earn Delta SkyMiles: From utilizing the fitting bank card to buying

Metro Loud
14 Min Read


The Delta SkyMiles loyalty program is usually a worthwhile program for home awards and accomplice redemptions.

Not solely does the airline have an unlimited route community with vital hubs in massive U.S. cities, however there are lots of alternative ways to earn Delta Air Traces miles you could redeem for SkyTeam flights. Generally, Delta even runs award gross sales that let you snag low cost flights.

Delta miles are pretty simple to accrue, they usually by no means expire. We’ll present you methods so as to add to your SkyMiles steadiness, together with flying on Delta and its companions, spending on journey rewards bank cards and transferring miles from different packages.

Associated: 5 issues you’ll want to learn about Delta SkyMiles

Earn Delta SkyMiles by flying

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Incomes Delta SkyMiles by flying relies on a number of elements, as you may earn miles in another way whether or not you are flying with Delta straight or a accomplice. Here is every part you’ll want to know.

Earn miles when flying with Delta

When flying on Delta‑marketed and ‑operated flights, you earn miles based mostly in your ticket’s base fare and service surcharges (excluding authorities taxes and charges). For journey on or after Oct. 1, you may earn 5 miles per greenback spent on Traditional or Refundable fares and seven miles per greenback spent on Additional fares. Principal Fundamental fares don’t earn miles.

These with Delta Medallion elite standing will earn at a sooner charge — the upper your standing, the extra miles you may earn per greenback spent:

  • Silver Medallion: 7 miles
  • Gold Medallion: 8 miles
  • Platinum Medallion: 9 miles
  • Diamond Medallion: 11 miles

Earn Delta SkyMiles when flying with accomplice airways

For those who guide a partner-operated flight by Delta, you may earn miles the identical as with a regular Delta flight. However what occurs if you happen to guide a accomplice flight on a accomplice airline’s web site and add your Delta SkyMiles quantity? On this case, you may earn miles based mostly on the space flown. Nonetheless, the precise variety of SkyMiles you may earn varies based mostly on the accomplice, fare class and elite standing, so verify the related SkyMiles web page for the right incomes charges.

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Earn Delta SkyMiles with bank cards

Delta Hangar LAX Boeing 757
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One of many best methods to earn numerous Delta SkyMiles is thru cobranded bank cards, together with welcome bonuses and incomes on on a regular basis spending.

Here is a take a look at the complete suite of Delta SkyMiles bank cards from American Specific and their present limited-time welcome provides:

Private Delta playing cards

Enterprise Delta playing cards

For those who’re contemplating making use of for one among these playing cards, maintain Amex’s once-per-lifetime rule in thoughts. This rule limits you to at least one welcome bonus per card, per lifetime. For instance, if you happen to’ve acquired a welcome bonus for the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Specific Card earlier than, you will not be eligible to obtain it once more if you happen to reapply for the cardboard.

Switch factors to Delta SkyMiles

Delta One Suites Airbus A350
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For those who want SkyMiles shortly or do not need to add one other bank card to your pockets, you could possibly switch factors from one other rewards program. Delta companions with American Specific Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, making it simple to prime off your steadiness when wanted.

Switch Membership Rewards factors to SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles has one bank card switch accomplice: American Specific Membership Rewards.

You may switch Membership Rewards factors to Delta SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio. Nonetheless, to offset the federal excise tax, you’ll pay a payment of $0.0006 per mile (as much as a most of $99), so the transaction will probably be dearer.

Placing purchases on a card that earns Membership Rewards factors will usually yield extra SkyMiles per greenback spent than utilizing one among Delta’s cobranded American Specific playing cards. For instance, The Platinum Card® from American Specific earns 5 Membership Rewards factors per greenback spent on flights booked straight with any airline or by American Specific Journey® (on as much as $500,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback). In the meantime, the American Specific® Gold Card earns 4 Membership Rewards factors per greenback spent at eating places worldwide (on as much as $50,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback) and at U.S. supermarkets (on as much as $25,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback).

Switch Marriott Bonvoy factors to SkyMiles

Marriott Marquis in Downtown Chicago
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You can even switch factors from varied lodge loyalty packages to your Delta SkyMiles account, however most of those supply poor switch ratios. In our expertise, the one doubtlessly interesting switch is from Marriott Bonvoy, which transfers to Delta at a 3:1 ratio.

That stated, we typically suggest redeeming Marriott factors for lodge stays as an alternative, as you may sometimes get higher worth. Chase and American Specific challenge a number of Marriott cobranded bank cards if you happen to’re quick on Marriott factors.

Switch Delta SkyMiles between accounts

Delta Planes New York LGA LaGuardia Airport
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When you can switch SkyMiles between accounts, we do not suggest it. Delta expenses $0.01 per mile transferred plus a $30 transaction payment. This is not an awesome deal, as you’d lose many of the worth of your miles after paying the relevant charges, and you’ll solely switch a most of 30,000 miles per transaction.

For those who determine to go this route, each accounts should have been open for a minimum of 10 days and earned a minimum of 1 mile. You may obtain a most of 300,000 SkyMiles per yr and switch as much as 150,000 SkyMiles per yr.

Earn Delta SkyMiles by buying and eating

You can even earn Delta SkyMiles by a number of on a regular basis Delta companions. These strategies make it simpler than ever to earn miles doing belongings you already do, like consuming out and buying on-line.

Earn with the SkyMiles Procuring portal

Delta has an on-line buying portal: Delta SkyMiles Procuring. This website enables you to earn additional SkyMiles if you store on-line along with rewards earned along with your bank card.

To make use of the portal, join a Delta SkyMiles Procuring account, discover your service provider on the location and click on by the hyperlink. Every service provider provides a special variety of SkyMiles per greenback spent, and these charges fluctuate, particularly across the holidays. Plus, the portal typically provides bonuses if you happen to spend a certain quantity. If you are going to make a purchase order anyway, buying by Delta’s portal can imply incomes critical bonus miles.

Earn whilst you eat with SkyMiles Eating

The Delta SkyMiles Eating program enables you to earn additional miles when eating out. Merely join an account, hyperlink a bank card and dine at a taking part restaurant, cafe or bar. If you swipe your registered card at these institutions, you may earn additional SkyMiles along with the miles you already earn along with your bank card. Be certain to hyperlink a card that earns bonus factors or miles at eating places, and watch the rewards add up.

Earn Delta SkyMiles for your small business

Business owner sitting with a pencil in hand
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Delta’s enterprise program, SkyMiles for Enterprise, is open to all firms, no matter measurement and annual income.

Earn Delta SkyMiles with journey companions

You can even earn bonus miles if you guide different sorts of journey, like rental automobiles, Lyft rides and lodge stays. Here is a take a look at all of your journey incomes choices.

Ebook a trip with Uber

You may earn Delta miles on U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats orders if you hyperlink your Delta and Uber accounts. You may earn as much as 3 miles per greenback spent (1 mile on UberX rides to the airport, 2 miles on premium rides and three miles on Uber Reserve rides). You can even earn 1 mile per greenback spent on a qualifying Uber Eats order over $40.

Understand that if you happen to’re a Delta American Specific cardholder, paying along with your Delta-branded Amex nets you an additional mile per greenback spent on all eligible rides and Uber Eats orders.

Earn with Delta Holidays

Here is what you may earn on journey packages with Delta Holidays:

  • 1,000 SkyMiles for the first passenger on bookings of as much as $4,999
  • 5,000 SkyMiles for the first passenger on bookings of $5,000 to $9,999
  • 10,000 SkyMiles for the first passenger on bookings of $10,000 or extra

You will additionally earn extra miles from the flight portion of your trip packages.

Earn SkyMiles on cruises

Via Delta Cruises, you may earn 2 miles for each greenback spent in your subsequent crusing. The platform additionally provides limited-time bonuses throughout sure instances of the yr, permitting you to take house much more miles.

To earn SkyMiles in your subsequent cruise, guide at cruises.delta.com or name 800-820-3244 along with your SkyMiles quantity.

Earn SkyMiles on Airbnb stays

You may earn SkyMiles on eligible Airbnb stays. Simply head to this web page, enter your SkyMiles quantity and click on by the hyperlink earlier than you make a reserving. You will earn 1 mile per greenback spent on Airbnb purchases (excluding taxes and charges) with no restrict — so dearer journeys can rack up a pleasant haul of SkyMiles.

Earn SkyMiles if you guide inns

Earn additional miles by reserving by Delta Stays (sometimes 2 miles per greenback spent, typically extra with promos) or by selecting airline miles with choose lodge packages.

Earn SkyMiles if you hire a automotive

You can even earn SkyMiles if you hire a automotive by Delta Automotive Leases or with one among Delta’s companions (incomes charges differ from accomplice to accomplice).

Purchase Delta SkyMiles

For those who want SkyMiles in a pinch, you should purchase them straight from Delta. The airline expenses a whopping 3.5 cents per mile, considerably greater than TPG’s September 2025 valuation of 1.15 cents per mile. You have to purchase miles in increments of two,000, and you should buy a most of 60,000 SkyMiles per account, per yr.

Delta regularly reductions SkyMiles by providing bonus miles or a bonus on the variety of miles bought. Shopping for SkyMiles is just price doing you probably have a direct use for them. In any other case, buying miles speculatively is normally a foul thought, as they are often devalued at any time.

Backside line

There are many methods to earn Delta SkyMiles, whether or not by flights, bank cards, transferring factors and miles or utilizing one among Delta’s many companions.

Even higher? SkyMiles is among the few loyalty currencies that by no means expire. And with the myriad incomes alternatives outlined above, you may hopefully don’t have any scarcity of SkyMiles the following time you propose a visit.

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