Delta Makes Changes to Earnings on ITA Airways Flights

We know that Italy’s flag carrier, ITA Airways, is leaving the SkyTeam alliance — the alliance Delta Air Lines belongs to. The Italian airline was partially acquired by Germany’s Lufthansa and has joined the Lufthansa Group, meaning it will join Star Alliance in the future. It’s also leaving the loyalty ecosystem where you can earn Delta miles on its flights.

But now, there’s a twist: Delta says it will still be possible to earn miles on ITA Airways flights after the date when ITA leaves SkyTeam. This situation might last until ITA formally joins the rival Star Alliance, next year.

Let’s see where we stand with the Delta-ITA Airways situation.

How You’ll Earn Miles and Medallion Qualification Dollars on ITA Flights

Earlier this year, Lufthansa acquired 49% of ITA Airways, the successor to bankrupt Alitalia, from the Italian government. Shortly after, ITA joined the Lufthansa Group, and now flyers can earn Lufthansa’s Miles & More loyalty currency on its flights.

This is important to U.S.-based flyers because Miles & More miles are hard to earn, lacking major U.S. transfer partners, and can be used to book the coveted Lufthansa first class. ITA’s own Volare points have their usefulness, but, as of now, they’re a pretty niche loyalty currency for most Americans.

A major consequence of the sale to Lufthansa is that ITA would also leave the SkyTeam alliance, whose biggest member is Delta. Therefore, it stood to reason that it would no longer be possible to earn Delta SkyMiles and Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) on ITA flights after the official exit date from SkyTeam on April 30.

But now there’s a twist, and it’s a welcome one.

ITA Airways is still listed as a global airline partner on the Delta website’s page dedicated to earning with airline partners. And, Delta has made clear that you can still earn SkyMiles and MQDs on its flights, albeit under certain conditions.

Commencing May 1, 2025 (based on boarding date), SkyMiles members flying with ITA Airways will earn miles only on the following flights:

• Sold and operated by ITA Airways
• Sold by Delta and operated by ITA Airways
• Sold by ITA Airways and operated by Delta

As with all flights marketed by partner airlines, all flights sold by ITA earn miles and MQDs as a percentage of distance flown, according to the fare class paid.

If a fare class is not listed on the Delta site among those earning miles, no miles are earned. And, like Delta’s own flights, no miles are earned for award travel. (Delta award flights do earn MQDs, but award flights on ITA don’t.)

The classes earning SkyMiles and MQDs on ITA are:

• Business (fare codes J, C, E, D, and I)
• Premium economy (fare codes A and P)
• Economy (fare codes Y, B, M, H, K, V, T, N, S, and Q)

This arrangement between Delta and ITA is not unusual, even though the airlines won’t be in the same alliance soon. It’s common to have bilateral agreements between carriers. Delta offers mileage earning, for example, on flights by WestJet and Air Baltic, which aren’t SkyTeam members.

What Comes Next for ITA Earnings?

This current setup should end next year, at a date still unknown, when ITA joins Star Alliance, which Lufthansa belongs to. But that will open other, interesting possibilities, because the U.S. member of Star is United. At that point, you’ll be able to earn and spend United’s Mileage Plus miles on ITA Airways flights.

ITA Airways currently flies between Rome’s Fiumicino airport (FCO) and 7 destinations in the U.S. Delta mileage earning, of course, applies to any other flight in its network, too, provided it meets the conditions listed above.

Final Thoughts

This is good news for people who collect Delta SkyMiles and have flights planned on Italy’s ITA Airways. Earning Delta SkyMiles will still be possible on ITA even after it leaves the SkyTeam alliance on April 30. Just make sure your flight meets the conditions listed by Delta, add your SkyMiles number to the booking, and you’re good to go.