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Get the Most Out of SkyMiles

Program Resources

Get the Most Out of SkyMiles


SkyMiles is more than just a frequent flyer program, it’s a loyalty program. With so many easy ways to earn and use miles, you can go see the world and experience it like no one else. And the more you go see, the better your travel experience will be with elite Medallion Benefits – including benefits only Delta offers. With this helpful guide, make sure you’re getting the most out of SkyMiles every single day.

 

Earning Miles


It’s easy to turn your everyday into anywhere by earning miles with the brands you know and love. Watch your miles add up faster when you book accommodations, request rides, shop, dine and more.

All SkyMiles Members

  • Get the latest offers: Be sure to opt-in to our SkyMiles Partner emails to stay up to date on the latest deals and opportunities to earn more miles.
  • Partner airlines: In addition to earning on Delta flights – earn miles when you fly with any of our 20+ partner airlines.
  • Delta SkyMiles Credit Card: Watch your miles add up quicker when you find the right Delta SkyMiles Credit Card for you. In addition to many rewarding benefits, each of the Cards offer 2 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
  • Hotel & Airbnb: Get miles while you sleep. Earn miles for stays with our hotel partners and Airbnb
  • Car partners: You're on the move – and your miles should be too. Drive away with more miles any time you use one of our car rental, limo or shuttle partners.
  • Lyft: Ride rewarded by earning unlimited miles on every ride with our newest partner, Lyft.
  • Dining: When you sign up for SkyMiles Dining, you can earn up to 5 miles for every dollar you spend dining at participating restaurants – including tax and tip.
  • Shopping: With SkyMiles Shopping, you can earn miles for shopping at your favorite stores online.

Check Back for Bonus Miles: Keep in mind – partners often have limited time offers. Check our SkyMiles Offers page regularly for ways to earn bonus miles.

Medallion Members

  • Hertz car rentals: Earn 1,300+ miles every time you rent a car from Hertz by simply booking your rental at delta.com

 

Using Miles


Every mile you earn brings you closer to all the places you want to go. Turn them into your next trip or so many other rewards. And since miles never expire, there’s no stopping your curiosity.

Find the best deals on Award Travel

  • Get the latest offers: Be sure to subscribe to Delta emails in My Profile — you’ll be the first to know about the latest offers
  • How to search for deals:
    • With the ability to search up to 5 weeks at a time – easily compare prices and find the best deal for your Award Trip
    • Check prices often — they can change frequently.
    • Find more flights by using Advanced Search to search “Delta & Partner Airlines” to connect to 1,000+ destinations that you can go to with your miles
  • When to book Award Travel:
    • You will likely find the lowest award prices at least 30 days before departure for domestic travel and 60 days before departure for international
    • Award prices are highest during peak travel days and seasons, holidays and special events
    • Find miles-friendly options during off-peak periods and days, such as Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays
  • Get inspired: Explore the #SkyMilesLife with our new trip planning tool to see real experiences from real SkyMiles Members and get inspired for your next adventure. 
  • Find the latest deals right now: We've compiled our latest SkyMiles deals on one page and update it constantly—be sure to keep checking back for some of the best deals you can get with your miles
  • How to get going sooner: Not enough miles for your dream trip? Use Miles + Cash and book an Award Ticket with a combination of miles and money

Use Miles for So Much More

  • Upgrade Your Seat: Fly completely comfortable when you use your miles to upgrade your seat to a premium cabin experience. Do it yourself while you’re booking your flight or after you have already booked in My Trips on delta.com or the Fly Delta app. 
  • Delta Sky Club®: Relax and unwind before your flight when you use your miles to purchase a membership to the Delta Sky Club. Plus, once inside, use miles to treat yourself to a premium drink at THE BAR at Delta Sky Club.
  • Donate: Make a difference with your miles when you donate to any of our SkyWish charities.
  • SkyMiles Experiences®: Get VIP access that money can't buy – including luxury vacations, exclusive sports experiences and celebrity events – when you bid on SkyMiles Experiences auctions using your miles.
  • Newspapers and magazines: Never miss a headline – use your miles to subscribe to your favorite newspapers and magazines.
  • Delta Vacations: Customize your next getaway with Delta Vacations by choosing from hundreds of destinations and endless activities. Then use miles to complete your booking. Learn more
  • Manage your travel experience: You can use miles instead of money for these products and services when calling Delta Reservations*:

                *To take advantage of these options, contact Delta Reservations at 800-323-2323.

 

Medallion Benefits


As a loyal Medallion Member, you get exclusive benefits — some of which only Delta offers. Learn how to get the most out of your Medallion Status and the benefits you enjoy.

Exclusive Medallion Member offers: Don’t miss out on offers that are only available to Medallion Members – be sure to opt-in to Delta emails in My Profile.

Complimentary Upgrades

  • Upgrade availability:
    • Empty seats on the seat map do not always mean upgrades will be available at your window; they’re often held to accommodate last-minute bookings.
    • Less busy flights (late evenings and Saturdays) and day-of holiday flights (e.g. Thanksgiving day) usually offer the most opportunities for upgrades
  • Managing your upgrades:
    • Enjoy more flexibility with two ways to manage your upgrades through the seat map:
      • Opt in and get your Complimentary Upgrades automatically with the ability to change your seat through the seat map afterward, or 
      • Opt out and select your upgrades yourself, giving you the ability to only upgrade if your exact desired seat is available (if you are getting Delta Comfort+ upgrades to seats that you don’t prefer, we recommend this option)
    • If you aren’t opted in for automatic Delta Comfort+ upgrades, you can now request a Delta Comfort+ upgrade to any available seat or just a window/aisle seat when checking in for a flight at delta.com or an airport kiosk
  • Waiting for your upgrade to clear:
    • Checked-in and still on the upgrade list? You’ll automatically be transferred to the upgrade standby list, which is cleared at the gate. More Members may be added to this list as they check in for the flight.
    • Use the Fly Delta app to view your position on the upgrade list once you check in
    • Many factors can impact your place on the list — check out the clearance priority overview.
    • Next on the list? We’ll do our best to upgrade you when an upgrade becomes available – even if you have already boarded — but please understand our first priority is an on-time departure
  • Traveling with companions:
    • Medallion Members traveling with one companion will clear for Complimentary Upgrades based on the Status of the higher-Tiered Member, as long as the companion is a SkyMiles Member traveling in the same reservation.
    • Companion Upgrades are available on paid tickets, Award Tickets, Miles + Cash tickets and Pay with Miles tickets but must be requested at delta.com during the booking process, afterwards in My Trips or during check-in.

Visit Medallion Upgrades for full details.

Choice Benefits – a Delta Exclusive

Are you a Diamond or Platinum Medallion Member? If so, you’re eligible for Choice Benefits, a Delta exclusive, that enable you to customize your benefits by what matters most to you – whether that is gaining access to the Delta Sky Club, upgrading to a premium cabin using Upgrade Certificates or donating miles to charity. Be sure to select your Choice Benefits by January 31st each year.

Upgrade Certificates – A Choice Benefit exclusively for Diamond and Platinum Medallion Members

Global Upgrade Certificates, available exclusively for Diamond Medallion Members, offer upgrades on both international and domestic flights with Delta and select partner airlines

Regional Upgrade Certificates, available for Diamond and Platinum Medallion Members, offer upgrades on the same routes as Medallion Complimentary Upgrades, including all flights with First Class and the domestic Delta One experience.

  • Searching for a seat upgrade?: Upgrade availability isn’t always better in advance, and the seat map availability does not necessarily match upgrade availability. This means open seats in the seat map are not always eligible for upgrades although they might still be available for purchase.
  • On the waitlist?: While it’s possible for upgrade requests on the waitlist to be cleared before you get to the gate, it is more likely that they will be cleared at the gate prior to departure. If your certificate doesn’t clear, it will be automatically reissued to your account. Learn more about Waitlisting.
  • Wondering about a date or destination?: Due to extremely high demand, fewer upgrades are available during peak days and times, such as holiday travel, and in certain markets with very long flight times, including Sydney, Tel Aviv, and Johannesburg.
  • Finding flights: Upgrade Certificates can be used on any Delta-operated flight and select partner-operated flights.
  • Traveling together: You can use an additional Upgrade Certificate for one travel companion on the same flight—whether in the same reservation or a linked reservation—even if you don't need to use one for yourself.*
  • Enjoying priority:
    • Upgrade Certificates will clear off the waitlist in order of Medallion Tier then the day and time your request was added to the list.
    • If you’re on the upgrade standby list, Upgrade Certificates receive higher priority than Medallion Complimentary Upgrade requests.
  • Ticket eligibility: Upgrade Certificates can be used on paid tickets, Pay with Miles tickets, and Companion Certificates. They cannot be used on Award Travel or tickets booked in Basic Economy (E).
  • Redemption period: Certificates expire a year after they are selected. Certificates must be used on flights flown within the 12-month period – otherwise, the Certificates will expire.

    *When upgrading on Companion Certificates, two Upgrade Certificates will be required to upgrade as the primary ticket holder and the companion must always travel in the same cabin.

Reclaim My Status

When life happens, we want to be there for our Medallion Members. Introducing Reclaim My Status – a new Medallion Benefit inspired by our Members, designed to empower you to return to Status if life slows down your travel. Current and former Medallion Members can apply to enroll in Reclaim My Status to fly with three months of complimentary Status in the Tier they previously had and earn back that Status through the following Medallion Year. Learn more about Reclaim My Status. 

 

Speeding Through Security


Speed through Security with CLEAR featuring preferred rates for SkyMiles Members.

  • What’s CLEAR? CLEAR speeds you through security in minutes with just the touch of a finger or blink of an eye. Watch how CLEAR works.
  • Enroll today and receive SkyMiles Member-only pricing on your CLEAR membership (regularly $179 annually), thanks to Delta’s partnership with CLEAR:
    • Diamond Medallion Members: Complimentary
    • Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion Members & Delta SkyMiles American Express  Card Members: $109 per year
    • General SkyMiles Members: $119 per year
  • CLEAR is now available at over 35 airports nationwide, including the following cities:
    • Atlanta
    • Austin
    • Baltimore
    • Birmingham
    • Boston
    • Chicago (ORD & MDW)
    • Cleveland
    • Cincinnati
    • Dallas
    • Denver
    • Detroit
    • Fort Lauderdale
    • Houston
    • Las Vegas
    • Los Angeles
    • Miami
    • Minneapolis
    • New Orleans
    • New York (EWR, JFK, LGA)
    • Orlando
    • Phoenix
    • Salt Lake City
    • San Antonio
    • San Francisco
    • San Jose
    • Seattle
    • St. Louis
    • Washington D.C.

Enroll in CLEAR

For terms and conditions of the benefits listed, click Show Additional Details.


 

 

Terms & Conditions

SkyMiles Program: All SkyMiles program rules apply to SkyMiles program membership, miles, offers, mile accrual, mile redemption, travel benefits and Medallion Benefits. To review the rules, visit Membership Guide & Program Rules.

Partner Offers & Airlines: Partner offers and partner airline benefits subject to the terms and conditions of each individual offer and each partner. Partners are subject to change. Product offerings and benefits are subject to change and to applicable terms and conditions.

Amex: Term apply visit SkyMiles Credit Cards

Lyft: Terms and conditions apply 

Airbnb: Terms apply 

Delta Sky Club: All Delta Sky Club rules apply. To review the rules, please visit Delta Sky Club.

SkyWish: All SkyWish terms apply. Visit Donate Miles for details.

SkyMiles Experiences: All SkyMiles Experiences terms apply. For full terms and conditions, see the SkyMiles Experiences User Agreement

SkyMiles Shopping: Terms of mileage offers from SkyMiles Shopping merchants may vary; terms and exclusions may apply. Please see the offer terms provided for your selected merchant.

SkyMiles Dining: Please note that some restaurants offer rewards only on certain days of the week or up to a maximum spending amount per month. For complete program Terms and Conditions, guidelines and restrictions, and the latest rewards calendar, visit SkyMiles DiningOther limitations may apply. Terms and Conditions are subject to change.

Choice Benefits: All Choice Benefit terms and conditions apply. For full terms and conditions, visit Choice Benefits.

CLEAR: Rates above apply to all Members who enrolled in CLEAR on or after April 5, 2019. Annual pricing for all Members who enrolled in CLEAR prior to April 5, 2019 will continue to be:

  • Diamond Medallion Members: Complimentary annual membership ($179 annual savings)
  • Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion Members: $79 annual membership ($100 annual savings)
  • Delta SkyMiles Credit Card Members: $79 annual membership ($100 annual savings)
  • General SkyMiles Members: $99 annual membership ($80 annual savings)

If a Delta SkyMiles Member enrolled in CLEAR prior to April 5, 2019 and still has a CLEAR membership, the Member will continue to retain their current rate, even upon annual renewal, if their SkyMiles program Status remains the same. Additionally, if the Member’s program Status changes at any point, but they had a CLEAR Membership prior to April 5, 2019 and still have a CLEAR membership, the Member will still have access to the previous pricing structure. To review the rules and Member-only pricing offer terms, please visit CLEAR in the Member Guide.