How Much Are Delta SkyMiles Worth? (And How to Maximize Their Value)

In the travel world, Delta SkyMiles are sometimes thought to be less valuable than other airline loyalty points. That may have previously been the case, but times are changing. The value of Delta SkyMiles is incredible to those of us who know how to maximize their power.

What is the Delta SkyMiles program?

Delta SkyMiles is the airline loyalty program for Delta Air Lines. It's free to join Delta SkyMiles, and it costs nothing to stay a member. Program members can earn rewards and achieve elite status as they fly and spend with Delta and its partner airlines. Typically, the more you fly with Delta, the more rewards and benefits you’ll receive, such as entry to earlier Delta boarding zones.

What are SkyMiles?

SkyMiles are the mileage currency for Delta's frequent flyers. Members earn miles from both flying and spending with Delta partners. SkyMiles can be redeemed for flights, upgrades to First Class seating as well as other classes, vacation packages, experiences, and more. Unlike some other airline miles, Delta SkyMiles won’t expire even if you haven't flown recently.

How do you earn Delta SkyMiles?

If you're interested in earning Delta SkyMiles, you have several options. The traditional method is earning miles by purchasing flights, but that’s no longer the only way to rack up the miles. Here are some other options:

• Delta Vacations: Earn up to 5,000 bonus miles per person when you book a bundled flight and hotel getaway package.
• SkyMiles Cruises: Receive at least 1,500 miles on any cruise booking and up to 30,000 miles when you book a balcony or stateroom.
• Airline Partners: When you fly with any of Delta’s partner airlines, you can credit your flights to Delta to earn SkyMiles.
• Hotels and Airbnb: Earn one SkyMile for every $1 spent with Airbnb or when booking through Delta’s hotel portal. Delta also partners with a variety of hotel chains, so you can earn miles when booking direct if you link your SkyMiles account.
• Car partners: Whether you’re renting a car or using a rideshare service, you can earn valuable SkyMiles. Delta partners with nine rental car companies and one rideshare (Lyft).
• Shopping and dining: Link your credit and debit cards to your SkyMiles account to earn miles when dining at participating restaurants. Use the Delta online shopping portal for even more rewards.
• Convert partner points: Redeem your points from other loyalty programs for Delta SkyMiles. Certain hotel, bank, and rental car points can be converted into SkyMiles.

• Credit cards: Co-branded Delta credit cards offer miles for every purchase you make. This could include bonus miles on common expenses, such as dining or groceries.

One thing that doesn’t earn you SkyMiles? Booking a ticket for someone else. If you buy a ticket for someone else, the passenger's account will earn the miles, not the purchaser’s.

Why elite status matters when earning SkyMiles

Delta Air Lines rewards its travelers with miles based on the amount they spend on tickets. The more you spend, the more miles you earn. Similarly, Delta wants to reward you for your loyalty, so the perks add up as you move up the loyalty ladder. Delta refers to these statuses as Medallion Tiers.

For example, if you’re a basic SkyMiles member, you’ll earn five miles per $1 spent on your flight, while a Diamond Medallion member will earn more than twice as much (11 miles per dollar).

Based on your elite status as well as the class and price of your ticket, you could earn up to 75,000 Delta SkyMiles per ticket. Keep in mind that you’ll only earn miles based on the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges. Any government-imposed taxes and fees are excluded from earning miles.

How do I earn Delta elite status?

Delta measures your “loyalty” based on how much you fly and how much you spend. Delta created an acronym to measure how much you spend: Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs).

MQDs are based on the base fare and any carrier-imposed surcharges. Government-imposed taxes and fees are not included in the MQD calculation. Paid upgrades for First Class, Delta Comfort+, Preferred Seats, and Premium made through a Delta channel are included in MQDs. 

Other Delta purchases, such as baggage fees, Priority Boarding, and inflight food and beverages, don’t qualify. Spending on certain Delta co-branded credit cards can help you earn an MQD Headstart or MQD Boost — more on that later.

The following chart explains what’s required for each status level. You must meet the miles or segments requirement as well as the dollars spent requirement to achieve each level.

How much are Delta SkyMiles worth?

Delta eliminated its award chart in 2015 and moved to variable pricing on award tickets (i.e., the flights you redeem your SkyMiles for). Because of this change, the valuation of SkyMiles varies. The value you get out of your SkyMiles will change depending on the award you book.

You can easily calculate the redemption value of your SkyMiles by dividing a flight’s dollar cost by the number of miles you would have to redeem for the same flight. That will tell you the number of cents each SkyMile is worth. For example, if a $400 flight would cost 20,000 SkyMiles, that means those SkyMiles are worth two cents each.

On average, your Delta SkyMiles will be worth 1.1 cents each. Keep this number in mind when researching award redemptions. If you’re getting less than 1.1 cents per mile, you aren’t getting the best use of your SkyMiles, and you should consider redeeming using another airline's miles or using cash to buy your ticket.

An example of a Delta flight redemption

It’s important to check both the cash price and award price of flights across different dates when looking to make an award redemption. This will help you figure out how much value you’re getting for your miles. For example, let’s say you want to visit New York City in the fall. If you’re coming from Las Vegas, Nevada, you might find round-trip flights for as few as 14,000 miles.

Switching the price to cash instead of miles shows the same flight would be $217 in Basic Economy. If you divide $217 by 14,000, your rewards value is about 1.5 cents per mile, which is above average.

But what if you look at different dates? If you look at the Monday instead of Tuesday, the award price more than quadruples to 57,500. This is in part because all the Basic Economy tickets are sold out, so the next cheapest option is the Main Cabin.

Your cash price for this flight would be $597. If you divide that by 57,500, you get about 1 cent per mile, which is slightly below average and a much worse value compared with the first example.

The original cash price of $217 more than doubled to $597 in the second example and the award price more than quadrupled from 14,000 to 57,500. If you can keep your dates flexible, it pays to look around and get more mileage from your rewards.

What can you get for your Delta SkyMiles?

Members of Delta SkyMiles have many options when it comes to redeeming miles. The most popular redemption is to book a Delta Air Lines flight. However, you’re missing out on fantastic experiences if you don't explore your other options.

• Delta Air Lines flights: Book a flight anywhere Delta flies using your miles
• Upgrade your ticket: Pay for your eligible flight with cash, then use SkyMiles to upgrade to First Class or other class tickets
• Current Deals: Limited-time deals available throughout the year
• SkyMiles Deals: Discounted award flights between specific cities
• SkyTeam partner flights: 18 additional airlines where you can redeem SkyMiles for flights
• Sky Club lounge membership: Enjoy airport lounges when you fly Delta or one of its partner airlines
• Delta Vacations: Bundled vacations that include flight, hotel, and car rental
• Pay for fees: Instead of paying cash for ticket fees, use your Delta SkyMiles
• SkyMiles Experiences: Unique experiences only available for SkyMiles members
• Gift, transfer, or donate SkyMiles: Share the wealth with others who want to travel. Be aware that there may be fees associated with these options, so you may be better off just booking their flight from your account.

If you need some inspiration for how to use your SkyMiles, consider these options with Delta and its partners:

Delta one-way domestic flights for 10,000 miles or fewer

Round-trip flights to Cancun, Mexico, for 32,000 miles or fewer

This one is 20,000 miles out of Salt Lake City, Utah, in September.

This one is 28,000 miles out of Salt Lake City, Utah, in March.

Fly to Canada at reasonable rates

Fly one-way business class to the Middle East for 85,000 miles

As you become more familiar with SkyMiles and Delta’s partner airlines, you'll discover even more options to redeem your miles.

Additional airlines you can fly using Delta SkyMiles

Delta Air Lines is a member of the SkyTeam Alliance. As part of this alliance, Delta SkyMiles members can earn or redeem miles with any of its partner airlines. When booking a cash ticket on these airlines, you may credit your flight to Delta SkyMiles to earn miles toward your next redemption.

Member airlines include:

• Aeroflot
• Aerolineas Argentinas
• AeroMexico
• Air Europa
• Air France
• Alitalia
• Cape Air
• China Airlines
• China Eastern Airlines
• Czech Airlines
• Garuda Indonesia
• Kenya Airways
• KLM
• Korean Air
• LATAM Airlines
• Middle East Airlines
• Saudia Airlines
• TAROM
• Vietnam Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• Virgin Australia
  
• WestJet
• XiamenAir

Transfer partners with Delta SkyMiles

When you earn points in hotel and bank loyalty programs that partner with Delta, you can transfer those points to Delta SkyMiles to redeem for flights and more. Below are the hotel and credit card loyalty programs that allow you to transfer to Delta.

Marriott Bonvoy points transfer

Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to Delta SkyMiles at a rate of 3:1. This means you'll need to transfer 60,000 Bonvoy points to receive 20,000 Delta SkyMiles. But for every 60,000-point increment you transfer, you'll receive an extra 5,000 airline miles. So you'll actually receive 25,000 Delta SkyMiles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 20,000 Delta SkyMiles + 5,000 bonus miles

You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points from several different rewards credit cards:

• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card: A luxury credit card with a $650 annual fee, up to a $300 annual dining credit (up to $25 per month), an annual free night worth up to 85,000 points, and complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status.
  Current welcome bonus: Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after spending $6,000 in purchases in the first 6 months 
• Marriott Bonvoy Business^® American Express^® Card: A small business credit card with a $125 annual fee, complimentary Gold Elite status, up to two free nights each year based on your spending. 
  Current welcome bonus: Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months (redemption level valued at up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points each for eligible stays); Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply. 
  
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card: A personal credit card that gives you automatic Silver Elite status; one free night each year up to 35,000 points.
  Current welcome bonus: Earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening

Additionally, Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer on a 1:1 basis to Marriott Bonvoy. The Ultimate Rewards points you transfer to Marriott Bonvoy can then be converted into Delta SkyMiles to quickly build up your mileage balance. You can earn and transfer Ultimate Rewards points from one of these three credit cards:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve^®: A luxury travel credit card with a $300 annual travel credit that earns 5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 3X points on other travel and dining & 1X points per dollar on all other purchases. 
  Current welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening 
  
• Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card: A travel credit card that earns 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases.
  Current welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening (that's worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel). Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year 
  
• Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card: A small business credit card that earns 3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year; and 1X points per $1 on all other purchases.
  Current welcome bonus: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening 
  

Marriott Bonvoy Travel Packages

When you redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for Marriott Travel Packages, you receive a combination of airline miles and a one-week stay at a Marriott hotel. Packages start at 255,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for a one-week stay in a Category 1-4 hotel and also come with 50,000 airline miles. Marriott Travel Packages are a better redemption for Delta SkyMiles than a straight exchange of Bonvoy points to Delta miles because it will cost fewer Bonvoy points for the same amount of SkyMiles.

For example, let’s say you want to go on a one-week vacation in a Category 4 Marriott hotel. According to the Marriott Bonvoy award chart, standard Category 4 hotel nights are 25,000 points each. Seven nights would normally cost 175,000 Bonvoy points (7 x 25,000). However, Marriott gives members the fifth night free on award reservations, so a one-week stay will only cost 150,000 Bonvoy points (7 x 25,000 - 25,000 = 150,000). So, you can redeem 150,000 Bonvoy points for the room, plus exchange another 120,000 Bonvoy points for 50,000 Delta SkyMiles for your flights. Your hotel stay and miles for flights would be a total of 270,000 Bonvoy points.

Or you could redeem 255,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for a Travel Package. This package gives you a one-week Category 1-4 stay, plus 50,000 Delta SkyMiles. Since we know the hotel room value is 150,000 points, that means our SkyMiles only cost us 105,000 points. By booking a Travel Package, you’ll receive the same vacation for 15,000 fewer Marriott Bonvoy points.

American Express Membership Rewards points

You can also transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to build up your Delta SkyMiles balance. Points transfer on a 1:1 basis from Membership Rewards to SkyMiles.

There are many personal and small business American Express rewards cards that earn Membership Rewards points, including the following:

• Amex EveryDay^® Preferred Credit Card: Earn a 20% bonus when you use your card 20 or more times per billing period.
• American Express^® Gold Card: Earn 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, after that 1X), 4X at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X), 3X on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com, 2X on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com, and 1X on all other eligible purchases .
• The Platinum Card^® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley: Centurion Lounge access and 5X points per dollar spent on eligible airfare (on up to $500,000 per calendar year, after that 1X) and hotel purchases, and 1X points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
• The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Earn 2X Membership Rewards points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points on eligible purchases after that with a $0 annual fee.

Just keep in mind that there's a small fee when transferring Amex points to partner airlines. The fee is $0.0006 per point you transfer, with a maximum fee of $99. This means an exchange of 100,000 Membership Rewards points to 100,000 Delta SkyMiles would result in a fee of $60.00. Alternatively, you can use your Membership Rewards to pay the fee. In this example, paying the fee would cost me 12,000 points.

Earn more Delta SkyMiles with these credit cards

Delta Air Lines partnered with the credit card issuer American Express to offer co-branded airline credit cards. There are many options for both consumers and small businesses to earn Delta SkyMiles using these credit cards:

• Delta SkyMiles^® Blue American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card
  
• Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card
  
• Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card
  
• Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card
  
• Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve Business American Express Card
  

Delta SkyMiles^® Blue American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles^® Blue American Express Card is one of the best travel credit cards for travelers who want to earn Delta SkyMiles for their purchases but don't have plans to fly over the next year. This $0-annual-fee credit card earns 2X miles on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and 1X miles on all other eligible purchases. Additionally, it provides a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food and beverages.

Read our Delta SkyMiles^® Blue American Express Card review.

Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card

If you plan on flying at least once this year, the Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card is a great starter credit card. You'll receive your first checked bag free and earn 2X miles on qualifying Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S supermarkets; and 1X miles per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. You'll pay a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $150 per year thereafter annual fee. Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months.

Read our Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card review.

Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card is ideal for travelers looking to earn or maintain status with Delta. In addition to getting your first checked bag free and Zone 5 priority boarding, you can receive $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart. 

Cardholders also receive an Annual Companion Certificate each year when they renew. These certificates allow you to bring a companion on Main Cabin round-trip flight within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for round-trip domestic flights and no more than $250 for round-trip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply.

Read our Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card review.

Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card

If you’re a frequent Delta traveler who wants to maximize your ability to earn MQDs and gain entry to the Delta Sky Club airport lounges, the Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card is probably the best airline credit card for you. You can also enjoy complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight. You will receive four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year. After that, you may bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 per person, per location. You'll also have access to American Express Centurion Lounges.

Cardholders also enjoy the same perks as the other Delta credit cards, such as your first checked bag free, Zone 5 priority boarding, and an Annual Companion Certificate. Additionally, you can boost your elite status with the ability to receive $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.

Read our Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card review.

Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card

Small business owners who want to earn Delta SkyMiles for personal or business use should look into the Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card. It’s similar to the personal version with free checked bags, Zone 5 priority boarding, and 2X miles on eligible purchases at Delta and restaurants, and on eligible U.S. shipping purchases and eligible U.S. advertising in select media up to $50,000 per category, per year. It has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $150 per year thereafter.

Read our Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card review.

Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card offers the same benefits as the Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card, plus an annual miles boost to help you reach or maintain elite status. Cardholders can get closer to elevated Status next Medallion® Year with MQD Headstart and MQD Boost: you can receive $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $20 of purchases with your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card. If you value Delta SkyMiles status, you'll want to pay the $350 annual fee for this card.

Read our Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card review.

Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve Business American Express Card

This premium business credit card offers the same benefits as the Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card. The big difference is that with the Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve Business American Express Card, cardholders can add employees as authorized users to earn even more points while also keeping track of employee spending.

Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve Business American Express Card users will love having complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club airport lounge when they fly with Delta or one of its partners, and you'll also receive four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year so you can share the experience with others when you're traveling together.

Read our Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve Business American Express Card review.

Things to remember when flying using Delta SkyMiles

By now, you're realizing the value and power of Delta SkyMiles in your travel wallet. When earning and spending Delta SkyMiles, remember these tips:

• When you register your Delta credit card with SkyMiles Dining, also register all your other credit cards. This way, no matter which credit card you use to pay your tab at participating restaurants, you'll earn extra SkyMiles.
• Use the flexible award calendar. As we showed in the example above, you can save a lot of miles when booking award flights if you have flexibility in your travel dates. Delta's award search tool shows the lowest prices available when you depart and arrive on dates surrounding your desired travel dates.
• Unlike its competitors, Delta doesn’t charge you a close-in booking fee when booking an award flight within 21 days of departure. American Airlines and United Airlines, for example, both charge $75 to use your miles when booking so close to the start of your trip.
• It’s okay to book one-way tickets. If you don't have enough miles for a round-trip ticket, you can book one-way using Delta SkyMiles and then use cash or another airline's loyalty program to book your return flight.

As you can see, Delta SkyMiles offer tremendous value as an addition to your travel strategy. If you're not already a member, consider signing up today. Then start your process of earning miles with Delta’s co-branded or transfer partner credit cards so you can book your next vacation using SkyMiles.

Commonly asked questions

Additional contributions by Ben Walker.

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Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card

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Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card

Learn How to Apply

See rates and fees | Terms Apply

Current Offer

Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months

Annual Fee

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, $150 per year thereafter

Rewards Rate

2X miles on qualifying Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S supermarkets; and 1X miles per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Up to $300 in potential annual statement credits
• Eligible for 15% off reward redemptions
• First checked bag free and priority boarding

Drawbacks

• Has an annual fee after the first year
• Lack of flexibility with rewards
• No path to elite status

Card Details

• Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months
• 2X miles on qualifying Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S supermarkets; and 1X miles per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
• Terms apply