The 19 Best Ways To Earn Lots of Delta SkyMiles [2023]

In addition to being one of the largest airlines in the U.S., Delta Air Lines operates its largest hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) — the busiest airport in the world.

SkyMiles, the Delta Air Lines loyalty program, is a dollar-based program. Unlike mileage-based redemption programs where miles are earned based on distance or segments traveled, under this program, bonus SkyMiles are earned based on the dollar amount spent.

In this post, you’ll learn which credit cards earn Delta SkyMiles as well as specific strategies you can implement to maximize the number of SkyMiles you earn for each purchase (whether or not you use a Delta SkyMiles credit card).

Enroll in Delta SkyMiles

You don’t need an affiliated credit card to begin earning SkyMiles; just sign up online for a Delta SkyMiles account. There are actually 2 types of miles in the Delta SkyMiles loyalty program: redeemable SkyMiles and Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs).

Miles are earned by making purchases and can be redeemed for awards. As a member, you’ll begin earning 5 bonus SkyMiles for every $1 you spend on flights (you will earn more if you use a Delta SkyMiles credit card).

MQMs are based on distance traveled, and they help you achieve elite status (Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion, Diamond Medallion) and extra benefits.

When you sign up for a membership, you will be assigned a unique Delta SkyMiles account number that you’ll use to earn SkyMiles in a variety of ways.

Earn SkyMiles With Credit Cards (Recommended)

1. Delta Air Lines Credit Cards

American Express offers various personal and business Delta credit cards. Most of the cards offer a welcome bonus once you meet a spending requirement. Because there are several options, you should choose the card that works best for your situation.

It’s important to evaluate your spending habits before making a decision.

Hot Tip: This article is focused on earning bonus frequent flyer SkyMiles, but some of these credit cards also offer benefits like complimentary or discounted access to Delta Sky Club.

2. American Express Membership Rewards Credit Cards

Delta Air Lines is an American Express Membership Rewards transfer partner. This means that you can rack up points by making purchases with American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards.

You won’t lose any value by transferring your points because it’s done at a 1:1 ratio. Go ahead and purchase flights for 3x SkyMiles (instead of 2x) with a card such as the American Express® Gold Card and transfer them over later to your Delta SkyMiles account.

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 90,000 points with the Amex Gold card! The current public offer is 60,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

If you’re a business owner, see our list of the best Amex business credit cards.

3. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards

You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points and transfer those to Delta at a transfer rate of 3:1.

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

4. Refer a Friend to a Credit Card

Refer a friend who gets approved for a Delta credit card and receive 5,000 SkyMiles. Do keep in mind that there is an annual cap of 55,000 SkyMiles through the program.

For more information, check out our guide to the American Express Refer a Friend program.

Earning SkyMiles for Traveling

5. Book Delta Flights

Delta One Seat 3A Windows — Earn SkyMiles flying Delta One! Image Credit: Stella Shon

SkyMiles are earned based on the price of each ticket for a Delta-marketed or Delta-ticketed flight (minus government-imposed taxes and fees). A round-trip flight and a one-way will both earn. Plus, SkyMiles members earn MQM miles and SkyMiles toward future award travel when flying to 275+ destinations worldwide.

How do you know if a flight is Delta-marketed? It will have the letters “DL” in the flight number. Delta-ticketed flights begin with “006.”

6. Credit Partner Flights to Delta

You’ll also earn SkyMiles when you travel on flights marketed or operated by Delta’s SkyTeam partners. Visit Delta’s partner page for full details by partner.

Core Global Airline Partners

Airline	Class of Service	Purchased Fare Class	Base Miles	Class Bonus	Total Miles Earned	MQMs	MQDs
Aeromexico	Business	J	100%	100%	200%	200%	40%
	Business	C, D, I	100%	100%	200%	150%	40%
	Full Economy	W, Y	100%	25%	125%	150%	25%
	Economy	B, M, K, H, Q, L, T, U	100%		100%	100%	20%
	Discounted Economy	E, N, R	50%		50%	100%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	V	25%		25%	100%	5%
Air France Intra-Europe/Domestic France Flights	Business	J	100%	100%	200%	200%	40%
	Business	C, D, I, Z	100%	100%	200%	150%	40%
	Full Economy	Y, B, M	100%	25%	125%	150%	25%
	Economy	W, P, F, U, K	100%		100%	100%	20%
	Discounted Economy	S, A, H, L, Q, T, E, N	50%		50%	100%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	R, G, V	25%		25%	100%	5%
Air France International Flights (Excluding Intra-Europe Flights)	First	P, F	100%	200%	300%	200%	60%
	Business	J	100%	100%	200%	200%	40%
		C, D, I, Z	100%	100%	200%	150%	40%
		O	100%		100%	100%	20%
	Premium Economy	W, S, A	100%	50%	150%	150%	30%
	Full Economy	Y, B, M	100%	25%	125%	150%	25%
	Economy	U, K	100%		100%	100%	20%
	Discounted Economy	H, L, Q, T, E, N	50%		50%	100%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	R,G, V, X	25%		25%	100%	5%
China Eastern	First	U	100%	200%	300%	200%	60%
		F	100%	200%	300%	150%	60%
		P, International	100%	200%	300%	200%	60%
		P, China Domestic	100%	100%	200%	150%	40%
	Business	J	100%	100%	200%	200%	40%
	Business	C, D, Q, I	100%	100%	200%	150%	40%
	Premium Economy	W	100%	50%	150%	150%	30%
	Full Economy	Y	100%	25%	125%	150%	25%
	Economy	B	100%		100%	150%	20%
	Economy	M, E, H	100%		100%	100%	20%
	Discounted Economy	K, L, N, R, S, V	50%		50%	100%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	T, G, Z	25%		25%	100%	5%
KLM	Business	J, C, D, I, Z	100%	100%	200%	200%	40%
	Premium Comfort	W, S, A	100%	50%	150%	150%	30%
	Discounted Business	O	100%	0%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y, B, M	100%	25%	125%	150%	25%
	Economy	U, K, W, P, F	100%		100%	100%	20%
	Discounted Economy	H, L, Q, T, E, N, S, A	50%		50%	100%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	R, G, V, X	25%		25%	100%	5%
Korean Air	First	P, F (International)	100%	200%	300%	200%	60%
	Business	J	100%	100%	200%	200%	40%
	Business	C, D, I, R	100%	100%	200%	150%	40%
	Full Economy	W, Y, B	100%	25%	125%	150%	25%
	Economy	S (International)	100%		100%	100%	20%
	Economy	M, H, E	100%		100%	100%	20%
	Discounted Economy	G, Q	50%		50%	100%	10%
	Discounted Economy	K, L, U (International)	50%		50%	100%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	T, G, Z	25%		25%	100%	5%
	Deep Discount Economy	N (International)	25%		25%	100%	5%
LATAM	Business	J, C	100%	100%	200%	200%	40%
	Business	D, I, Z	100%	50%	150%	150%	30%
	Premium Economy	W	100%	50%	150%	150%	30%
	Premium Economy	P	100%	25%	125%	150%	25%
	Full Economy	Y, B	100%	25%	125%	150%	25%
	Economy	H, K, M	100%		100%	100%	20%
	Economy	L, V, X	75%		75%	100%	15%
	Discounted Economy	S, N, Q	50%		50%	100%	10%
	Deeply Discounted Economy	O, G, A	25%		25%	100%	5%
Virgin Atlantic	Business	J	100%	100%	200%	200%	40%
	Business	C, D, I, Z	100%	100%	200%	150%	40%
	Premium Economy	W, S, K, H	100%	50%	150%	150%	30%
	Economy (Delight, Classic or Light)	V	100%		125%	125%	25%
		Y, B	100%		125%	125%	25%
		R, L, U	100%		100%	100%	20%
		M, E, Q, X	50%		50%	100%	10%
		N, O	25%	25%	25%	100%	5%
		T	25%	25%	25%	100%	5%

Note that all of the preceding partners receive a Medallion mileage bonus.

Virgin Atlantic and Delta are located together at London-Heathrow’s Terminal 3. In addition to earning SkyMiles, members can enjoy a host of benefits through their partnership.

Global Airline Partners

Airline	Class of Service	Purchased Fare Class	Base Miles	Total Miles Earned	MQMs	MQDs
Aerolineas Argentinas	Business	J, C	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Premium Economy	D, I, W, S	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	B, M	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	U, K, H, L, Q	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	T, E, A, G, V, N, R	25%	25%	25%	5%
Air Europa	Business	J, C, D, I	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y, B, M	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	L	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	K, H, V, E	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	Q, R, S, U, T, F	25%	25%	25%	5%
Cape Air	Members will earn SkyMiles, MQSs, and MQDs like they normally do on Delta-marketed flights. All Cape Air fare classes (Y, M, X, H, Q, K, S, B, V, T, L) earn 100% of the distance flown for MQMs.
China Airlines	First	F	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Business	J, C, D	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Premium Economy	W, U, A, E	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y, B, M	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	K	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	V, T	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	R, Q, H, N	25%	25%	25%	5%
China Southern	First	F	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Business	J, C, D, I	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Premium Economy	W, S	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	P, B, M, H, K	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	U, A, L, E, Q	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	V, Z, T, N, R	25%	25%	25%	5%
Czech Airlines	Business	J, C, D, I	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y, B, M	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	H, K, T	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	A, L, Q	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	U, X	25%	25%	25%	5%
Garuda Indonesia	First	F, A, P	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Business	J, C, D, I	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y, B	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	M	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	K, N	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	Q, T	25%	25%	25%	5%
Hawaiian Airlines	First	F, P, J, C, A	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	W, V, X	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	Q, S, N	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	H, I, B, M, G, L, K	25%	25%	25%	5%
ITA Airways	Members will earn miles like they normally do on Delta-marketed flights.
Kenya Airways	Business	J, C, D, I, Z	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y, B, M	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	U, K, H	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	L, N, Q	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	R, E, T, W	25%	25%	25%	5%
Middle East Airlines	Business	J, C, D, I, Z	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y, B, M	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	U, K, H	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	L, Q, T	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	N, R, V	25%	25%	25%	5%
Saudia Airlines	First	F, P, A	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Business	J, C, D, I	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y, E, B	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	M, K, H	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	L, Q, T	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	G, N, V, U	25%	25%	25%	5%
TAROM	Business	J, C, D, I, Z	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y, B	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	M, U, K, R	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	H, G, L	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	Q, N, T, V, S, E, A, F	25%	25%	25%	5%
Vietnam Airlines	Business	J, C, D, I	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Premium Economy	W, Z, U	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	M, B, S, H, K, L, Q, N, R	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	T, E, A	25%	25%	25%	5%
	Deep Discount Economy	G, P	10%	10%	10%	5%
WestJet	Business	J, C, D	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Premium Economy	W, O, R	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y, B	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	M	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	H, Q, N, S, X	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Deep Discounted Economy	T, K, L	25%	25%	25%	5%
Xiamen Airlines	First	F, A	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Business	J, C, D, I	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Full Economy	Y, H, B, M	100%	100%	100%	20%
	Economy	L	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Discounted Economy	K	50%	50%	50%	10%
	Deep Discount Economy	N, Q, V	25%	25%	25%	5%

Hot Tip: Did you know that you could earn Delta SkyMiles by flying on one of its partner airlines? For more information, check out this in-depth guide to help you know where to credit your airline miles.

7. Earn Medallion Status

The 4 elite status tiers in Delta SkyMiles (Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion, Diamond Medallion) earn SkyMiles at a rate of 7x, 8x, 9x, and 11x per $1 respectively.

Once you reach 25,000 MQMs (or 30 Medallion Qualification Segments), plus $3,000 Medallion Qualifying Dollars, you’ll achieve Silver Medallion Status.

From that point on, you will earn an additional 2x SkyMiles for Delta purchases … on top of the 5x SkyMiles you earn as a SkyMiles member and 2x SkyMiles for using your SkyMiles credit card. That’s a total of 9x SkyMiles for purchases you make through Delta!

Interested in how you can fast-track your way to elite status with Delta? The chart below shows how many MQMs you will earn based on your fare class purchased:

Fare Classes on Delta-marketed Flights for Retail and Award Travel Tickets	Class	MQMs (Percentage of Distance Flown)	MQSs	MQDs
Full Fare Delta One, First, and Delta Premium Select	J	200%	✓	✓
Delta Premium Select, Delta One, First, and Discounted Delta One and First	P, A, G, C, D, I, Z	150%	✓	✓
Award Travel: Delta One, First, and Delta Premium Select	O, R	150%	✓	✓
Full Fare Main Cabin	Y, B	150%	✓	✓
Delta Comfort+	W, S	100%	✓	✓
Award Travel: Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin	SN, N	100%	✓	✓
Main Cabin, Discounted and Deeply Discounted Main Cabin	M, H, Q, K, L U, T, X, V	100%	✓	✓
Basic Economy	E, NE	No MQMs earned	No MSQs earned	No MQDs earned

8. Book Delta Vacations

Take a trip with Delta Vacations (including flight and hotel reservations) and earn up to 5,000 SkyMiles toward award travel. All you have to do is provide your SkyMiles number during the booking process.

The number of SkyMiles you can earn varies depending on the package, but you get extra SkyMiles for including qualified car rentals, choosing a Preferred Pick hotel, and using your Delta SkyMiles credit card from American Express.

9. Book With Hotel Partners

Stay with one of the many Delta SkyMiles hotel partners and earn extra SkyMiles for each night.

Hotel	SkyMiles/Stay	Hotel	SkyMiles/Stay
ALL – Accor Live Limitless	Up to 12.5 SkyMiles/€10	Marriott Hotels	Up to 2 SkyMiles/$1
delta.com/hotels	A minimum of 2 SkyMiles/$1	Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts	500 SkyMiles/stay
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts	500 SkyMiles/stay	World Hotels	500 SkyMiles/stay
Langham Hospitality Group	Up to 1,500 SkyMiles/stay

10. Transfer From Hotel Loyalty Programs

You can top-up your SkyMiles balance by transferring in SkyMiles from several hotel loyalty programs. We generally do not recommend this as it is not the best redemption value for your points.

Hotel Loyalty Program	Minimum	Transfer Ratio
ALL – Accor Live Limitless	4,000	4,000:2,000
Hilton Honors	10,000	10:1
IHG One Rewards	10,000	5:1
Radisson Rewards Americas	2,000	10:1
World of Hyatt	5,000	5:2 with a 5,000-mile bonus if you transfer 50,000 points

Note that some of these hotels have their own credit cards as well; check out our guides to Hilton Honors credit cards, IHG One Rewards credit cards, and World of Hyatt credit cards to learn more.

11. Book With Airbnb

Delta’s partnership with Airbnb allows you to earn 1 SkyMile for each $1 spent with the company.

12. Book With Car Rental, Limo, and Shuttle Partners

You can also earn SkyMiles for car rentals and other transportation services. The table below shows the participating companies and the SkyMiles offered.

Rental Company	SkyMiles	Rental Company	SkyMiles
Alamo	500 SkyMiles per rental	Hertz	4 to 8 SkyMiles/$1
Carmel	Up to 2 SkyMiles/$1	National	500 SkyMiles per rental
Dollar	4 SkyMiles /$1	Sixt	500 SkyMiles per rental
Enterprise	500 SkyMiles per rental	Thrifty	4 SkyMiles/$1
Europcar	60 SkyMiles per day	Turo	2,000 SkyMiles on the first trip; 500 SkyMiles on each trip thereafter

Hot Tip: Make sure you’re covered without paying extra! See our guide on the best credit cards for car rental insurance.

13. Book Cruises Through Partners

Delta Cruises offers bonus SkyMiles on cruises to popular destinations like Europe, Alaska, and the Caribbean. Sail with one of the big cruise lines and earn SkyMiles based on the number of nights in your package:

# of Nights	SkyMiles
1 to 5	1,500
6 to 8	3,000
9 to 12	5,000
13+	10,000

SkyMiles members enjoy big discounts and access to exclusive offers. One recent deal offered triple SkyMiles (up to 30,000!) on select bookings.

Hot Tip: Interested in booking that exciting adventure but unsure what to pack? Check out our ultimate packing list for cruises!

14. Use Lyft to Earn Miles

Lyft Delta Partnership — You can earn Delta SkyMiles with Lyft! Image Credit: Lyft

You’re also eligible to earn SkyMiles by linking your Lyft account and taking rides!

You will earn according to the following scheme:

1 SkyMile per $1 spent on every U.S. ride
2 SkyMiles per $1 spent on airport rides

If you’re a frequent rideshare user and value SkyMiles, this is another way to boost your SkyMiles balance!

Hot Tip: If you’re a seasoned Lyft rider, don’t miss our article on the perks and benefits for Lyft passengers!

Earning SkyMiles by Shopping and Dining

An easy way to earn SkyMiles is through airline shopping and dining programs. Check out how below:

15. SkyMiles Shopping

Earn Delta SkyMiles while you shop hundreds of online stores with SkyMall Shopping. You get access to millions of products in one spot! Look for seasonal sales as well as coupon code discounts and free shipping deals.

The SkyMall Shopping site is easy to navigate. Follow these steps to get started:

Visit SkyMilesShopping.com.
Enter your SkyMiles membership number.
Click on an offer, product, or store.
Shop and earn Delta SkyMiles for your purchases.

Hot Tip: You don’t need to pay with your Delta SkyMiles credit card to make purchases through SkyMiles Shopping. If you do, however, you’ll earn 1 SkyMile per $1 on top of your bonus SkyMiles for shopping at the store!

16. SkyMiles Dining

SkyMiles Dining homepage — Sign up for the Delta SkyMiles Dining program and you can earn bonus SkyMiles simply by using a linked credit card at a restaurant! Note, the sign-up bonus may change periodically. Image Credit: SkyMiles Dining

Earn SkyMiles for eating at restaurants when you sign up for the Delta SkyMiles Dining program. It really is one of the most passive ways to accumulate SkyMiles for an activity you’re probably already doing!

Hot Tip: Link your card to SkyMiles Dining and you will earn 3 to 5 SkyMiles per $1 whenever you dine at a participating restaurant. You don’t need to utilize your Delta credit card, but if you do you’ll earn 1 additional SkyMile on that meal.

Special Ways To Earn SkyMiles

17. Shopping at Retailers

Some simple ways to earn frequent flyer program SkyMiles with Delta include purchasing cookies, flowers, and other gifts:

Company	Product/Service	SkyMiles
Biscoff Store	Biscoff cookies and gifts	1 SkyMile/$1
FTD	Flowers and gifts	20 SkyMiles/$1
Instacart	Grocery delivery	1 SkyMile/$1
Starbucks	Coffee	1 SkyMile/$1
Ticketmaster	Tickets for events	1 SkyMile/$1
Vinesse Wine Clubs	Membership enrollment	1,500 SkyMiles

18. Paying Utility Bills

Check out this table of all the ways you can earn SkyMiles through your electric and gas services:

Company	Product/Service	SkyMiles
Energy Plus	Monthly electric and gas service (where available)	5,000 SkyMiles after second month 2 SkyMiles/$1 on supply portion of bill
Georgia Natural Gas	Monthly gas service	Sign up and earn 2,500 SkyMiles 2 SkyMiles/$1
Grand Rapids Energy	Monthly gas service	2 SkyMiles/$1

Unfortunately, there are times when the SkyMiles offered aren’t as valuable as you would think once you consider all the terms. It’s always advisable to research an offer before signing up.

Figure out which deals make the most sense for your financial situation before you take an offer just to earn bonus points.

19. Buy SkyMiles

Finally, you can purchase Delta SkyMiles at a rate of $0.035 per SkyMile. You must purchase a minimum of 2,000 SkyMiles, and there is an annual maximum of 60,000 SkyMiles. SkyMiles must be bought in increments of 2,000.

Final Thoughts

It really is incredible how many ways there are to earn miles with Delta SkyMiles!

In addition to the welcome bonuses offered with the Delta credit cards, remember that you have numerous shopping, dining, travel, and other special ways to earn tons of SkyMiles.

Get started on implementing the strategies we discussed, and before you know it you will have seemingly endless SkyMiles at your disposal. These will be useful when you are looking to redeem SkyMiles for a vacation!

The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® card, click here.

Featured Image Credit: Stella Shon

Frequently asked questions

What are SkyMiles?

The Delta Air Lines loyalty program is called SkyMiles. Members earn miles and a variety of benefits for traveling with Delta, depending on their level of status. Miles can be redeemed for awards flights.

What are the benefits of enrolling in Delta SkyMiles?

Members receive benefits such as bonus miles, free checked bags, priority boarding, and more, depending on membership status. Once enough miles accrue, you can redeem them for travel or other options.

What are the Delta SkyMiles membership tiers?

Delta SkyMiles has 4 membership tiers: Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion, and Diamond Medallion. You must earn a certain number of miles/segments and meet a specific dollar threshold each year to advance to the next level.

Where can I sign up for Delta SkyMiles?

Enroll in SkyMiles on the Delta SkyMiles website.

Where can I sign in to my Delta SkyMiles account?

You can sign in to your Delta SkyMiles account at delta.com.

Does Delta SkyMiles have airline partners?

As a member of SkyTeam, Delta partners with airlines such as Air France, Czech Airlines, and KLM. Other Delta partners include Hawaiian Airlines and WestJet.

How many Delta SkyMiles are needed for a free flight?

You can redeem Delta SkyMiles for free flights on Delta or any of its partner airlines. You can also transfer points to and from SkyMiles partners, including hotels. Since Delta no longer publishes an award chart, the number of miles needed for a flight can vary. Check out the SkyMiles deals page for great discounts on award flights!

When do Delta SkyMiles expire?

Delta miles do not expire. However, your account can be terminated for fraudulent or other unfavorable activities.

How do I redeem Delta SkyMiles?

Visit Delta.com or the Delta app and log in to your SkyMiles account.
Select Book a Flight.
Under the Show Price In section, select miles.
Enter your flight preferences and select Find Flights.
Choose the flight you want to book, complete the purchase, and you're all set!

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About Jarrod West

Jarrod has been writing about the ins and outs of credit cards and loyalty programs, along with airlines and hotels, for over 6 years. He is regularly called upon to share his expertise on the latest news within the space, and has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, RetailMeNot, and Yahoo! Finance. Jarrod has over 20 credit cards in his wallet and has tested out dozens more in order to vet the very best card options for readers. As he is constantly sampling new cards, Jarrod also earns (and redeems) over 1 million points and miles each year. This allows him to book luxury travel experiences the world over, and save tens of thousands of dollars in the process.

Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.

35 comments

Shelly January 18, 2018
Your article is wrong, you don’t receive choice benefits until you make platinum or diamond.
Reply
- Alex Miller January 22, 2018
  Nice spot, thank you Shelly. This has been updated 🙂
  Reply
- Dave January 14, 2019
  Why be a b*tch about it. Easier to say there was a mistake…. jeez some people.
  Reply
mbh May 31, 2018
You didn’t answer the question I had when I clicked on the piece: what is the bonus MQM boost one gets (toward Medallion status) for C+, B, or F flights? I know there is a boost, but cannot find what it is. (Also, shouldn’t you mention, to be fair, that it makes much more sense to buy DL tix on the Amex Premier Rewards Gold card, since you get 3 miles/$, instead of 2, and they transfer to many airlines, including DL?)
Reply
- Michael McHugh June 2, 2018
  Hi mbh
  F and J fares are eligible for a 100% MQM bonus. P, A, G, C, D, I, Z, Y, and B fares are eligible for a 50% MQM bonus. I would call Delta re: C+ as this upgraded seat fare does not show a % MQM bonus on the DL website.
  Re: buying DL tickets with a DL vs. Amex card, if you’re not trying to hit a min. spend on a DL card, it likely makes more sense to book a ticket with the Amex Gold to earn 3x MRs. The MR to DL transfer ratio is currently 1:1, which means you’ll earn DL points at a higher rate (3x) vs. a lower rate (2x).
  Reply
Kellie Nielson July 6, 2018
My question is how can I earn dollars toward status on Delta. I have more than enough MQMs to qualify for Diamond. But, I always have trouble coming up with the MQDs to qualify for Gold. What suggestions do you have for that?
Reply
- Christine Krzyszton July 6, 2018
  Earning MQDs to qualify for Medallion Elite status with Delta is challenging if you’re not doing a lot of paid business travel annually. You can, however, earn MQDs quickly by traveling on premium fares with Delta’s partner airlines. For example, if you purchased a business class fare on Aeromexico and credit the miles flown to the Delta Sky Miles program, you would receive 40% of the miles flown towards your MQDs. A 9000-mile flight in business class on Aeromexico would earn $3600 MQDs. A business class flight on China Eastern to Asia is another example where you may fly 18000 miles and at 40% of miles flown, you would earn $7200 MQDs, more than enough for Gold status. You can access partner airline charts on Delta.com ( https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/skymiles/how-to-earn-miles/airline-partners.html) to learn more about how the amounts are calculated.
  You could also spend $25,000 on an eligible Delta credit card to waive any MQD requirement for Elite status up to Platinum status.
  Thanks so much for the question.
  Reply
Frances stepp August 3, 2018
Do I receive points when I pay and travel with my grandson? It doesn’t allow me to put in my flyer number for him.
Reply
- Michael McHugh August 15, 2018
  Hi Frances
  The person who is flying will be the one who receives the airline miles. If you pay for both flights, you both will receive miles for the flights flown. I would create a frequent flyer account for your grandson if you want to earn airline miles for his flight.
  Reply
bfitz October 15, 2018
Can you explain rewards of a US Bank VISA flex perks card and using those versus Delta Rewards? It started out as NWA rewards. I am wondering if it is worth keeping this card or getting something else. Thanks.
Reply
- Alex Miller October 17, 2018
  Bftiz – a great time to look at US Bank FlexPerks because a lot changed in 2018. Now points are worth 1.5 cents/point on airfare, either booking through their rewards portal or through their Real Time Rewards after you have used the card to purchase a ticket. An advantage of booking through their rewards portal is every ticket gets a $25 airline allowance. Instead of booking a round-trip, book two one-ways and get $25 each way. You have to make the purchase such as for baggage on the day of travel and call in to US Bank to request the allowance – it does not process automatically. This is great for economy tickets, and, since they are cash tickets, you earn miles for the flight. If you are looking for business class tickets, you’ll want to focus on cards like the American Express Delta cards that earn SkyMiles and you may get better value on those premium cabin awards.
  Reply
Chang January 2, 2019
Hi, thanks for the great article.
I would like to share that you can also link your Lyft account to your delta membership, so that you can also earn 1 mile/1$ & 2 mile/$1 on airport rides too.
Reply
- Stephen Au January 3, 2019
  Hey Chang,
  Great point! I actually use Lyft myself a lot, and it definitely helps your Delta SkyMiles balance quite a bit!
  Thanks for reading and helping us with your feedback!
  Reply
Eli February 4, 2019
I was wondering if Delta gift card purchases still qualify for miles on my Delta Amex card? I’m trying to burn thru the 3k needed for the bonus miles.
Reply
- Katie Seemann February 6, 2019
  Hi Eli,
  According to their website, gift cards are not eligible for bonus miles on the Delta Amex cards. However, sometimes the system could read a gift card purchase from delta.com as an eligible purchase, so it might be worth testing out by purchasing a gift card in a small amount to see if you earn bonus points.
  Reply
Joe February 12, 2019
Hi,
When booking through the Hilton website, when I activate the Skymiles, will I still get the points and credit for the stay with Hilton or does it qualify as third party and kick me off their honors program? Trying to figure out if I can double dip or if it is one or the other only. Thanks!
Reply
- Stephen Au February 13, 2019
  Hey Joe,
  You can double dip in this situation. Be sure to verify that this is the case with Hilton before committing! Thanks for reading.
  Reply
Jillian March 4, 2019
Hello! I am wondering if monthly payments like gas, electricity, phone bill, and internet would count as eligible purchases towards the $3,000 spend needed to receive bonus points on the platinum card. Also, do Paypal purchases count as eligible purchases for the bonus miles? Thank you!
Reply
- Alex Miller March 5, 2019
  Hey Jillian – all of those purchases would count towards the minimum spend required to earn your bonus points. With PayPal, just make sure you’re paying with your Platinum Card vs pulling funds from your bank or another card. It’s easily done!
  Reply
Meagan DuBose March 8, 2019
Hi!
Let’s say I find a great deal on another airline. If I use my Delta AMEX to purchase this, would I receive points for the dollar amount spent?
I realize it wouldn’t be the 2X points but possibly the 1X per dollar?
Thanks!
Reply
- Christine Krzyszton March 8, 2019
  Hi Meagan. Yes, every purchase you make on your Delta Amex earns at least 1 mile per dollar spent. So, you would earn 1 mile per dollar for any other flight purchases other than Delta, which earns 2 miles per dollar. If you frequently purchase flights other than Delta, you may want to consider a card that earns more on travel. Here are some examples: https://upgradedpoints.com/credit-cards/travel-rewards-credit-cards/
  Reply
Mary Ellis August 3, 2019
Excellent article. Thank you very much.
Reply
- Christine Krzyszton August 4, 2019
  Thank you for reading, Mary. We’re glad you found the information useful.
  Reply
Michael Evans October 28, 2019
Do rent payments count towards the $3,000 in minimum purchases within 90 days for the welcome bonus?
Reply
- Andrew Kunesh October 28, 2019
  Hi Michael, rent payments will count so long as the purchase doesn’t code as a cash advance. Thanks!
  Reply
Rob P December 4, 2019
When do the MQMs from the credit card spending actually come into my account? So if I get the Amex card today and spend $1k will the MQM’s hit my account before the end of the year?
Reply
- Jarrod West December 5, 2019
  Hi Rob,
  Traditionally, the MQMs would post when the statement closes in which the minimum spend amount was met. However, Amex also states that it can take up to 6-8 weeks.
  Reply
Steve G December 5, 2019
Hey Team – I’ve just finished my final biz trip on Delta and checked my qualifying status for Gold Medallion in 2020. Sadly, I am 6500 MQMs or 11 MQDs short (way more than enough MQDs). Siiigh – that was a lot of work to still not make it. Is there a way for me to get qualifying MQMs over the next 3 weeks via one of the methods you describe here? I’ve always viewed “QUALIFYING” MQMs as only achievable via actually flying somewhere but your article convinces me I may be able to save my current Gold Status!
One other question – if I can’t achieve status…I know my MQMs roll over in 2020 but not my MQDs – so I’d have to get 25K again on my Amex (I have Silver and Platinum Delta Skymiles cards) to gain my status back?
Thank you!!
Reply
- Jarrod West December 12, 2019
  Hi Steve,
  One option that many people do towards the end of the year to re-qualify for status is something called a “mileage run”. Essentially, you’ll want to locate flights that cover as large of a distance as possible, for the lowest possible cost. Another option would be to fly a really inexpensive flight, that covers a short distance, and fly it multiple times as the minimum MQMs you can earn on a Delta flight is 500 – even if the flight didn’t actually cover 500 miles.
  Thanks for reading!
  Reply
C Jones January 14, 2020
Hi, as far as I can tell, I think you can spend yourself into Medallion Status? I have a Delta Reserve card and I can get a 15,000 MQM bonus when I spend $30k in one year. So does that mean if I spend $60k on that card, I would qualify for silver? You need 25,000 MQM’s and I would get 15,000 twice (so 30k) plus a minimum spend of $25,000 which will have happened. Thanks!
Reply
- Jarrod West January 14, 2020
  Hi C Jones,
  Yes, you are correct. The Delta Reserve card allows you to spend your way to elite status.
  Reply
Joe Taylor December 16, 2020
If I book a hotel through Delta to earn points then also use my Skymiles card to pay will I earn the points on the booking through Delta and on the use of my Skymiles card?
Reply
- Jarrod West December 17, 2020
  Hi Joe,
  Yes, you will earn points for making the booking through Delta and for paying with your Skymiles card.
  Reply
Kelly Goodman February 15, 2022
I am both a silver and a platinum delta amex holder. I get 3x for delta flights on my card and 7x as a silver, so am I getting 10x dollars spent? For example, flight cost is $500 on my amex, that’s 1500 miles, 7x as a silver is an additional 3500, so should I be getting 5k miles for that flight?
Reply
- Stephen Au February 15, 2022
  Hi Kelly, that’s correct. However, keep in mind that your accrual is based on the fare and excludes any taxes, fees, and carrier-imposed surcharges like fuel srucharges.
  Reply