How To Use The Delta SkyMiles Dining Portal to Earn More Miles
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Today you’ll learn how to easily earn extra miles for many of your dining purchases for no additional cost or work. It’s called SkyMiles Dining, a program put on by Delta and managed through the Rewards Network.
Delta’s SkyMiles Dining program rewards you for eating out by giving you bonus miles. This article will walk you through exactly how the dining program works and how many miles you can earn.
Table of contents
Table of Contents
How To Join/Log in & Basics of Using the Program
Delta Air Lines‘ dining rewards program requires a separate account from your regular frequent flyer account, but you’ll need a lot of the same information. This includes your SkyMiles number, name, email, and address; you’ll also need to select a username and password.
When you register your account, you need to link a credit card to your profile. Don’t worry, you won’t be charged for anything!
The credit card is required to earn bonus miles. Each time you dine at a participating restaurant using that credit card, you will earn bonus points based on the cost of your meal, including tax and tip!
You don’t need to register your meal afterwards; the miles will be credited automatically. Depending on your membership level, you can earn up to 5 bonus miles per dollar spent.
As a “Member” you’ll earn 1 SkyMile per dollar spent. Become an “Online Member” by opting into emails, and you will earn 3 miles per dollar.
Complete 11 transactions in a year to become a “VIP Member,” where you’ll start to earn 5x SkyMiles from your 12th meal.
Intro Bonuses
There is usually an introductory sign-up bonus so you can earn even more miles the first time (or first few times) you dine at a participating restaurant, as long as you complete the requirement in a specific time period.
The current bonus available allows you to earn up to 3,000 miles over the course of your first 3 meals within the first 30 days of signing up.
All meals must be over $30 in order to earn the bonus. The first meal earns 500 bonus SkyMiles, the second earns 1,000, and the third earns 1,500. Completing an online review is required within 30 days of visiting each restaurant in order to earn the bonus.
SkyMiles Medallion Members can earn an extra 500 bonus miles of top of this as they get 1,000 miles for their first visit, making a total of up to 3,500!
This is one of the higher bonuses we have seen from Delta’s dining rewards program, so now would be a great time to join!
Example Restaurants
As mentioned above, the number of SkyMiles earned doesn’t vary by restaurant. However, you should make sure that the restaurants you dine at are participating in the program.
I searched for participating restaurants near Ann Arbor, MI and the results came back showing 97 restaurants within 30 miles. Most restaurants are small, local establishments rather than chain restaurants.
In addition to local restaurants, there were just a few chain options. Note that not all locations of a chain may be participating, but here are some examples:
- Buca di Beppo
- Edible Arrangements
- Hungry Howie’s Pizza
Using Credit Cards To Earn Extra Points
The points earned through SkyMiles Dining are in addition to any regular credit card points you will earn paying for your meal.
If you are mainly interested in earning Delta SkyMiles, you should consider using a co-branded Delta credit card. You could also use a card that earns American Express Membership Rewards points, which can be transferred to Delta at a 1:1 ratio.
American Express is the sole credit card issuer for Delta Air Lines’ branded products. Below you’ll find a list of cards that earn both Membership Rewards and Delta SkyMiles.
It may also be worth considering credit cards that offer dining as one of their bonus categories so you can earn even more points. Look for cards that have a good sign-up bonus if you’ll be getting a new one!
Amex Recommended Cards (Personal)
| The Platinum Card® from American Express - There's currently a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $5,000 in your first 3 months. This is our favorite card for getting into 1,200+ airport lounges worldwide (including Priority Pass) and we get about $1,500+ in value from the card every year. Plus, get up to $200 in Uber credits annually ($15 per month and a $20 bonus in December) — and up to $200 in annual credit for airline incidental charges (e.g. baggage fees). For rates and fees of the Platinum Card, click here. |
| American Express® Gold Card - We love using this card as it earns 4x points at restaurants worldwide and 4x points at US supermarkets (up to $25,000; then 1x). With a welcome bonus of 35,000 points after you spend $2,000 in your first 3 months and a $100 airfare credit per year, for many this is an easy addition to your wallet. For rates and fees of the Gold Card, click here. |
Amex Recommended Cards (Business)
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express - Even though this card carries a hefty annual fee, we get ~$1,250+ in value per year by leveraging as many of the benefits/perks card. Get access to 1,200+ airport lounges worldwide, $200 in airline fee credits for incidentals (e.g. baggage fees) and a lot more. Also, earn a welcome bonus of up to 75,000 points (terms apply). For rates and fees of the Business Platinum, click here. |
| American Express® Business Gold Card - probably our favorite Amex business card because we earn 4x points across the top 2 select categories that we spend the most money in each month. The 4x points applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year. This means you'll max out at a (whopping) 600,000 points per year. After that, you earn 1x. For rates and fees of the Business Gold Card, click here. |
| The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express - This is a real simple card that earns you 2x points on business purchases up to $50,000 annually (then 1x). There's no annual fee. For rates and fees of The Blue Business Plus, click here. |
Delta SkyMiles Cards
| Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express - The current welcome bonus is 30,000 miles after spending $1,000 on the card within the first 3 months (terms apply). Plus, with a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (then $95), this is a solid Delta card. Click here for rates and fees of the Gold Delta. |
Final Thoughts
Joining SkyMiles Dining and linking a credit card is an easy way to start earning more rewards. You’ll earn miles on dining purchases at participating restaurants with no extra work required.
You may want to also consider checking out their shopping portal to earn even more rewards and get closer to your next SkyMiles redemption!
The sky dining service is very poor. The miles don’t get credited automatically; one must report them separately each time. When there is a dispute, such as when using a third-party online ordering site, American Express requires unreasonable “proof” which is a waste of time.
I’ve never heard of (or experienced) the miles not being posting automatically.