Delta SkyMiles Is Ending Its Partnership With China Southern

Updated: March 21, 2025, 12:31pm CDT

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Table of Contents

No More Earning and Spending SkyMiles on China Southern
Why Are Delta and China Southern Breaking Up?
Final Thoughts

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Delta Air Lines is ending its partnership with China Southern Airlines, a leftover of the time when China Southern was a member of the same alliance as Delta.

The 2 airlines still had reciprocal mileage earning, but that is going away as Delta and the giant Chinese carrier sever their last tie. SkyMiles members will no longer be able to earn or spend SkyMiles on China Southern going forward.

Let’s see what is changing and when.

No More Earning and Spending SkyMiles on China Southern

Delta Air Lines is ending its partnership with China Southern Airlines on August 10, 2025.

Members of Delta’s SkyMiles loyalty program can earn miles and Medallion Qualification Dollars on China Southern flights until August 9.

The development appears on Delta’s page dedicated to airline partners.

Currently, SkyMiles members who add their SkyMiles number during booking or check-in for a China Southern flight earn miles and Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) according to the following table:

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Fare class purchased / code	SkyMiles earned	Medallion Qualification Dollars earned
Business (J, C, D, I)	100%	20%
Premium economy (W, S)	100%	20%
Full-fare economy (Y)	100%	100%
Economy (P, B, M, H, K)	50%	50%
Discounted economy (U, A, L, Q)	50%	50%
Discounted economy (E)	50%	50%
Deep discounted economy (V, Z, T, N)	25%	25%

No bonus SkyMiles are added for members who have Medallion status, unlike flights on Delta’s close partner airlines. Also note that the chart on Delta’s site lists earnings in first class, but China Southern doesn’t have planes with first class.

Delta notes that “all other frequent flyer benefits will be discontinued” on August 10, but those already do not include lounge access. Delta top-tier Medallions aren’t allowed into China Southern lounges when flying economy, for example.

The end of the partnership also means that award travel on China Southern using SkyMiles must be ticketed on or before August 9, and must be flown within 1 year of the ticketing date.

Why Are Delta and China Southern Breaking Up?

This is not a minor breakup. China Southern is the largest airline in Asia, with a fleet of 650 airplanes and a giant hub in Guangzhou, the center of one of the world’s top industrial regions.

Concerning the U.S., it flies between Guangzhou (CAN) and Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), and New York-JFK. It also serves San Francisco from Wuhan (WUH). No U.S. airlines fly to either Chinese city.

The separation had been a long time coming, though. China Southern exited the SkyTeam alliance in 2019, possibly because alliance partners, including Delta, were coordinating more closely with another carrier in mainland China and alliance member, China Eastern.

Delta and China Southern maintained some ties after that exit, which isn’t typical, and now those are finally ending.

Delta will still have Chinese partners, though: China Eastern Airlines and Xiamen Air. China Eastern is classified by Delta as a “core partner” (with SkyMiles members earning Medallion bonuses on its flights), while Xiamen is a “global partner” (members earn SkyMiles and MQDs but no bonuses.)

There has been speculation that China Southern might join the Oneworld alliance instead, with American and Alaska Airlines, but there is nothing concrete on that yet.

Hot Tip:

For many U.S.-based travelers flying China Southern Airlines, the best alternative to earning Delta SkyMiles on China Southern flights is earning American Airlines AAdvantage miles, which has been possible since 2019, even though the carriers are not otherwise allied.

Final Thoughts

The end of the reciprocal mileage partnership between China Southern and Delta has been a long time coming. From August 10, SkyMiles members can no longer earn on China Southern flights.

While this is not good news for Delta flyers, they can still earn miles on 2 major Chinese airlines, China Eastern and Xiamen Air.