travel. According to Delta, those 2.5 million points are "enough to take up to four passengers round-trip from Atlanta to South Florida."

» Learn more: Plan your next Delta SkyMiles redemption with our airline points tool

Bad redemption options

For the most part, using SkyMiles for anything other than flights will result in below-average redemption values. Delta and its partners might push promotions for these unorthodox redemption options, but don’t take the bait.

Unless the offer is really extraordinary, you’re almost always better off using miles for flights.

» Learn more: Complete guide to redeeming Delta SkyMiles

Anyone can join the Delta SkyMiles program for free, but to move up from basic membership to elite status (where the real perks are), you need to fly the airline regularly. In 2024, Delta revamped how its members earn elite status in an effort to reward its most loyal flyers (i.e. highest spenders).

Delta SkyMiles program levels and benefits

The SkyMiles Medallion program has four levels. In order from lowest level to highest level, they are:

• Silver Medallion.

• Gold Medallion.

• Platinum Medallion.

• Diamond Medallion.

All Medallion members get unlimited complimentary upgrades, complimentary preferred seats, priority check-in and priority boarding and waived baggage fees (which were raised by $5 for domestic flights in early 2024).

All levels higher than Silver in the Delta frequent flyer program get priority security lane access and priority baggage service at select airports, waived same-day confirmed fees and are eligible for upgrades as early as right after ticketing (depending on status tier) to 72 hours before departure. .

Gold, Platinum and Diamond Medallion benefits also include:

For Platinum and Diamond status only: Choice benefits

Medallion members at the Platinum and Diamond levels are eligible for "Delta Choice Benefits," in which they choose the premium benefits they want from a list. Members can select their benefits immediately when they earn status.

» Learn more: How Delta Choice Benefits work

How is SkyMiles Medallion status earned?

To become a Delta Medallion elite, you'll need to earn Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs). Previously, Delta used a combination of MQDs, Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) and Medallion Qualifying Segments (MQSs) to calculate status but as of 2024, MQDs are the sole metric used by Delta for earning elite status.

Note: Because of this change, Delta is allowing a one-time conversion of any MQMs earned in 2023 towards 2024 status, or a Medallion status extension for those elites who earned a high number of MQMs. Those who have a rollover balance of 100,000 MQMs or more can choose to extend their 2024 elite status by one year for each 100,000 rollover MQMs. Members have until Dec. 31, 2024 to decide what they want to do.

To earn elite status with Delta, you will need to earn the following amount of MQDs:

You can earn MQDs in the Delta frequent flyer program in a variety of ways, including:

• 1 MQD per $1 spent on Delta-marketed flights operated by Delta or one of its airline partners. This includes the fare and airline fees, but not taxes, fees (including government fees), basic economy and similar fares, and insurance purchases.

• 1 MQD per $10 spent when using the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card ( see rates and fees ) or the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card ( see rates and fees ).

• 1 MQD per $20 spent when using the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card ( see rates and fees ) or the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card ( see rates and fees ).

• 1 MQD per $1 spent when booking travel through Delta Vacations. The calculation excludes taxes, fees (including government fees), basic economy and similar fares, tips, room service, other booking charges, and insurance purchases.

Medallion status for a given year is earned based on activity in the previous calendar year. Your status is generally good until Jan. 31 of the following year. For example, your Medallion status for 2025 is based on your activity in 2024 and will last until Jan. 31, 2026.

Delta status match options

You may be able to match your Delta status to another airline loyalty program. You must have current elite status with a qualifying airline, and you cannot have used the match in the previous three years. Once you’re accepted in the match program, you get complimentary Medallion status for three months. To keep it for the rest of the year, you need to earn it during those three months:

• Silver: $1,250 MQDs.

• Gold: $2,500 MQDs.

• Platinum: $3,750 MQDs.

Delta is part of the international SkyTeam alliance, which allows you to earn and use SkyMiles on flights aboard carriers other than Delta.

Skyteam member airlines include:

Delta also had partnerships with these non-SkyTeam airlines:

• Cape Air.

• China Southern.

• Hawaiian Airlines.

• WestJet.

» Learn more: The complete guide to Delta partners

Delta seats and cabin classes

The actual experience of flying with Delta is among the best you’ll find across any U.S. airline. With free movies, seatback screens and free in-flight messaging, your time in the air makes for one of the best in-flight experiences you could have. And don’t forget those Biscoff cookies.

As far as the seats go, everyone except people with basic economy tickets will get to pick their seat. Physical basic economy seats aren’t actually different from standard economy seats, but because basic economy flyers don't get to pick, they'll likely end up with a middle seat. If you are in one of the pricier airfares that lets you pick your seat, choose wisely with this Delta seat selection guide.

The Delta fare classes are (in order from swankiest to stingiest) are:

• Delta One.

• Premium Select.

• First Class.

• Delta Comfort.

• Main Cabin.

• Basic Economy.

Delta checked bag fees

Delta does not charge for carry-on bags, even for basic economy fares.

For checked bags, expect to pay bag fees with most Delta fares ($35 for your first bag on Main Cabin and Comfort+ fares throughout North America and the Caribbean), unless you’ve got something like a Delta card that lets you bring checked bags.

Delta upgrades

And some lucky folk might get one of those better seats without even paying extra for it. Here’s the ultimate guide to getting on Delta’s upgrade list.

If you need to change or cancel a Delta flight

If you need to cancel a Delta flight, terms vary by the type of airfare you bought:

Some Delta fares are refundable, though not all. Whether Delta gives you a refund depends on how quickly after booking you change your mind, whether you paid in cash versus points and the type of fare you booked.

If Delta cancels your flight (or just delays it)

If the canceled flight was Delta’s choice — not yours — then you have more options.

Delta offers full refunds on flights it cancels, regardless of fare class, if you choose to not take another flight. Opt in to text, email or app alerts from Delta for the quickest notifications related to your flight status.

If your flight is canceled, you can rebook yourself on Delta’s website or app by choosing an alternate flight or sometimes another departure or arrival airport other than your original one.

If your Delta flight is delayed, you also don’t necessarily need to take the same one you booked. Flyers are eligible to rebook tickets to their final destination in the event of a flight cancellation or a schedule change of more than 30 minutes.

Delta’s flight delay compensation policy means you might get additional travel assistance depending on the circumstances. Delta sometimes reimburses for expenses like extra hotel room nights, but it depends on your situation. If you do have additional expenses, save those receipts.

Delta eCredits and refunds

Delta's refund policy varies depending on the situation. Read our full guide on Delta's refund policy, or scan this summary shortlist to get the gist:

• Free 24-hour cancellation: You can cancel any Delta flight (refundable or not) within 24 hours of booking and get a full refund to your original payment method.

• Basic economy tickets: These are generally nonrefundable, but if Delta cancels your flight, you'll get a full refund.

• Award tickets: If you used miles to book a flight that gets canceled by Delta, you'll get the miles and any taxes refunded.

• Pay With Miles tickets: If you used a Delta SkyMiles-affiliated American Express card's benefit to partially pay with miles, you'll get a travel credit instead of a cash refund when you cancel.

If a refund isn’t possible under Delta's refund policy, an eCredit toward your next flight might be an alternative.

Learn more about how to use a Delta eCredit.

We've covered all the basic details of the Delta SkyMiles program, including how to use Delta SkyMiles for maximum value. But if you still aren't sure whether a frequent flyer program is worth the effort, see our beginner's guide to frequent flyer programs.