Delta Skymiles Complete Guide – Earning/Redeeming Points, Status Tiers, & More!

If you regularly fly with Delta Airlines, you should consider being a part of their loyalty program, Skymiles. With Delta Skymiles, you can earn miles faster with every trip and purchases! You can use the earned miles towards travel on any Delta Airline flight or towards vacation packages that Delta offers.

It can help you get closer to the next destination on your travel wish list! Plus it’s good to know your miles don’t expire! Travel to over a thousand destinations today, it’s free to join, so why not start? Continue reading this post to learn more about how the loyalty program works!

You can also check out the latest Delta Airlines Promotions  and our top flight deals for today!

Note: If you spend quite a bit on travel, why not be rewarded for it? I recommend checking out the Wells Fargo Propel card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, or the Capital One Venture Rewards card to earn one of the best cash/points back rates on your travel purchases! See more credit card bonus offers here.

The SkyMiles Elite Status Program

To make the most of the loyalty program, start earning your way in the SkyMiles’ elite status tiers! You start out with SkyMiles’ Basic Membership and the more you fly, the more you earn and the more you earn, the better the perks that come with your status.

Please note for any of the MQD amounts listed above, you can replace the requirement with an MQD waiver.

• The requirements to reach  the next elite status tier — Silver, Gold, Platinum — are waived if you make $25,000 or more in eligible purchases during the calendar year with a Delta SkyMiles credit card from American Express.
• To reach Diamond status with a MQD waiver, you must spend more than $250,000 on eligible purchases with a Delta Skymiles credit card from American Express.

See what each status comes with below, click through the tabs to read:

Choice Benefits

Choice Benefits are littlebonus gifts you receive when you reach a Medallion qualifying threshold. While some gift are great value, others not so much. You can choose from the following items:

• Regional Upgrade Certificates (four, one-way certificates, a $1,000 value each)
• Global Entry Voucher ($100 value)
• 20,000–25,000 Bonus Miles
• $200 Travel Voucher
• $200 Tiffany & Co. Gift Card
• Silver Medallion Status Gift (for another passenger)
• Delta Sky Club Membership with Guest Option
• Global Upgrade Certificates  (a set of two)
• Gold Medallion Status Gift

Earning SkyMiles Miles

There are different ways to earn miles for Delta Skymiles. Keep in mind that there is a difference between normal, everyday SkyMiles and MQMs.  You use SkyMiles to redeem award flights, while MQMs are for determining your elite status.

Miles Earned from Flying

The most easiest way to earn SkyMiles is by flying! The amount of miles you earn i sbased on the amount you spend on your ticket, as well as on your elite status.

• Basic members earn 5 miles per $1 spent on a ticket
• Silver members earn 7 miles per $1 spent on a ticket
• Gold members earn 8 miles per $1 spent on a ticket
• Platinum members earn 9 miles per $1 spent on a ticket
• Diamond members earn 11 miles per $1 spent on a ticket

Miles Earned via Credit Cards

There are several Delta cards that you can earn miles with! You can check out below which card fits your travel needs the best!

Here are the following cards:

Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit CardGold Delta SkyMiles® Credit CardGold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit CardPlatinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit CardPlatinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit CardDelta Reserve® Credit CardDelta Reserve® for Business Credit Card

Read our full review on this card here.

The Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express offers 10,000 bonus miles after spending $500 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership. You'll earn 2X miles per dollar at US restaurants and purchases made directly with Delta; 1X mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases. In addition, you'll receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your Card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food, beverages, and audio headsets. This card comes with no annual fee. (See Rates & Fees) Learn More About This Card

Read our full review on this card here.

The Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express offers 30,000 bonus miles after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases within your first 3 months and a $50 Statement Credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. You'll earn 2X miles for every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta; 1X mile for every eligible dollar you spend on purchases. There is a $95 annual fee, however, there is a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (See Rates & Fees). Now, you'll get a savings of up to $240 per round trip for a family of four by being able to check your first bag free on Delta flights. Learn More About This Card

Read our full review on this card here.

With the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express: • Make business travel more rewarding. Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you make $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. • Additionally, earn a $50 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. • Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases. • Find room for your carry-on and settle into your seat sooner with Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding. • Pay no foreign transaction fees when you spend overseas. • $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95. Terms and limitations apply • See Rates & Fees Apply Now at American Express

Read our full review on this card here.

The Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card offers 75,000 Bonus Miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer Expires 10/30/2019. You can earn 2X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1X mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases. You'll also receive 50% back in the form of statement credits on purchases made directly with Delta with your Card within the first 3 months, up to $500 back. This card comes with a $195 Annual Fee ($250 if application is received on or after 1/30/2020), but for each round trip Delta flight, you can check your first bag for free and save up to $240. Learn More About This Card

Read our full review on this card here.

The Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express offers 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 35,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn a $100 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. You'll earn 2X Miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta; 1X mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases. This card does carry a $195 ($250 if application is received on or after 1/30/2020) (See Rates & Fees), however, you can save up to $60 on round-trip Delta flight by checking in your first bag for free. In addition, enjoy 20% savings on eligible in-flight purchases in the form of a statement credit with the American Express Delta Card Apply Now at American Express

Read our full review on this card here.

The Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express offers 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. You can earn 2X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1X mile for every eligible dollar spent on purchases. This card does come with a $450 Annual Fee ($550 if application is received on or after 1/30/2020). Seems hefty but perks like being able to check your first bag free on Delta flights -that's a savings of up to $240 per round trip for a family of four. In addition, you can enjoy a Domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+® or Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your card & enter Delta Sky Club® at no cost and bring up to two guests for an exclusive rate of $29 per person per visit. Learn More About This Card

Read our full review on this card here.

The American Express Delta Reserve For Business Credit Card offers 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. In addition, you can earn 15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 15,000 bonus miles after you reach $30,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in the calendar year. You'll earn 2X miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta; 1X mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases. This card does carry an annual fee of $450 ($550 if application is received on or after 1/30/2020) (See Rates & Fees). However, there are no foreign transaction fees and you'll be able to find room for your carry-on and settle into your seat sooner with Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding. In addition, enter Delta Sky Club® at no cost and bring up two guests for an exclusive rate of $29 per person per visit. Apply Now at American Express

Miles Earned via Partner Brands

Photo by Delta

There are different miles-earning airlines partners to choose from, you can pick from more than 20 partners^* around the world. When you book a partner marketed through Delta, you earn SkyMiles based on the ticket price!

Likewise, Delta also has many hotel partners^*.  Delta offers simple and easy booking that features a variety selection of hotels that suits your taste.

Furthermore, you can also earn miles with Airbnb^*. You have access to millions of homes, villas, condos, and unique accommodations around the world. Earn miles when you stay with the perfect Airbnb.

SkyMiles Dining

With Delta’s Skymiles Dining program, you can earn miles when you dine and pay at select restaurants, bars, and clubs with your registered credit or debit card.

If you’re a VIP Dining member, you earn 5 miles for every dollar spent, with a direct access to a VIP Member Services line. To get VIP status, all you need to do is dine 11 times before the end of the calendar year.

SkyMiles Shopping

Delta also has their own shopping portal where you can earn SkyMiles when shopping online for your favorite brands. The amount you earn depends on the brand you’re shopping with!

Just head to the portal, click the brand you like and then you will be redirected to shop directly to that select vendor. Many of the brands give you up to three miles per $1 spent, but you can also find specials!

Redeeming Your Miles

There are many ways to redeem your SkyMile miles! You can book award travel to more than a thousand destinations, with no blackout dates, you can also redeem your miles for things like:

• Upgrades to a premium class
• In-flight and airport perks
• Delta Vacations
• SkyMiles experiences like celebrity meet-and-greets and VIP passes
• Delta gift cards
• Charitable donations

But in our opinion, you get the best value when you redeem your miles for flights or an upgrade.

To book an award flight from Delta:

• Go online and book as normal
• In ‘Show Price In’ section, select ‘Miles’
• Then the awards calendar will show you the lowest price options for your preferred dates.

You can also book award flights with all of Delta’s partner airlines (See Miles Earned via Partner Brands), many of them post their award flights right on Delta’s website, you will see them when you’re searching for an available route.

Note that you need to contact Delta Reservations via phone to book an award travel with Air Europa, Czech Airlines, Air Tahiti Nui and Kenya Airways. 

Bottom Line

The SkyMiles program is a good option for loyal flyers to Delta Airlines! Join today and start taking advantage of exclusive perks! You can get closer to your next adventure by earning miles with the everyday products and services you enjoy!

While you’re here on HMB, you can check out out our Best Travel Credit cards! Plus learn how earn even more bonus points and miles that you can use towards your future travels!