Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money. It also a member of the SkyTeam alliance and has more than 25 international airline partners. If you live in a Delta-dominated city or you fly the airline regularly, you should check out the airline's frequent-flyer program, Delta SkyMiles. It costs nothing to join and lets you earn Delta miles, achieve elite status and more. Delta's frequent-flyer program uses a currency called SkyMiles. Flying on Delta and its partner airlines is the easiest way to earn miles.
But there are ways to rack up miles besides flying, including by using a Delta-branded credit card and spending money with Delta partner companies. Unlike with some frequent-flyer programs, the miles you earn never expire as long as your account is open. Flying on Delta: Although they have "miles" in their name, the number of SkyMiles you earn on Delta flights is based on how much you spend, not how far you fly.
We'll have more on Medallion levels later — or you can jump ahead to that part now. You earn SkyMiles only on the base fare and fees imposed by the airline. You don't earn any rewards on taxes or government-imposed fees that are rolled into the cost of your ticket. Flying on partner airlines: Each partner airline has its own rules for earning SkyMiles. In general, the rewards you earn on partner airlines are based on the distance of the flight — so they really are "miles.
Delta offers co-branded credit cards with American Express. The card gives you 2 SkyMiles per dollar spent with Delta. When you pay for tickets with the card, you get the first checked bag free for you and up to eight other people traveling on your reservation. Terms Apply. Terms apply. Delta's non-airline partners include:. Hotels and Airbnb: You can earn SkyMiles at thousands of properties in most major hotel chains.
In some cases, you earn a flat number of points per stay; in others, you earn points based on how much you spend. You can also earn miles at Airbnb. See hotel partners and earning rules here.
Auto rentals and Lyft: Several major rental agencies have an option to earn SkyMiles. You can also earn miles using the Lyft ride-hailing service. Details here. Dining: Register your credit card with SkyMiles Dining and earn up to 5 miles per dollar when you use that card at thousands of participating restaurants. You can use any credit card; it doesn't have to be a Delta-branded card.
Shopping: Earn miles at hundreds of online merchants through the airline's shopping portal, SkyMiles Shopping. You can buy additional SkyMiles through the Delta website, but this generally isn't a good value. SkyMiles cost 3. SkyMiles are redeemable for flights through Delta Air Lines and its partners. In most cases, you redeem by booking through Delta's website. Go to the booking tool and choose the option for seeing the price in miles. Basic Economy: This is a no-frills fare.
You sit in a standard seat and get free drinks and snacks, but you don't get to pick your seat, you're the last to board the plane, you can't get upgraded even with Medallion status, and there are sharp restrictions on ticket changes or refunds.
Main Cabin: This is a standard economy seat. Free nonalcoholic drinks and basic snacks. Seat-back entertainment when available. First Class: Bigger seat with more legroom; free alcoholic drinks, snacks and meals on longer flights; dedicated storage and flight attendant service; priority boarding.
Delta Premium Select: First class with extra-comfortable seating and amenities on select international flights. Delta One: First class with lie-flat seating available only on select long-haul flights.
Unlike some other airlines, Delta doesn't publish an award chart showing you exactly how many miles you need for a given flight. You have to figure it out the hard way — by entering your flight information and seeing what it costs in terms of miles. Delta advertises that there are no blackout dates for award travel.
By the end of this article, though, you should be able to get far more value from your SkyMiles in these unique ways. For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Of course, before you can even start thinking about our Delta SkyMiles sweet spots, you have to actually earn the SkyMiles necessary.
There are various ways to earn Delta miles , from taking Delta-operated flights to booking trips on SkyTeam airlines, as well as some non-travel options. One of the best ways to boost your SkyMiles balance to score a few trips is by adding one of the cards below to your arsenal terms apply.
Related: Choosing the best credit card for Delta flyers. You could also pick up one of the following American Express Membership Rewards -earning cards, as the points transfer to Delta at a ratio:. Domestic flights are my favorite way to redeem SkyMiles. Delta has been on a tear of late with SkyMiles flash sales , and many of them target domestic routes in the to-1,mile distance range. I often find domestic flights for 10, SkyMiles or less each way. You can even book domestic first class on the same short flight for just 12, SkyMiles.
You can score solid deals on last-minute domestic flights, too. Not only is 7, SkyMiles easy to earn through a welcome bonus attached to a new card , but these short-haul flights can be fairly pricey when looking at cash rates. Many are frequented by business travelers during non-pandemic times, and Delta knows it. Thus, they nudge the prices up accordingly. The higher the cash price compared to the mileage price, the better the redemption value you can get. Related: Why Delta is my go-to airline for last-minute domestic flights.
This gives Delta loyalists many different options for flying to Canada now that the border has reopened for air travel between the two countries. Better yet, it offers solid award pricing on these award tickets too.
Planning a tour of Canada? You can use miles to book intra-Canada flights on WestJet, too. For instance, all Medallion members in non-basic economy seats are entitled to complimentary upgrades on all intra-Mexico Aeromexico flights and Aeromexico flights between Mexico and the U.
Like on Delta metal, your status determines when these upgrades clear. That said, some benefits are reserved for higher-tier Medallion members.
For Aeromexico, Gold, Platinum and Medallion members have access to a priority security line and lounge access, while Silver Medallions do not.
However, lower-tier Medallion members also get decent perks like priority airport check-in and preferred seats. Related: Boost your progress toward Medallion status with select Delta credit cards. One of the easiest ways to earn Delta miles through its partners is through Lyft or the SkyMiles Shopping or Dining programs or by flying on a SkyTeam partner. Terms Apply. Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser.
Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. Many of the credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Skip to content.
Advertiser Disclosure. Victoria M. Screenshot courtesy of Delta Air Lines Keep an eye out for these cheap domestic award tickets. Related: Delta SkyMiles sweet spots worth saving up for Searching partner award space You have a couple of options for finding SkyTeam partner award space — here are two of your best options.
Delta The Delta search engine is my go-to not just for Delta awards but partners as well. Screengrab from KLM Awards for this route are pretty reasonable, but the taxes and fees appear to vary by date.
Upgrades for Diamond and Platinum Medallion Members will clear beginning hours 5 days before departure. Was this article helpful? Share your feedback. Send feedback to the editorial team. Rate this Article. Thank You for your feedback! Something went wrong. Please try again later.
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