Key findings
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With over 20 global airline partners, Delta offers access to hundreds of destinations around the world.
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Delta SkyMiles can easily be redeemed for travel on Delta and most of its partner airlines.
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SkyMiles can be earned by flying on Delta, a partner airline or affiliate, or by paying with a credit card.
Delta, one of America’s largest airlines, is a leader in connecting people around the world. Together with its global partners, the airline carries 200 million passengers each year with flights to more than 275 destinations in 50 countries. With over 4,000 daily flights, Delta and its partners can take you to more destinations than you might think.
Best of all, Delta SkyMiles frequent flyer members can earn miles toward award travel and more when they fly with Delta or its 20+ airline partners through the SkyTeam alliance. Remember, Delta SkyMiles never expire.
In this article, you’ll learn more about Delta Air Lines, its partners, and how you can earn and redeem Delta SkyMiles to use toward future travel.
Partner of Delta Air Lines
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- Aeromexico
- Air France
- East China
- KLM
- Korean airline
- Latam Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- WestJet
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- Aerolineas Argentinas
- Air Europa
- Air Baltic
- Cape Air
- China Airlines
- East China
- Czech airlines
- El-Al
- Garuda Indonesia
- Hawaiian Airlines
- ITA Airways
- Air India Limited
- Middle East Airlines (MEA)
- Riyadh Air* (a new airline that will begin operations in 2025)
- Saudi Arabian Airlines
- TAROM
- Vietnam Airlines
- Xiamen flight
How to earn Delta SkyMiles with partners
When you earn Delta SkyMiles, you earn points every time you fly with Delta or one of its partner airlines. Note that Delta does not offer SkyMiles for flights booked in basic economy class. To know how many miles you’ll earn, it’s important to pay attention to the airline operating your flight.
For example, if you fly with Air France, one of Delta’s main global partners, you’ll earn miles based on the number of miles flown multiplied by a percentage corresponding to the fare class booked. These percentages may also change depending on whether you’re flying only within Europe or to other international destinations.
So if you fly with Air France from Paris to Accra on a regular economy ticket, you will receive 50 to 100 percent of the miles actually flown, depending on the purchase. With a business class ticket, you will even receive 200 percent of the total miles in SkyMiles.
You can view the different earning rates of each partner in detail on the Delta website.
Earn Delta SkyMiles with credit cards
In addition to earning SkyMiles by flying with Delta or partner airlines, you can also earn SkyMiles by spending with credit cards, which can be another helpful way to earn miles on your everyday purchases.
One of the easiest ways to earn SkyMiles is with a Delta co-branded card in partnership with American Express. These cards offer a set number of miles per dollar spent, with bonuses varying by card.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, for example, offers 3X miles on Delta purchases. Delta offers several co-branded credit cards with different annual fees, so you can shop around for the card that best fits your needs. If you don’t want to settle for a pure airline rewards card, you can also consider a general travel rewards card that earns American Express Membership Rewards points, as cardholders can transfer Membership Rewards to their Delta Skymiles loyalty account.
How to use Delta SkyMiles with partners
Redeeming miles on a partner airline is as easy as buying a ticket on Delta Air Lines. You can redeem miles by searching on the Delta website or mobile app. When you search for your destination and the dates you want, you can switch between seeing fares in dollars or in SkyMiles. Depending on how many miles you have in your account, you can also book a combination of miles and cash.
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When booking with miles, the options available may differ from when booking with dollars, as airlines may limit the number of seats in a particular cabin for award tickets.
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Some of Delta’s partners may not allow online booking, but these partners vary. If this is the case for a partner airline you want to book with, you can call Delta Reservations to learn more about your options.
Transfer of partner status
If you are a Delta Medallion member, you can also retain some status benefits on partner airlines. These benefits vary depending on your Medallion status and the specific airline. For example, some partner airlines do not offer all Medallion benefits, and Delta’s core global airlines may offer enhanced benefits than other global partner airlines.
If maintaining the benefits of your Medallion status when flying with partners is important to you, be sure to read all the details about what to expect with each partner airline before booking.
For more information about partner Medallion benefits, visit the Delta website.
Other Delta partners
In addition to its airline partners, Delta also works with hotels, car rental companies and other brands to help you increase your SkyMiles balances on purchases. Here’s a breakdown of Delta’s current non-airline partners:
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- hertz
- dollar
- Thrifty
- Alamo
- Pursue
- National
- Europcar
- Carmel
- Sixt
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- Lyft
- Turo
- Starbucks
- Instacart
- Ticketmaster
- FTD
- Vinesse Wines
- Selected energy companies
How to Maximize Delta SkyMiles
If you’re a frequent flyer and prefer to fly with Delta, maximizing the number of SkyMiles you earn can be a great way to reduce your annual travel costs and enjoy some great benefits when you fly.
Here are a few more ways you can maximize your Delta SkyMiles earning and redeeming:
Shop with partners
Delta’s non-airline partners can earn you valuable mileage credits.
For example, if you already have a Starbucks account, you can link your SkyMiles account and earn 2 miles per dollar spent at participating Starbucks locations when you add $100 to your account. Your Starbucks rewards will also benefit, as you’ll earn double Stars on days you fly Delta.
While these rewards don’t add up as quickly as flights, they can help you earn more miles over time. Check offers from Delta’s SkyMiles partners regularly to make sure you’re taking advantage of deals that fit your regular spending.
Use the right credit card
You can significantly increase your SkyMiles earnings with a Delta co-branded credit card.
You can also use a credit card that earns rewards points that you can transfer to Delta. Points you earn through the American Express Membership Rewards program, for example, are transferable to Delta SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio. You can use a card that best fits your budget and spending habits to maximize the number of SkyMiles you earn for future travel with Delta.
Be flexible with redemptions
Award flights are one of the best ways to use your SkyMiles, but you can get even more out of your miles with flexible dates.
Delta offers dynamic pricing that changes based on route, date and when you book. Before you book your award travel, try the booking tool on Delta’s website or app (select “My Dates Are Flexible” to see the different costs for a week or month around your preferred dates) to get a feel for how prices change on the days surrounding your travel.
The conclusion
Delta Air Lines has an extensive list of global partners that offer you the opportunity to earn miles and travel almost anywhere in the world with your SkyMiles.
If you love flying Delta, maximizing your SkyMiles earned will help you gain faster access to free award flights, upgrades, travel benefits and more. And when you’re ready to book, take the time to research the best option to make sure you’re getting the best redemption value possible.
Check out Bankrate’s Travel Toolkit for tips and tricks on how to make the most of your travel budget with a credit card.
