Delta SkyMiles: Your complete guide to earning, redeeming and elite status

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Feb. 06, 2026

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18 min read

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One of the most popular frequent flyer programs is Delta SkyMiles, the loyalty program of Delta Air Lines with more than 120 million members.

Joining the program is free, and your miles never expire. TPG values SkyMiles at 1.25 cents each in our most recent valuations from February 2026.

You can earn Delta SkyMiles through a variety of methods. Some popular options include flying with Delta and its partners, spending on Delta's cobranded cards, transferring points from American Express Membership Rewards, shopping through the Delta SkyMiles Shopping portal, dining through the Delta SkyMiles Dining program and taking advantage of various other promotions offered by the airline.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 90,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.

You can also earn Medallion Qualification Dollars to help you reach Delta's four elite status tiers, which provide perks like seat upgrades, priority boarding and airport lounge access.

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Related: Best Delta credit cards

Delta SkyMiles program partners

Delta is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. You can earn and redeem SkyMiles when you travel with any SkyTeam airline, including:

Aerolineas Argentinas
Aeromexico
Air Europa
Air France
China Airlines
China Eastern Airlines
Delta Air Lines
Garuda Indonesia
Kenya Airways
KLM
Korean Air
Middle East Airlines
Saudia
Scandinavian Airlines
TAROM
Vietnam Airlines
Virgin Atlantic
Xiamen Airlines

Other partners

Delta has several other partnerships beyond SkyTeam members, giving you numerous options for earning miles even when you aren't flying with Delta or a SkyTeam airline. Nonalliance partners include:

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AirBaltic
Cape Air
El Al
LATAM
WestJet

Just note that each partnership has specific restrictions and requirements.

Delta SkyMiles elite status

Delta Sky Club Salt Lake City SLC B Concourse — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

The SkyMiles program offers four elite status tiers for frequent Delta flyers: Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion and Diamond Medallion.

Earning Delta Medallion status

Delta only uses Medallion Qualification Dollars for qualification. You can earn MQDs in the following ways:

Delta and partner flights: Earn 1 MQD per dollar spent on Delta-marketed flights operated by Delta or its partner airlines.
Cards: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card members earn 1 MQD for every $10 spent in a calendar year, while Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card members earn 1 MQD for every $20 spent per calendar year. These cards also provide a MQD Headstart of 2,500 MQDs each year. (Terms apply.)
Delta Vacations: Earn 1 MQD per dollar spent on the entire vacation experience (in addition to what you earn for your flight) when booking directly with Delta Vacations. You will earn MQDs on parts of the package, including stays, cars, rides and activities.

Here are some key benefits of each of Delta's status tiers.

SkyMiles Silver Medallion

The lowest elite tier in Delta's SkyMiles program is Silver Medallion status. As a Silver Medallion, you'll receive:

Complimentary first-class upgrades on domestic and short-haul international flights from 24 hours before departure
Upgrades to Comfort+ within 24 hours of departure
Priority boarding (Zone 5) and check-in
One free checked bag on flights operated by Delta and select partner airlines, plus a free checked bag for up to eight of your companions when traveling on a Delta flight

SkyMiles Gold Medallion

Next up is Gold Medallion status, which will give you:

Complimentary first-class upgrades on domestic and short-haul international flights from three days before departure
Upgrades to Comfort+ within three days of departure
SkyPriority status
No additional costs for same-day confirmed changes

SkyMiles Platinum Medallion

The third tier in the SkyMiles program is Platinum Medallion. In addition to the previously mentioned Silver Medallion and Gold Medallion perks, you'll get the following:

Complimentary first-class upgrades on domestic flights and short-haul international flights from five days before departure
Upgrades to Comfort+ at booking
Your pick of a Choice Benefit

SkyMiles Diamond Medallion

Finally, the highest publicly available tier in the SkyMiles program is Diamond Medallion. Diamond Medallion members get everything detailed above, plus some even better perks:

Additional Choice Benefits options
Complimentary Clear Plus membership
Higher upgrade priority

How to earn Delta SkyMiles

Delta 717 PIT — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

You can earn Delta SkyMiles by flying Delta-operated flights, traveling with a SkyTeam partner and opening a Delta cobranded credit card. You can also earn miles through everyday activities like shopping and dining.

Earn SkyMiles by flying

When you fly Delta on a Delta-issued ticket in the main cabin or above (basic economy fares don't earn miles), you'll earn SkyMiles on the base price of your ticket. The higher your status tier, the faster you'll earn miles.

General member: 5 miles per dollar
Silver Medallion: 7 miles per dollar
Gold Medallion: 8 miles per dollar
Platinum Medallion: 9 miles per dollar
Diamond Medallion: 11 miles per dollar

Meanwhile, if you book a partner flight on that carrier's website (for example, Air France) and add your Delta SkyMiles number, you'll earn miles based on a percentage of the distance flown. The exact number of SkyMiles you'll receive varies based on the partner, the booking class and your elite status.

Earn SkyMiles through credit cards

There's a Delta credit card for everyone — the loyalist, the business traveler and even the infrequent flyer. The following cards offer these perks:

First checked bag free and priority boarding on Delta flights
20% discount on inflight purchases
15% off award redemptions for Delta flights

Here's a look at some of the best Delta SkyMiles credit cards from American Express. (Terms apply.)

Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome bonus	TPG's valuation (as of April 2026)	Notable perks
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card	$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (see rates and fees)	Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 80,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.	Up to $960	$200 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year Up to a $100 annual statement credit toward hotels and vacation rentals through Delta Stays
Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card	$350 (see rates and fees)	Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 90,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.	Up to $1,080	An annual companion certificate for a main cabin round-trip flight within the U.S. or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America each year after renewing your card A statement credit to cover the entry fee for Global Entry ($120) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85) every four years Up to $10 per month in statement credits for eligible U.S. Resy restaurant purchases and up to $10 per month in ride-hailing statement credits with select U.S. providers Up to a $150 annual Delta Stays statement credit Hertz Five Star status (enrollment in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program is required) Enrollment is required for some benefits.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card	$650 (see rates and fees)	Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.	Up to $1,200	15 Delta Sky Club lounge visits per year (plus unlimited Sky Club visits through the end of the following Medallion year if you spend $75,000 or more during a calendar year) and access to American Express Centurion Lounges when you book your Delta flight with the card An annual companion certificate for a round-trip flight within the U.S. or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America in main cabin, Comfort+ or first class each year after renewing your card Complimentary upgrades for non-Medallion members Up to $20 per month in statement credits for eligible U.S. Resy restaurant purchases and up to $10 per month in ride-hailing statement credits with select U.S. providers Up to a $200 annual Delta Stays statement credit Hertz President's Circle status (enrollment in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program is required) Enrollment is required for some benefits.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card	$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (see rates and fees)	Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.	$720	Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on U.S. shipping and select media advertising in the U.S. (up to $50,000 per year, then 1 mile per dollar) A $200 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 on purchases with your card in a calendar year Up to a $150 annual Delta Stays statement credit
Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card	$350 (see rates and fees)	Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.	$840	Earn 1.5 miles per dollar spent on transit, at U.S. shipping providers and on single purchases of $5,000 or more (on up to $100,000 in total eligible purchases, then 1 mile per dollar) An annual companion certificate for a round-trip main cabin flight within the U.S. or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America each year after renewing your card A statement credit to cover the membership fee for Global Entry ($120) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85) every four years Up to $10 per month in statement credits for eligible U.S. Resy restaurant purchases and up to $10 per month in ride-hailing statement credits with select U.S. providers Up to a $200 annual Delta Stays statement credit Enrollment is required for some benefits.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card	$650 (see rates and fees)	Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $12,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.	$960	15 visits per year to Delta Sky Club lounges (plus unlimited Sky Club visits through the end of the following Medallion year if you spend $75,000 or more during a calendar year) and access to American Express Centurion Lounges when you book your Delta flight with the card Earn 1.5 miles per dollar spent on eligible transit, U.S. shipping and U.S. office supply store purchases, plus all eligible purchases after you spend $150,000 per year on the card An annual companion certificate for a round-trip flight within the U.S. or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America in main cabin, Comfort+ or first class each year after renewing your card Complimentary upgrades for non-Medallion members Up to $20 per month in statement credits for eligible U.S. Resy restaurant purchases and up to $10 per month in ride-hailing statement credits with select U.S. providers Up to a $250 annual Delta Stays statement credit Hertz President's Circle status (enrollment in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Program is required) Enrollment is required for some benefits.

Earn SkyMiles through shopping portals

One of the easiest ways to earn SkyMiles is through Delta's online shopping portal, Delta SkyMiles Shopping. You can earn miles on purchases you would ordinarily make with over a thousand merchants online.

If you don't already have an account, you must register using your SkyMiles number. Then, you can use the search box to find the store or product you're looking for and compare prices and mileage rates at different merchants. You can also favorite stores, so you'll be notified when those stores offer bonus miles.

After selecting your merchant, click on the store, product or offer, and you'll be taken to the store's website to shop and check out. The store will alert the portal when you've made a purchase, and the miles you earn will be added to your SkyMiles account. You'll receive a confirmation email when your miles have been posted — this is typically within three to five days, but it can take up to 15 days.

Transfer Amex points to Delta

Finally, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to your Delta SkyMiles account at a 1:1 ratio. We don't usually recommend this because we value Amex points higher than SkyMiles.

It's often difficult to get a higher fare from Delta due to dynamic pricing. You'll also have to pay an excise tax offset fee when transferring Amex points to Delta (and other domestic frequent flyer programs).

How to redeem SkyMiles

Delta uses dynamic pricing for award tickets, so you will need to search on the Delta website or app to determine how many SkyMiles you need for an award ticket. Delta's site is pretty easy to navigate, and its handy calendar feature can help you find the lowest prices for your next redemption.

We've generally found the best redemptions on domestic flights. With one of the Delta cobranded cards that offers a 15% discount on Delta-operated award tickets, you can sometimes book short-haul flights for under 4,000 SkyMiles one-way. That said, prices will vary by day, route and cabin class.

Note that Delta award tickets are fully refundable (on flights originating in the U.S. and Canada, excluding basic economy fares), so if your plans change, you can redeposit the miles and get a refund for the taxes and fees you paid. This also allows you to rebook award tickets when the mileage price drops, securing a refund of the difference in miles.

Additionally, you can use your SkyMiles to book partner tickets on most of Delta's SkyTeam and nonalliance partners. Unfortunately, these have now largely aligned with Delta's own flight prices, minimizing the opportunity to get better value from partner awards, especially in premium cabins.

Sweet spots

delta airlines economy — BEN SMITHSON/THE POINTS GUY

With Delta using dynamic pricing across its route network, there aren't many sweet spots to maximize the value of your SkyMiles. Nevertheless, there are a few good options out there.

Delta flash sales

Delta frequently runs SkyMiles flash sales for short- and long-haul routes to U.S. destinations and cities in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. We've seen some terrific deals for the main cabin, Comfort+ and first class. Past deals include round-trip flights to Europe for just 34,000 miles and fares to Tahiti starting at 60,000 miles.

Of course, these cheap tickets aren't always well advertised, so it pays to check availability often. Delta often prices short- and mid-haul award tickets well under what other airlines would charge for similar flights. You'll often find the best deals when booking in advance and traveling on off-peak dates.

Delta and LATAM economy flights to South America

Regardless of the class of service, cash flights to South America are rarely cheap, especially to Brazil. Delta SkyMiles members can book LATAM award tickets at reasonable prices, and it's one of the better ways to use SkyMiles.

For example, 66,000 SkyMiles can generally get you a round-trip itinerary from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Sao Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), and many of these flights are nonstop.

Bottom line

With its solid operational performance, wide route network and numerous partner airlines, Delta is touted by some as the best domestic airline. In fact, the carrier has taken the top spot in TPG's analysis of the best airlines in the U.S. for the last seven years. Although award pricing and elite status requirements have disappointed many Delta loyalists, there's still plenty to like about the Delta SkyMiles program.

Whether you're a frequent Delta flyer or more casual customer, focusing on a mix of flying, using shopping portals and making purchases with Delta credit cards can increase your SkyMiles balance for your next redemption.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Gold card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business card, click here.

Featured image by ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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