When it comes to favorite frequent flyer programs amongst US travelers, Delta SkyMiles definitely ranks high! Becoming a member and signing up for a Delta branded credit card allows travelers to start racking up points to spend with the airlines and Delta SkyMiles partners in a variety of ways.

When you open a Delta SkyMiles account you should find it fairly easy to earn points and to level up to elite status. When you build up a sizeable amount of points with your travel and spending, you can redeem them for perks and discounts on your future travel. But you’ll get the most value when you redeem during the Flash Delta SkyMiles deals which take place fairly frequently.

In our guide below, we will tell you everything you need to know about Delta SkyMiles Partners, how to earn points, and how to best redeem your rewards.

How to Set Up a Delta SkyMiles Account and Start Earning Rewards

Joining the Delta SkyMiles program is an entirely free and simple process. And once you start earning points, they will never expire. So, you have the opportunity to build up a sizeable number of points to redeem for discounts on future flights.

You have a variety of different options to start building up points once you become a member of this frequent flyer program, including:

• When you spend money on booking Delta Flights.
• Using a Delta SkyMiles credit card.
• Online shopping through the SkyMiles shopping portal.
• Transferring rewards from your American Express Rewards membership.
• Eating at restaurants in the SkyMiles Dining Program.

Below we will talk in more detail about how to earn points, but before we start, let’s look at the Delta SkyMiles Partners you can earn discounts with.

Delta SkyMiles Partners

You aren’t restricted to earning Delta SkyMiles deals solely with the airline. Delta is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, which is made up of more than a dozen airlines. This means that the points and miles you earn as a member can be used to get money off tickets with a variety of international air carriers.

Using the airlines included in the scheme allows you to travel to over a thousand destinations across six continents. Here are the Delta Airline partners:

• Air Europa
• Air France
• AeroMexico
• Aerolinas Argentinas
• China Eastern Airlines
• China Airlines
• Czech Airlines
• Garuda Indonesia
• ITA Airways
• Korean Air
• KLM
• Kenya Airways
• Middle East Airlines
• Saudia
• Tarom
• Virgin Atlantic
• Vietnam Airlines
• Xiamen Air.

As you can see most areas of the globe are covered by the alliance making opening a Delta SkyMiles account a valuable option for both US and international travelers.

You can also benefit while booking flights with several other airlines that are not a member of the alliance. These are:

• Hawaiian Airlines
• LATAM
• China Southern Airlines
• WestJet
• Cape Air

Each partnership will have its requirements and redemption benefits to access rewards and discounts with your membership.

How Do You Earn Delta SkyMiles Elite Status?

As well as accessing Delta SkyMiles deals and building up points, you will also be able to start working towards elite status when you fly. Each level comes with a variety of benefits to make your travel easier and elevate your points-earning opportunities.

Silver Medallion Status

• 7x miles for each dollar spent.
• A complimentary checked bag.
• Priority Booking
• Priority Check-In
• Complimentary 1st class upgrades on US and international short-haul flights. From 24 hours before departure time.

Gold Medallion Level

• 8x miles for each dollar spent.
• 2 complimentary checked bags.
• A waiver on the same day confirmed the charges.
• Complimentary 1st class upgrades on US and short-haul global flights. From 3 days before departure time.
• Comfort+ upgrades from three days of departure date.

Platinum Medallion Level

• 9x miles per dollar you spend.
• 3 complimentary checked bags.
• One Choice Benefit.
• Complimentary 1st class upgrades on domestic and international short-haul flights. From five days before the departure date.
• Upgrade to Comfort+ when you book your flight.

Diamond Medallion Level

• All the benefits of the previous level.
• 11x miles for each dollar spent.
• 3 additional Choice Benefits.
• Higher priority for upgrades.
• Complimentary Clear Membership.

There is also Delta 360 elite status, which is an invitation-only membership. The airline has not publicly released any qualifying requirements for this level.

How Many Points Do You Need to Earn Elite Status?

When you open your Delta SkyMiles account, you will be able to start working your way up to elite status by earning the following:

• MQMs – Medallion Qualifying Miles
• MQSs – Medallion Qualifying Segments
• MQDs – Medallion Qualifying Dollars.

Here are the number of each point you will have to build up to qualify for elite status:

• Silver Medallion Status – 25,000 MQM/ 30 MQS and 3,000 MQD.
• Gold Medallion Level – 50,000 MQM/ 60 MQS and 8,000 MQD.
• Platinum Medallion Status – 75,000 MQM/ 100 MQS and 12,000 MQD
• Diamond Medallion Level – 125,000 MQM/ 140 MQS and 20,000 MQD.

Members need to hit these requirements annually to qualify for their elite status. However, automatic Delta Silver, Gold, or Platinum elite status does come as a benefit when you spend $25,000 with one of the cards detailed below. To qualify for Diamond status you need to spend £250,000 with your Delta credit card.

How Can You Earn Delta SkyMiles

Once you open your Delta SkyMiles account, there are lots of different ways you can start earning frequent flyer points. Here is your guide to how to start earning points for Delta SkyMiles deals.

How to Earn SkyMiles with Credit Cards

There are a variety of Delta credit cards available that can suit different lifestyles, whether you travel frequently for business, are a casual traveler, or are a frequent Delta customer. Here are the benefits that come as standard with all of the cards:

• 15% discount on SkyMiles award redemptions (when paying related fees with your credit card.)
• 20% discount on your inflight purchases on Delta flights.
• Automatic elite status level when you spend $25,000 annually with the card. ($250,000 to qualify for diamond level.
• Priority Boarding on Delta flights.
• Priority Boarding.

However, the other Delta SkyMiles deals and benefits you will be able to earn depend on the card. Here is a breakdown of the different bonuses and perks you can earn when qualifying for each credit card option.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

• $0 annual fee for the first year, then $150 afterward.
• 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 using your card within the first 6 months of opening your account.
• $100 in Delta Flight credit after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with your card in a calendar year.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

• Annual fee is $250.
• 50,000 Bonus SkyMiles after you spend $3,000 with your card within the first 6 months of opening your account.
• Annual Companion Certificate for a round trip, main cabin booking each time you renew.
• 10,000 MQMs after you spend $25,000 with your card within a calendar year. (Limited to 20,000 MQMs each year.)
• Global Entry Membership statement credit.
• Or TSA Precheck statement credit.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

• $650 Annual Fee.
• 100,000 bonus miles once you spend $6,000 with your card within 6 months of opening your account.
• One Companion Certificate for 1st class main Cabin, Comfort+ or Premium Select round trip travel annually.
• Access to Delta Sky Club when flying with the airline.
• American Express Centurion Lounge access when booked on a Delta flight with your credit card.
• 2x one-time Sky Club guest passes annually.
• 15,000 MQMs when you spend $30,000 each calendar year. (Up to a limit of 60,000 MQMs.)
• Complimentary upgrades.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card

• $0 annual fee for first year, $150 afterwards.
• 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases using your card within the first 6 months of opening your account.
• $200 Flight credit after you spend $10,000 using your card on eligible purchases.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card

• Annual fee is $250.
• 100,000 bonus miles after you spend $8,000 using your card within the first 6 months of opening your account.
• 1x Companion Certificate for main cabin round-trip flight within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America each year after the renewal of your Card.
• 10,000 MQMs after spending $25,000 using your card within a calendar year. (Limited to 20,000 MQMs annually.)
• Statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

• $650 Annual Fee.
• 110,000 bonus miles after you spend $12,000 within the first 6 months of opening your account.
• Access to Delta Sky Club when traveling with the airline.
• 2x One-Time Sky Club guest passes each year.
• Access to American Express Centurion lounges when traveling on a Delta flight booked with your card.
• 15,000 MQMs after you spend $30,000 using your card within a calendar year. (limited to 60,000 MQMs annually.)
• 1x Companion Certificate annually for 1st class round trip in main cabin, Comfort+, or Premium Select.
• Complimentary Upgrades.

How to Earn Delta SkyMiles Points with Your Flights

As well as using a partner Amex card to access Delta SkyMiles Deals, the most obvious way to earn points is by booking flights with the airline. As a member, you will start to earn non-expiring miles on your Delta flight tickets. The number you earn will depend on the price of the ticket.

As detailed above, once you earn elite membership status, you will be rewarded with higher points earning per dollar spent.

Earn Points By Spending With Delta SkyMiles Partners

You will also be able to earn points on bookings made with partner airlines. The number of points you earn will depend on your method of booking. For example, if you book with an alliance airline KLM using Delta.com you can access the same rewards rate as when booking a Delta flight.

When booking directly with partners using your Delta SkyMiles account number, the amount of frequent flyer miles you earn will depend on the policies of the airline.

Earn Miles Using the Delta SkyMiles Shopping Portal

If you use the airline’s online shopping portal to make your purchases you can start earning miles on purchases from thousands of online retailers. To start racking up points you need to log in using your membership account number before you start shopping. Then search for products and retailers on the portal. Your account will then be credited with extra airmiles earned with your purchases.

Transfer Your American Express Points to your Delta SkyMiles Account

You can redeem your Amex rewards points at a transfer ratio of 1:1. However, you will usually find that the redemption rate of Amex points is higher than those of Delta – so you will be, in effect, devaluing your points when you transfer.

How Do You Redeem Delta SkyMiles

To discover how many Delta SkyMiles you need to book a discounted or free flight, you need to search on Delta.com. Redemption rates are dynamic, meaning they vary from flight to flight and day to day. In general, you will find the most favorable redemption rates for the miles you have earned when booking US domestic flights.

Remember to use your Delta credit card when paying for related fees and partial costs to earn more points!

Takeaway - Your complete guide to the Delta SkyMiles program

Signing up for a Delta SkyMiles account is free and comes with a variety of benefits to improve your travel booking and flight experiences. As you can see, there are plenty of ways to start earning miles for your future flights. So, whether you are a casual or frequent booker with the airline, it makes sense to become a member. You’ll earn discounts and perks for your future flights while spending money on your current booking – accessing more value for each dollar you spend on your flight.