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Pay with Miles
Another way to use your miles! You can choose to pay for eligible flights with miles, money, or a combination of both:- Exclusively for SkyMiles® members with a Gold, Platinum, or Reserve Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express
- No blackout dates or inventory restrictions, just look for flights marked as Pay with Miles eligible
- Pay with Miles is flexible. Pay for all or part of the fare with miles — it's up to you
We continue to work hard to create a world-class loyalty program focused on delivering great benefits for all members. At the core of our program is the ability for members to earn, maintain and redeem miles. We also provide fundamental benefits for our elite members, such as the ability to receive Unlimited Complimentary Upgrades and to enjoy more benefits and choices when flying Delta, such as our top-tier Diamond Medallion® status, Rollover Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) and Choice Benefits.
Going forward, we are committed to delivering the SkyMiles experience you expect and the benefits you've earned. So visit this page regularly to stay informed of the latest program news and changes.
What is Happening Now
| Updates | Details |
| Checked Baggage for Silver Medallion Members | Effective for Economy Class tickets purchased on or after December 15, 2011 for travel on or after March 1, 2012, Silver Medallion members may check one bag up to 70 lbs. (versus the previous two-bag waiver) at no charge on Delta- and Delta Connection®-operated flights within or between the United States and Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico. Silver Medallion members with a Reserve, Platinum or Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express may check a second bag for free on Delta and Delta Connection flights. First and second baggage waivers apply to up to nine people traveling in the eligible Silver Medallion member's reservation. |
| MQM Earn on Virgin Australia International | As part of our expanded agreement with Virgin Australia International, SkyMiles members purchasing an eligible Virgin Australia International fare-class ticket will earn MQMs, in addition to miles, when flying on or after October 31st. For mileage details, please click here. In addition, Diamond, Platinum, and Gold Medallion members and Delta Sky Club® members may access Virgin Australia International lounges with a valid membership card and a same-day boarding pass for a Delta or Virgin Australia International flight. |
| Award Ticket and Mileage Upgrade – Reissue and Redeposit | Over the past year, more than 1,000,000 Award Tickets were reissued or canceled within 72 hours of departure. As a result, a significant number of these award seats departed unused as other members did not have time to rebook them. Effective for Award Tickets issued on or after August 15, 2011, SkyMiles members must now request Award Ticket and mileage upgrade redeposits at least 72 hours before their original flight departure. This change will make unused seats available to other members and ultimately increase Award Ticket availability. Miles for Award Travel are nonrefundable for flights canceled or changed within 72 hours of the original flight departure time. For cancellations made at least 72 hours prior to departure, Diamond and Platinum Medallion® members will continue to receive reissue and redeposit fee waivers, and fees will continue to apply for other members. Changes and reissues made to Award tickets must be made at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled flight departure time. This applies to both outbound and return flights. Award Tickets booked within 72 hours of departure are nonrefundable and cannot be redeposited or changed. See Award Travel Fees for full terms and conditions. |
| Economy Comfort | You are now able to book Economy Comfort seats for travel beginning June 1st. You'll experience more space, legroom, and recline on our long-haul international flights in "Economy Comfort"—a new section of seats located at the front of the Economy cabin that will feature up to four more inches of legroom and 50 percent more recline.
SkyMiles Diamond and Platinum Medallion level members who purchase an International Economy ticket on Delta will enjoy free access to Economy Comfort seats. Gold and Silver Medallions will receive a 50% and 25% discount, respectively, on the current applicable published Economy Comfort seat fee. Up to eight companions traveling on the same reservation as Medallion members will receive the same benefits. Customers who purchase a Y, B, or M fare International Economy ticket will also be able to select an Economy Comfort seat at no additional charge. Visit Economy Comfort for more details. |
| Complimentary Upgrades on Alaska Air Flights | As a part of our expanded agreement with Alaska Airlines, Diamond, Platinum, and Gold Medallion members may receive complimentary upgrades on Alaska flights, subject to availability, on most published economy fares on Delta and certain Delta-designated codeshare flights in North America within or between the United States (excluding Hawaii). Upgrades on Award Travel are not permitted. |
| Baggage Waivers on Alaska Air Flights | Medallion members and up to seven of their travel companions in the same reservation can now check their first two bags for free when flying with Alaska. |
| Mileage Expiration | Effective January 1, 2011, we eliminated our mileage expiration policy so you can earn and redeem miles without worrying if and when your miles will expire. |
| SkyTeam® Elite Plus Status for Gold Medallions | Effective March 1, 2011, Gold Medallions will receive SkyTeam Elite Plus status when flying internationally on our SkyTeam partner airlines. Benefits include:
|
Award Redemption Fees |
We no longer charge Award Ticket redemption fees, even last-minute bookings. |
| Preferred Seats | Preferred Seats are sometimes not available when booking a last-minute ticket. Thus, we have expanded the number of Preferred Economy Seats on all Delta and Delta Connection® flights by up to 40% to ensure our most loyal customers receive the best seats. |
| Systemwide Upgrade Improvements | Systemwide Upgrade Certificates are available for Diamond and Platinum Medallion members to select as a Choice Benefit gift. Systemwide Upgrades have been improved so when redeeming on any Delta flight:
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What's Ahead
| Focus | Our Action Plan |
| Online Award Experience | We are redesigning the Award Travel booking process and calendar on delta.com to improve the Award redemption experience. We plan to continue improving the display of Award seats and other issues to provide better online Award Travel booking. We began making these improvements in May 2010 and have completed many of them. We will continue to improve the online experience on delta.com to offer more functionality to customers through the first quarter of 2011. For example, we will continue to redesign the Award Travel booking process and further improve the pricing and availability display of the calendar. And, we will add even more search options and display flight amenities. |
| Mileage Upgrade Award | We will add the ability to redeem mileage upgrade Awards online. |
| Miles and Money Award | We will re-introduce the former PerkChoice program, which allowed members to combine miles and money when buying a ticket. This program feature will supplement our existing Pay with Miles program for current Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum and Reserve SkyMiles Cardmembers from American Express. |
Looking for more answers?
- Q. How are the waivers applied? Is it based on the passenger traveling or the account used for the redemption?
- The waiver for redeposit and reissue is based on the status of the SkyMiles account from which the miles are being redeemed. If the miles were redeemed from either a Diamond or Platinum Medallion member's account, then the fees will be waived.
- Q. What will the redeposit or reissue fee be if I cancel an Award booking?
- The redeposit and reissue fee is based on the date of cancellation. As of June 2, the fee will be $150. This fee is waived for Diamond and Platinum Medallion members.
- Q. Why are traveling companions of Medallion members not eligible to clear within the Medallion upgrade window?
- We considered this option, but did not implement it since our primary goal is to first provide the upgrade opportunity to all Medallion members. Our Diamond and Platinum Medallion members have the option to gift Medallion status to a companion via the Choice Benefits included with our top tier benefits.
- Q. Can I upgrade to the BusinessElite® cabin?
- Yes. While the complimentary upgrade benefit is not available for international flights in BusinessElite, Diamond and Platinum Medallion members can redeem Systemwide Upgrades. In addition, any SkyMiles member can redeem miles for an upgrade to BusinessElite service.
- Q. Why don't my miles post right away?
- While miles post quickly and accurately for most members, we identified some isolated situations where mileage postings did not properly occur. We recently corrected this situation and all miles should accurately post at this time. If you still have issues with your mileage posting, visit delta.com/mileagecredit.
- Q. Why do I need to call Reservations to redeem my Systemwide Upgrade certificates?
- Our goal is to completely automate this process so you can use self-service channels for certificate redemption. As one step in this process, we discontinued issuing paper certificates and started issuing eCertificates. Our next step is to complete the full automation of the process.
- Q. Will I be able to check in online or at the kiosk when upgrading with miles or a Systemwide Upgrade Certificate?
- Yes, you should be able to use a self-service check-in channel in the majority of situations. However, we have identified some cases where this does not work properly due to our ticket reissue process. We are currently streamlining and improving this process to ensure a more efficient customer experience.
- Q. Are you planning to add another miles and money redemption option?
- Yes. We plan to offer an additional miles and money redemption option for all members by late 2011. It will complement our current flexible Award pricing and "Pay with Miles" feature for SkyMiles credit cardholders and will be open to all SkyMiles members with or without a SkyMiles credit card.
- Q. Will Medallion Companions be eligible for Upgrades on Award Tickets and Pay with Miles Tickets?
- At this time, the Medallion Complimentary Upgrades for Award Tickets and Pay with Miles are offered only to Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallions. We considered including companions; however, we ultimately decided to focus on recognizing our valued elites traveling on Award Tickets. Please keep in mind that our Diamond and Platinum Medallions have the option to gift Medallion status to a companion via the Choice Benefits included with our top-tier benefits.
Please continue to visit this page for the latest news on these and other SkyMiles program updates.
We also want to hear your feedback. Contact us here.
American Express First Bag Free Terms & Conditions:
SkyMiles Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members, SkyTeam® Elite, Elite Plus members, and Alaska Airlines® MVP® Gold Members traveling in Economy Class may check up to two bags up to 70 lbs (32 kg) each at no charge on Delta- and Delta Connection-operated flights. Silver Medallion, SkyTeam Elite, and Alaska Airlines MVP members may check one bag up to 70 lbs (32kg) at no charge on Delta- and Delta Connection-operated flights. Silver Medallion members with a Basic Reserve, Platinum or Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express may check a second bag for free on Delta and Delta Connection flights. Second bag fee waiver benefit is limited to Silver Medallion members who are Basic Cardmembers (not Additional Cardmembers) with the Gold, Platinum or Reserve Delta SkyMiles Credit Cards. First and second baggage fee waivers apply to up to nine people traveling in the eligible Silver Medallion member’s reservation. The benefit applies to up to nine9 people traveling in the eligible member's reservation. These rules apply for Economy Class tickets on flights within or between the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
Benefit is limited to Basic Cardmembers (not Additional Cardmembers) with the Gold, Platinum or Reserve Delta SkyMiles Credit Cards. Reservation must include the Basic Cardmember’s SkyMiles number. Fee waiver also available for passengers traveling in the same reservation as the Basic Cardmember. Maximum nine waivers per reservation. Waiver is only for normal first checked bag fee for a bag that is not overweight and not oversize under Delta’s applicable rules. Additional checked bags will be subject to the applicable baggage fees as outlined by Delta’s rules and the purchased fare. The first checked bag fee waiver will only be applied on flight segments which originate on a Delta- or Delta Connection carrier-operated flight. Codeshare flights are not eligible. New Cardmembers and Cardmembers upgrading from another Delta SkyMiles Credit Card product will be eligible for the checked baggage fee waiver benefit after receiving their card from American Express. Offer terms and conditions subject to change. Additional restrictions may apply. See delta.com/firstbagfree for details.
Silver Medallion Baggage Fee Waiver Terms & Conditions:
SkyMiles Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members, SkyTeam® Elite Plus members, and Alaska Airlines® MVP® Gold Members traveling in Economy Class may check up to two bags up to 70 lbs (32 kg) each at no charge on Delta- and Delta Connection-operated flights. Silver Medallion, SkyTeam Elite, and Alaska Airlines MVP members may check one bag up to 70 lbs (32kg) at no charge on Delta- and Delta Connection-operated flights. Silver Medallion members with a Basic Reserve, Platinum, or Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express may check a second bag for free on Delta and Delta Connection flights. Second bag fee waiver benefit is limited to Silver Medallion members who are Basic Cardmembers (not Additional Cardmembers) with the Gold, Platinum, or Reserve Delta SkyMiles Credit Cards. First and second baggage fee waivers apply to up to nine people traveling in the eligible Silver Medallion member's reservation. The benefit applies to up to nine people traveling in the eligible member's reservation. These rules apply for Economy Class tickets on flights within or between the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Canada. To review the rules, please visit Membership Guide & Program Rules.
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