SkyMiles® - Delta Air Lines

Program Review

Delta Air Lines is a major American airline based at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia. More than 5,400 flights operated by the airline consist of 319 destinations across 54 counties on six different continents. Delta Air Lines is the oldest airline in the US and it's a part of the five main legacy carriers. SkyMiles, which is Delta Air’s frequent flyer program, offers a number of rewards and benefits for members and constant flyers.

SkyMiles Program

SkyMiles offers those who fly with Delta Air Lines a way to earn points/miles that can be redeemed for complimentary flights, hotel bookings, cabin upgrades, and a number of other things. It is important to know that there is a difference between SkyMiles and Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs). You have the opportunity to redeem award airline tickets using SkyMiles, at a time when MQMs can be used for determining your elite status tier qualification within the certain program.

There are a number of benefits associated with the various elite status tiers that you will learn about in this article.

Earning SkyMiles Points

There are multiple various ways and options to earn points using the Delta SkyMiles program. SkyMiles are earned according to the total cost of the ticket of flights, which includes the base bar, carries surcharges, and excluding government taxes and fees. You can earn as much as 75,000 SkyMiles on a single ticket. The number of miles that can be acquired ranges from 5 to 13. You're able to receive two bonus miles per each dollar spent when booking the flight using a special Delta SkyMiles credit card.

In addition, there's the possibility to receive points via partner flights being a SkyMiles member. You can earn as much as 75,000 miles per ticket based on the price of the ticket by flying with Delta Air Lines partners. However, the amount of miles that can be earned on partner-marketed flights always depends on the carrier. Partner carriers fall into four different groups: Group 1, which offers the most miles, while Group 4 offers the least.

Redeeming Mileage Points

Once you have accumulated a significant number of SkyMiles, you will, of course, want to find out about different ways on how to use and redeem the points. You can redeem your miles for free flights on Delta Air Lines as well as participating partner airlines. You also have the option of using your miles for cabin upgrades and various items in the SkyMiles marketplace. When you have enough SkyMiles accrued, you can book an award ticket on Delta or one of their partners.

You can only redeem reward flights through Delta.com or a Delta Air Lines ticket agent, whether it is in person or over the phone. It's important to mention that any changes of departure and arrival airports, route, date, time should be made at least 72 hours before the original departure time. This way, the provided miles remain the same. The program members are welcome to use your miles to a book a flight on Delta Air Lines, all SkyTeam Global Alliance Partners, and other SkyMiles partners.

You can book your awards flight on the official Delta website by simply filling out a form that details your travel plans (department/arrival locations, number of passengers, travel dates, etc.) Once you have filled out this information, click the Find Flights button to find flights that you can use with the miles you’ve earned as a SkyMiles member.

Routing Rules

As of 2015, Delta no longer allows stopovers or open jaws for award tickets. 

Redeem on Upgrades

Those who become SkyMiles members will be able to upgrade their cabin class on a flight with points they have accrued in this program. You will first need to book your flight on Delta’s website, then select your Main Cabin ticket. The program members will automatically get the opportunity to upgrade in your trip summary using miles, in case the reservation is still eligible. Note that all flights need to be reserved within the United States, and flights must also be on Delta or a Delta Connection carrier.

Booking Fees & Charges

There are some booking fees that you might encounter as a SkyMiles member, including a $200 fee for changing flights, and a $150 fee for reinstating award tickets. If you book a flight too late, you will not face any fees for the service.

Elite Levels

There are two different types of membership: the basic SkyMiles program and the Medallion elite membership. When signing up for the Delta Air Lines SkyMiles program for the first time, become a part of the basic program by default. You will be able to qualify for the Silver Medallion status or even higher after accruing enough Medallion Qualification miles, segments, or dollars within a year. Note that the more Medallion Qualification points you collect, the higher status you're able to achieve.

The MQM requirements for each tier are as follows:

• 25,000 for Silver Medallion status
• 50,000 for Gold Medallion status
• 75,000 for Platinum Medallion status
• 125,000 for Diamond Medallion status

Benefits of SkyMiles Program

While it is true that Delta Air’s frequent flyer program might have some strict rules regarding stopovers, there are still plenty of other benefits to consider. One of the best things about this program is that it is so easy to earn miles/points when flying to your destinations through Delta or one of their partner airlines. There are also lots of different benefits associated with moving up the Elite Status ladder, including priority waitlist status and preferred seating.

This means that you will receive waitlist status when your preferred class of service is not available. There are numerous seats set aside in the Main Cabin for eligible passengers, including Delta Medallion members. Diamond, Platinum, and Gold Medallion members have access to frequent traveler security lines in select airports all over the world as well as the opportunity to take advantage of priority boarding.