How to earn Delta SkyMiles: From using the right credit card to shopping

The Delta Air Lines’ SkyMiles program generally is a beneficial program for home awards and accomplice redemptions.

Not solely does the airline have an enormous route community with important hubs in massive U.S. cities, however there are a lot of other ways to earn Delta miles which you could redeem for SkyTeam flights. Sometimes, Delta even runs award gross sales that permit you to snag low cost flights.

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

Related: 5 stuff you want to find out about Delta SkyMiles

Earn Delta SkyMiles by flying

Earning Delta SkyMiles by flying is determined by a number of elements. You’ll earn miles in a different way on Delta and accomplice flights. Here’s all the things you want to know.

Earn miles when flying with Delta

When flying on Delta-marketed and -operated flights, you earn miles primarily based in your ticket’s base value (which does not embody government-imposed taxes). Flyers with out elite standing earn 5 miles per greenback spent on Classic or Refundable airfare, and seven miles per greenback spent on Extra airfare, not together with taxes and costs.

Those with Delta Medallion elite standing will earn at a quicker charge — the greater 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

If you ebook a partner-operated flight by Delta, you may earn miles the identical as with a typical Delta flight. But what occurs in the event you ebook a accomplice flight on a accomplice airline’s web site and add your Delta SkyMiles quantity? In this case, you may earn miles primarily based on the distance flown. However, the actual variety of SkyMiles you may earn varies primarily based on the accomplice, fare class and elite standing — so test the related SkyMiles web page for the appropriate incomes charges.

Earn Delta SkyMiles with credit playing cards

One of the best methods to earn a number of Delta SkyMiles is thru cobranded credit playing cards, together with welcome bonuses and incomes on on a regular basis spending. Currently, American Express points 4 private Delta playing cards and three enterprise playing cards.

Here’s a take a look at the full suite of Delta SkyMiles credit playing cards from American Express and their present welcome gives (phrases apply):

Personal Delta playing cards

Business Delta playing cards

If you are contemplating making use of for one in every of these playing cards, preserve Amex’s once-per-lifetime rule in thoughts. This rule limits you to one welcome bonus per card per lifetime. If you have obtained a welcome bonus for the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card earlier than, you will not be eligible to obtain it once more in the event you reapply for the card.

That’s why holding out for a excessive welcome bonus is so necessary — you may solely obtain it as soon as.

Transfer factors to Delta SkyMiles

If you want SkyMiles shortly or don’t need to add one other credit card to your pockets, you could have the option to switch factors from one other rewards program. Delta companions with American Express Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, making it straightforward to high off your steadiness when wanted.

Transfer Membership Rewards factors to SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles has one credit card switch accomplice: American Express Membership Rewards.

You can switch Membership Rewards factors to Delta SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio. However, to offset the federal excise tax, you’ll pay a price of $0.0006 per mile (up to a most of $99) — so the transaction can be costlier.

Often, placing purchases on a card that earns Membership Rewards factors will yield extra SkyMiles per greenback spent than using one in every of Delta’s cobranded American Express playing cards. For instance, The Platinum Card® from American Express earns 5 Membership Rewards factors per greenback spent on flights booked immediately with any airline or by American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback on different purchases); in the meantime, the American Express® Gold Card earns 4 Membership Rewards factors per greenback spent at eating places worldwide on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar 12 months, and at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback on different purchases.

Transfer Marriott Bonvoy factors to SkyMiles

You may switch factors from varied lodge loyalty packages to your Delta SkyMiles account, however most of those provide poor switch ratios. In our expertise, the solely doubtlessly interesting switch is from Marriott Bonvoy, which transfers to Delta at a 3:1 ratio.

That stated, we usually suggest redeeming Marriott factors for lodge stays as an alternative, as you may usually get higher worth. Chase and American Express difficulty a number of Marriott cobranded credit playing cards in the event you’re brief on Marriott factors.

Transfer Delta SkyMiles between accounts

While you possibly can switch SkyMiles between accounts, we do not suggest it. Delta expenses $0.01 per mile transferred plus a $30 transaction price. This is not a terrific deal, as you’d lose most of the worth of your miles after paying the relevant charges, and you’ll solely switch a most of 30,000 miles per transaction.

If you determine to go this route, each accounts will need to have been open for at the very least 10 days and earned at the very least 1 mile. You can obtain a most of 300,000 SkyMiles per 12 months and switch up to 150,000 SkyMiles per 12 months.

Related: Your final information to household factors pooling

Earn Delta SkyMiles by shopping and eating

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

Earn with the SkyMiles Shopping portal

Like most airways, Delta has an internet shopping portal: SkyMiles Shopping. This web site enables you to earn additional SkyMiles whenever you store on-line, as well as to rewards earned together with your credit card.

To use the portal, join a SkyMiles Shopping account, discover your service provider on the web site and click on by the hyperlink. Each service provider gives a special variety of SkyMiles per greenback spent, and these charges fluctuate, particularly round the holidays. Plus, the portal typically gives bonuses in the event you spend a certain quantity. If you are going to make a purchase order anyway, shopping by Delta’s portal can imply critical bonus miles.

Earn whilst you eat with SkyMiles Dining

The Delta SkyMiles Dining program enables you to earn additional miles when eating out. Simply join an account, hyperlink a credit card and dine at a taking part restaurant, cafe or bar. When you swipe your registered card at these institutions, you may earn additional SkyMiles, as well as to the miles you already earn together with your credit card. Make positive to hyperlink a card that earns bonus factors at eating places, and watch the rewards add up.

The variety of miles you earn by SkyMiles Dining is determined by your standing in the program, which is completely separate out of your Medallion standing. There are three tiers: member, choose member and VIP. You’ll develop into a choose member by signing up for e-mail alerts, and you will get VIP standing after making 11 transactions inside 12 months.

If you do not give the program a sound e-mail handle and join e-mail alerts, you may keep a typical member and solely earn 1 mile for each $2 spent. Select members will earn 3 miles per greenback spent, whereas VIP members will take dwelling 5 miles per greenback.

Earn Delta SkyMiles for your corporation

Delta’s enterprise program, SkyMiles for Business, is open to all corporations, no matter measurement and annual income. However, incomes miles continues to be restricted to corporations that spend at the very least $5,000 in eligible flight income each calendar 12 months and have at the very least 5 worker vacationers. Here’s a more in-depth take a look at the SkyMiles for Business tiers:

• Member: Open to any enterprise, with no minimal traveler or spending necessities
• Plus: Accounts with at the very least 5 worker vacationers and $5,000 in annual journey spending
• Elite: Accounts with at the very least 5 worker vacationers and $300,000 in annual journey spending

Plus members earn 1 to 10 miles per greenback spent on Delta flights, relying on the cabin. Elite members earn 15% bonus miles.

Related: Airline loyalty packages for small companies

Earn Delta SkyMiles with journey companions

You may earn bonus miles whenever you ebook different sorts of journey, like rental vehicles, Lyft rides and lodge stays. Here’s a take a look at all of your journey incomes choices.

Book a journey with Lyft

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

Earn with Delta Vacations

Here’s what you possibly can earn on journey packages with Delta Vacations:

• 1,000 SkyMiles per individual on bookings of up to $4,999
• 5,000 SkyMiles per individual on bookings of $5,000 to $9,999
• 10,000 SkyMiles per individual on bookings of $10,000 or extra

You’ll additionally earn further miles from the flight portion of your trip packages.

Earn SkyMiles on cruises

Through Delta Cruises, you possibly can earn 2 miles for each greenback spent in your subsequent crusing. The platform additionally gives limited-time bonuses throughout sure occasions of the 12 months, permitting you to take dwelling much more miles.

To earn SkyMiles in your subsequent cruise, ebook on cruises.delta.com or name 800-820-3244 together with your SkyMiles quantity.

Earn SkyMiles on Airbnb stays

Like Delta’s partnership with Uber, you possibly can earn SkyMiles on eligible Airbnb stays. Just head to this web page, enter your SkyMiles quantity and click on by the hyperlink earlier than you make a reserving. You’ll earn 1 mile per greenback spent on Airbnb purchases (excluding taxes and costs) with no restrict — so costlier journeys can rack up a pleasant haul of SkyMiles.

Earn SkyMiles whenever you ebook lodges

In addition to Airbnb, you possibly can earn SkyMiles with Delta’s lodge reserving portal, Delta Stays. Completed stays earn a minimal of two miles per greenback spent on lodges, excluding taxes, gratuities and different charges. The costs on this portal ought to match reserving immediately, nevertheless it’s in your greatest curiosity to double-check.

One phrase of warning: Booking by this portal doesn’t earn lodge factors or permit you to use elite standing advantages.

You may earn SkyMiles whenever you ebook immediately with Delta’s lodge companions: World of Hyatt, IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, Shangri-La Circle and Accor Live Limitless. The variety of miles you may earn is determined by the lodge group you ebook with.

Earn SkyMiles whenever you lease a automotive

You may earn SkyMiles whenever you lease a automotive by Delta Car Rentals or with one in every of Delta’s companions, together with (incomes rated differ from accomplice to accomplice):

• Alamo
• Avis
• Budget
• Dollar
• Enterprise
• Europcar
• Hertz
• National
• Payless
• Sixt
• Thrifty
• Turo

Buy Delta SkyMiles

If you want SkyMiles in a pinch, you should buy them immediately from Delta. The airline expenses a whopping 3.5 cents per mile, considerably greater than TPG’s June 2025 valuation of 1.25 cents per mile. You should purchase miles in increments of two,000, and you should purchase a most of 60,000 SkyMiles per account per 12 months.

Delta ceaselessly reductions SkyMiles by providing bonus miles or a bonus on the variety of miles bought. Buying SkyMiles is simply value doing you probably have an instantaneous use for them. Otherwise, buying miles speculatively is often a foul concept, as they are often devalued at any time.

Related: Buy bonus factors and miles with these promotions

Bottom line

There are loads of methods to earn Delta SkyMiles, whether or not by flights, credit playing cards, transferring factors or using one in every of Delta’s many companions.

Even higher? SkyMiles is one in every of the few loyalty currencies that by no means expire. And with the myriad incomes alternatives outlined above, you may hopefully haven’t any scarcity of SkyMiles the subsequent time you intend a visit.