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Over the years, we’ve had no shortage of complaints about Delta SkyMiles, and most of them have been well-earned. From blocking AwardWallet users from remotely accessing their account details (don’t worry, we’ve got a workaround below) to constantly shifting the rules for earning elite status, Delta hasn’t exactly made loyalty easy. And that’s before you even factor in the sky-high award prices that leave you wondering why you joined the SkyMiles program to begin with.
But SkyMiles still has plenty to offer frequent flyers, particularly those based around Delta hubs in Atlanta (ATL), Minneapolis (MSP), and Seattle (SEA).
Here's a look at some of the top reasons why it's still worth remaining loyal to Delta.
Page Contents
- A Full Stack of Delta Credit Cards and Top Transfer Partners
- Delta SkyMiles Don't Expire
- Award Flights as Low as 3,000 Miles (or Cheaper)
- Delta SkyMiles Flash Sales
- Best In-Flight Product and Service of the Big 3 U.S. Carriers
- Free Wi-Fi on Delta Flights
- Niche Partner Sweet Spots
- Solid Companion Ticket on Platinum and Reserve Delta Cards
- Delta SkyMiles Members Can Earn Miles on Airbnb Stays
- Final Thoughts
A Full Stack of Delta Credit Cards and Top Transfer Partners
Delta takes first place among the legacy carriers for the number of co-brand cards that earn SkyMiles. From the base Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card (Rates & Fees) through to Delta’s top-tier Reserve personal and business cards, Delta simply has a lot of cards to offer.
Delta's cards are issued by American Express, and presently, there are four personal cards you can apply for:
(Terms apply)
- 2X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 2X miles per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1X miles on all other eligible purchases
(Terms apply)
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 3X miles per dollar at hotels
- 2X miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X Miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
(Terms apply)
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1X miles on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
And three business credit cards:
(Terms apply)
- 2X miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta
- 2X miles per dollar on eligible U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (annual cap of $50,000 in eligible purchases)
- 2X miles per dollar on eligible U.S. shipping purchases (annual cap of $50,000 in eligible purchases)
- 2X miles per dollar on eligible dining purchases
- 1X miles per dollar on all other eligible purchases
(Terms apply)
- 3X miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta
- 3X miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases with hotels
- 1.5x miles on eligible purchases over $5,000 (up to 50,000 bonus miles annually)
- 1.5X miles on eligible transit and U.S. shipping purchases*
- 1X miles per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1.5X miles per dollar on eligible transit, U.S. shipping, and U.S. office supply store purchases, plus all eligible purchases after spending $150K per calendar year
- 1 mile on every dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
While you can only earn the welcome bonus once per Delta card, these offers are especially appealing for anyone who’s over Chase's infamous 5/24 threshold. Remember, American Express business cards don’t count toward your 5/24 total — making them a strategic choice for travelers who want to earn bonus miles without locking themselves out of a Chase bonus.
With that said, Amex’s family rules may limit your eligibility for welcome bonuses on multiple Delta cards since your ability to earn them can depend on the order in which you apply.
SkyMiles members can also transfer points from Amex Membership Rewards at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio. That means 1,000 Amex points (or 3,000 Marriott points) would net you 1,000 Delta miles. Note that these transfers are only one-way; you can't transfer SkyMiles to Amex, Marriott, or any other programs.
Related: All Delta Credit Card Options, and How To Choose the Right Card for You
Delta SkyMiles Don't Expire
Each frequent flyer program has different rules around mileage expiry, including Delta. Delta SkyMiles don’t expire as long as your account is in good standing. That means you don't have to worry about losing your Delta SkyMiles due to a lack of activity (or attention).
However, we don’t advocate storing miles in your account for extended periods. Miles might get less valuable over time, as Delta has previously devalued redemptions without warning.
You can use AwardWallet to keep track of your Delta miles — and the expiration of other programs' miles.
Track your points and miles expiration for 630+ loyalty programs and get email alerts before your miles expire by signing up for a free AwardWallet account.
Award Flights as Low as 3,000 Miles (or Cheaper)
Short-haul domestic awards are available for as low as 2,700 miles each way on Delta. For example, you can purchase a flight from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Las Vegas (LAS) for only a few thousand miles.
If you have a Delta credit card that's eligible for the TakeOff 15 benefit, you can save an additional 15% off the top of most Delta-operated awards. That discount is automatically applied when cardmembers search for flights:
Delta SkyMiles Flash Sales
Delta also provides incredible value through its flash sales. These sales typically come unannounced and only last a few days, but often come with great prices for round-trip economy tickets.
One recent example is Delta's sale on award redemptions from Hawaii to Tokyo, with redemptions starting at only 19,000 miles in economy. For cardmembers with the TakeOff 15 benefit, the cost was only 16,100 SkyMiles one-way!
Related: When Does It Make Sense to Buy Delta SkyMiles?
Best In-Flight Product and Service of the Big 3 U.S. Carriers
Delta’s mileage program might frustrate points and miles enthusiasts, but the airline has clearly invested in maintaining a competitive edge domestically. In recent years, Delta has rolled out roomier overhead bins, upgraded its seats, refreshed its onboard menu, and introduced sleek new Delta One Suites on international routes.
Of the major U.S. airlines, Delta is also the most reliable. Delta consistently boasts one of the highest on-time arrival rates of any U.S. airline, according to federal data. Aviation analytics company Cirium also ranked Delta the most on-time airline in the U.S. in 2024 — and third in the world. It’s clear the airline is putting more emphasis on the in-flight experience than on the rewards we earn for choosing it.
Related: How To Fly Lay-Flat Delta One Business Class Seats Within the U.S.
Free Wi-Fi on Delta Flights
There's one major benefit to flying with Delta these days: Free Wi-Fi on Delta flights.
In January 2023, Delta announced its plans to offer free Wi-Fi for SkyMiles members. These days, you can expect to connect for free on many Delta flights, especially if you're flying within the U.S. Delta's entire domestic mainline fleet is now Wi-Fi-equipped, as are most of its transatlantic jets. The airline is expanding its fast, free Wi-Fi service to routes flying to South America and continuing to outfit its regional jets, according to the latest update.
While you still won't get free Wi-Fi on every single Delta flight, compared to its competitors, Delta is way ahead of the game.
Niche Partner Sweet Spots
You can certainly find outsized value for your SkyMiles flying Delta itself. But there are also some valuable sweet spots redeeming SkyMiles on its partner airlines.
While Delta usually prices partner awards dynamically, WestJet redemptions follow a more consistent pattern with solid value. Many routes between the U.S. and Canada price at 12,500 SkyMiles or less each way, like this flight from Nashville (BNA) to Toronto (YYZ), for example.
The Canadian low-cost carrier has a surprisingly extensive network of routes throughout North America and beyond. These flights can offer some great value to Delta loyalists looking to redeem their SkyMiles.
There are also some worthwhile SkyMiles redemptions flying SkyTeam partner airlines like Korean Air. Award flights between South Korea and Japan can be incredibly cheap. You can book flights between South Korea and Japan are just between Seoul (ICH) and Tokyo-Narita (NRT) or even down to Okinawa (OKA) for 7,500 SkyMiles each way.
You may even be able to find a deal flying Korean Air business class down to southeast Asia for 40,000 SkyMiles and about $19 in taxes and fees each way. Not bad for a six-hour flight.
These are just a few examples of the value you can find redeeming SkyMiles on Delta's partner airlines outside the U.S.
Related: The Best Ways To Redeem Delta SkyMiles for Great Value
Solid Companion Ticket on Platinum and Reserve Delta Cards
SkyMiles members with the Platinum Delta Amex, Delta Business Platinum Amex, Delta Reserve, or Business Delta Reserve receive a Delta Companion Certificate each year that you renew your card.
- The Platinum Delta Amex and Delta Business Platinum Amex Companion Certificate is valid for one round-trip flight in Delta Main.
- The Delta Reserve and Business Delta Reserve Companion Certificate is valid for one round-trip flight in Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main.
The certificate includes round-trip flights to the continental United States, Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. You'll pay just the government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments).
Related: How To Earn and Use a Delta Companion Certificate
Delta SkyMiles Members Can Earn Miles on Airbnb Stays
Earning Delta miles on Airbnb stays may not be a big deal for most folks, but it can provide a quick way to rack up a considerable number of Delta miles. On most bookings, you'll earn a standard 1 SkyMile per dollar, though promotions occasionally boost the rate to 3X SkyMiles per dollar spent. See the program's terms and conditions for details.
If you're partial to Airbnb stays instead of hotels, earning SkyMiles is an easy way to reward your travels since Airbnb doesn't have its own loyalty program.
Final Thoughts
Although points and miles enthusiasts may look past Delta SkyMiles because of its previous devaluations and inflated award costs for premium cabins, there is still value in the program. In addition, Delta offers a top in-flight experience for both domestic and international travel.
Delta’s current Amex welcome offers are an easy way to boost your SkyMiles balance with a generous number of miles and a relatively low spending requirement. These cards also come with valuable perks like an annual Companion Certificate, discounts on award tickets, and free checked bags. And if you need to top off your balance, you can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points directly to Delta.
Looking for more Delta SkyMiles content? Check out the following:
- The Unofficial Delta SkyMiles Award Chart for Flights from the U.S.
- The Complete Guide to Delta Air Lines’ Partners
- Delta Gold Medallion: Bonus SkyMiles, Complimentary Upgrades, and Free Checked Bags
- What Is a Delta Medallion Qualification Dollar and How Do You Earn It?
- Delta Bags Delayed? Get 2,500 Bonus SkyMiles Each Time It Takes More Than 20 Minutes
- Delta SkyMiles Members Receive Discounted CLEAR Membership
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Every now and then delta will surprise me with some real good redemption from NYC direct competive routes against Jetblue
Just looking up AirBNB bonus offers, and this one seems okay. Thanks for pointing it out.
When I’ve had delays, cancellations or booking errors, Delta reps have always been very helpful.
I really like the fact that the miles do not expire !
How do you take advantage of the Airbnb / Delta bonus miles? I recently booked flights for my next vacation on Delta, and getting additional miles by booking my accommodation through Airbnb sounds like a great way to rack up more miles for our next family trip. Thanks!
Skymiles can go a long way toward business class seats on international flights. I recommend checking out inventory on Korean Air for flights to Asia.
Those little private suites for business class look awesome!
Thank you. That’s good to know if I have a short notice desire for a flight. And, since Delta miles do’t expire., I guess I can save them for a rainy day, and hopefully they don’t get devalued along the way.
The thing that helps me out with Delta is that there is no last minute booking charges. I almost got stuck over night due to weather my choices were a last minute fee by one airline of ‘$150 for 2 of us or Delta with no last minute fee. I obviously took the Delta flight.
I really like the non-expiration that Delta offers, however, much harder to earn points if you don’t have a Delta Credit card.
One cannot but be impresses by DL’s route map. Just about any destination you have in mind, one way or another, DL can get you there.
I hadn’t heard about earning miles for Airbnb. Thanks for sharing.
Register again with a different email and add your DL FFN?
My experience – AA versus Delta. Recently I flew business class BKK-NY on JAL (AA award) for 70K miles. Delta is 80K. Also last year flew NY to SNA (Santa Ana CA) on Delta business class for 55K. Return SNA-NY business class on AA was 45K. True Delta is far from useless but for me better value with AA awards.
Wish I had known the AirBnb Delta info sooner. Recently registered with them and booked my first stay. I would have loved the bonus Delta miles.
Howie, I agree. Delta service overall is a lot better than United. Do you know if card bonuses are allowed again (I thought AmEx allowed only one bonus offer in lifetime). Thanks.
Amex bonuses are one per lifetime unless you receive and/or have an offer that excludes the “once per lifetime language” in the terms/conditions.
thanks for the info!
Without an award chart it’s extremely difficult to plan major trips around Delta, unless I guess you had a giant surplus of points from a signup bonus. All airlines are like this, but Delta is even less transparent. I didn’t have a lot of Skymiles to begin with but I was happy enough to get to use it on a recent short-haul.
I’m seriously considering switching from Flying Blue and making Delta my main Skyteam program. As quite an infrequent Skyteam flyer, I like the non-expiry of miles.
Love that miles don’t expire
The fact that the miles doesn’t expire is a nice perk.
Especially for people not doing lots of activities.
I took delta for the first time in years last month – the economy class has gotten a lot better – comfy seats, clean planes = not bad!
I just have to disagree. Anything that has to do with the skymiles program is waste of time.
Sorry you feel this way — but I think you’re missing out. Maybe not as a primary program, but as a filler, it can be quite useful. Much in the same way that I use AA.
Yes, good policy to rank your FF programs for your personal situation and then check back in a couple years’ time.
Good Point with the Question whether one can trust any Program lately – if you’d ask me, I’d say “no” – there so many changes and obstacles…Its not of much use nowadays, sadly.
I didn’t know about the ahort haul 5,000 miles awards, they could actually be really useful!
If only DL stops killing the award flight redemption rates…then I’d be going out of my way to fly DL.
Thank you! Very useful information!
Ehhhh….not a fan of Delta.
I gladly fly the Southwest cattle car and enjoy their friendly FAs.
Delta reps at PBI always seem to have a chip on their shoulders…like they are doing you a favor by assisting you.
Comes from the corporate culture, I’m sure. Probably like that from the top down….
Need Delta to increase their presence at SJC, SNA, SFO, LAS!
I can’t get past the no award chart thing.
Doesn’t look too bad, actually.
I do not fly Delta very often, however I do carry the Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card to avoid baggage fees.
If I had the Gold Amex card before, would I be eligible for the 10,000 miles on the Blue card?
Yes, you would.
How about: if I don’t fly Delta out of the tiny upper midwest airport that they have a monopoly on, I have to drive 5 hours to an airport that their is competition.
Delta has certainly made some improvements and like everything, there are sweet spots. I never discount anyone when considering travel options, especially as someone fairly close to a Delta hub.
Thanks for the reminders. I agree!
I often don’t check Delta for awards but thank goodness I did recently. Needed a flight from CPH to ORD and they had the perfect flight time for a reasonable redemption.
How about doing a few articles on or about other airlines?
We’ve got them, but we’ll add some more to our post queue. Delta is particularly relevant now given the up to 100% signup bonus increases offered on their credit cards
I’ve been receiving targeted offers for the DL Gold Personal & Biz cards that do not contain the ‘one bonus per lifetime’ language. Since I’ve held both cards in the past, and because I have goals different than collecting Skypes…um, er, Skymiles, I have not pulled the trigger on an app. However, I’m interested to know if anyone has been in a similar situation, applied, and received the bonus a second time?
Thanks for all the info. For me, the best benefit of Delta and JetBlue) is that their miles don;t expire, even if you risk them being devalued.
When you live in Atlanta, DL is almost the only choice available. Finding the crease in their systems and policies are a challenge when you want to fly DL First or Delta One. So far the best value is using AMEX MR points via an AMEX Biz card and getting the 33%-50% rebate.
Delta seem to have really upped their game from a few years ago
Hi Sam,
I am an EU resident and a LH Star Alliance Member,
Your Credit card recommendations are mainly for US Citizen.
Do you have a recommendation for a Credit card with Which I can collect and maximise
my Miles & More (as a European Citizen)?
Thank you in advance
Ben, sorry, we don’t know enough about card products or exactly how the credit card systems in Europe work to make a recommendation that we can stand behind.
Keep in mind when flying Delta, they have gogoinflight and if you have T-mobile that’s free internet while in-flight!
1 hour for free — free texting for everyone though!
Operations are good but certainly not Skypesos.
Operations are good, but award availability is the worst among US carriers.
good point, and that what I use to balance out the advantage of never expiring.
I live in PHX and DL does not have a huge presence here, sadly.
The no expiration policy is great, but from my home airport, I find delta airfares are much higher than the other airlines.
I wanted to hate skypesos for so long but ended up with a stash with them as the Delta gold was my first amex card a year ago (wanted to app for something easy to get approved for). I’ve been using them for N American flights so far and I have to admit I’ve been pleasantly surprised. No close in ticketing fee, and as long as I booked at least 3-4 months ahead the tickets were always LESS than 12.5k which is the standard saver price in general in the US. Heck even a flight from Canada was only 9k. Plus you get snacktime. I’m definitely considering to app one of the offers out currently since it is a great option for flying in the US.
Sorry, I mean booked 3-4 WEEKS. Not months.
$3800 round trip direct flights from LAX to New York are not a bargain even if the second seat is free
I’m not a Delta fan. Sorry, even the award program doesn’t strike me as a reason to fly them.
Have a friend who is delta gold and half the time doesn’t clear the “waitlist” for delta’s economy plus on long international flights. This never happens to me on united, as a gold member I get to pick my eco+ seat when I book.
As much as I distrust Delta lately, I must admit that Skymiles have nevertheless come in handy for me on more than one occasion.
Agreed. It’s fun to bash Delta, and I’m very glad we burned nearly all of our banked DL miles before the last unannounced devaluation. However, DL does have good availability from our little airport, so when their fares are the lowest, we do fly them. So it’s nice to be reminded that there remains some ‘good’ in the Skymiles program, and that earning DL miles isn’t a complete waste of time.
I do love the features of their no annual fee card. It does have some good earning potential without the annual fee.
I like the Delta SkyMiles don’t expire as long as your account is in good standing. I do not agree that other loyalty programs miles expire in certain. It is should be the same as money in your bank account. If no activities in your account, the money is still yours. There is no expiration of money. So there should not be expiry dates on the miles. The expiry dates clause is a rip off.
Delta has good availability to Canada so their miles are well worth earning. They also partner with Westjet who are currently working on a business class product for their new long haul aircraft. In the future this might be another good option for the use of Delta points.
Are they no longer known as skypesos?
Call them whatever you want — but saying they’re worthless is just foolish.
I don’t think DL has the best in-flight product among the 3 big US carriers.
IMHO AA’s new business class seats are better than DL’s new seats.
It doesn’t matter whether they come with doors…the seat itself it still not as good as AA’s.
I still like Delta, glad to see more reasons to stay with them!
Also, with airlines like United devaluing their snacks (no more of those waffle cookies in economy, only the cruddy “sSavory Snacks”, Delta still provides Biscoffs.
Delta sure has better service and in-flight experience than most others.
hmmm. you make me think a positive thought about Delta. Nice post!
Never flown Delta but availability seems a lot better than other carriers, then again with their devaluations who knows.
Thank you for the information.
This is a much better analysis of the benefits of Delta, instead of the usual “Skypesos” remarks. Makes me seriously consider applying for one of those Amex cards rather than staying with AA.
Two years ago I ranked my favorite airline and frequent flyer program 1) AA, 2) UA, and 3) DL. Now my perception has changed 1) DL, 2 UA, 3) AA
Right there with you 🙂
Thanks for sharing! Considering I live in a city which is a major Delta hub this is great.
not a big fan but sometimes a good value for short flights if you can find the 5k award tickets.
I don’t fly enough to have status with any airline, so I try to keep enough miles on hand from each of the main carriers. more options is always better, and sometimes, just sometimes, delta can be the best option.
My reason: Delta has a monopoly on the tiny airport I fly out of.
I agree with Howie’s above comment. You can’t really trust any award program? Is Delta the best? Probably not. But there can be value there if you live in a Delta-heavy area for sure.
Thanks for sharing!
SkyMiles is great for long haul awards ex the U.S. (as you mentioned, only 5$ for a oneway to Europe!)
And also amazing availability space for domestic flights!
I flew LAS-SEA earlier this year and revenue price was 170$ per person for a oneway, so quite steep.
Instead I used my DL miles (didn’t cost much) and there was award space on every single day of the month including several flights (and not just those early AM bird flights nobody wants to take)
Good to be reminded every once in a while
In the other hand can anyone trust the Skymiles program anymore?
Can anyone really trust ANY loyalty program?