{"id":148280,"date":"2024-01-28T12:00:16","date_gmt":"2024-01-28T12:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=148280"},"modified":"2026-04-08T13:52:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T13:52:51","slug":"wheels-up-partnership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/delta-skymiles\/wheels-up-partnership\/","title":{"rendered":"Score 35K Bonus SkyMiles, Delta Elite Status With Private Flights"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you're going to fly private, you might as well bank some extra rewards while you're doing it. Through Delta's partnership with Wheels Up, you can earn 35,000 SkyMiles by signing up for a Core membership. You can even spend your way to Diamond Medallion status two times over.<\/p>\n

Here's what you should know about this unique but expensive path to Delta Medallion status.<\/p>\n

Earn Delta Status and Bonus SkyMiles by Flying Wheels Up<\/span><\/h2>\n

Wheels Up offers private jet service on demand. Members and non-members alike can book charter flights through the Wheels Up mobile app or website, roll up to the airport, and fly without the hassle of commercial air travel. But of particular interest in this post is the value proposition of signing up for a Core membership. There's a unique Delta angle.<\/p>\n

Outside of extended benefits \u2014 such as guaranteed jets, access to special events, and discounted deadhead flights \u2014 the main draw of picking a membership tier is the ability to book travel at capped hourly rates. Flight pricing is dynamic, but members don't have to deal with uncapped hourly rates like non-members do.<\/p>\n

Wheels Up features three membership levels<\/a> with varying degrees of perks and price points: Connect, Core, and Business. We'll focus entirely on the Core tier, as it's the key to unlocking Delta elite status and earning a sum of Delta SkyMiles<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Wheels
Credit: Wheels Up<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

Wheels Up Core membership<\/span><\/h3>\n

On price alone, Core memberships<\/a> are the premium of the two consumer-level tiers. To join, you'll be on the hook for a $17,500 initiation fee and annual dues of $8,500 starting in year two. Or, if you purchase a Fund, which means depositing a large sum of money into a “bank account” to seamlessly pay for Wheels Up (and even Delta) flights, you can drop the initiation fee to $9,500.<\/p>\n

Yes, those are astronomical prices to pay before even stepping on an airplane, but if we had to guess, those looking at private jet flights likely have the cash to bankroll an initiation fee. It only gets more expensive from here.<\/p>\n

Core members can enjoy nationwide service, as well as access to select destinations in Canada and the Bahamas. The rates you'll pay depend on the airplane. As a Core member, you can choose from five aircraft categories, but larger jets will always carry a higher price tag.<\/p>\n

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Wheels Up Core membership service areas. Credit: Wheels Up<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

The Delta angle<\/span><\/h3>\n

Delta owns a portion of Wheels Up, so the rewards for signing up for a Core membership make sense. After enrolling and paying the initiation fee, you'll earn 35,000 SkyMiles as a welcome gift. And on each renewal, you'll earn 15,000 SkyMiles.<\/p>\n

On average, AwardWallet users redeem Delta SkyMiles for 1.34\u00a2 apiece<\/a>, which makes 35,000 miles worth about $480 towards award travel. The 15,000 miles you get from renewing are worth around $205.<\/p>\n

While bonus miles are great, the real rewards of signing up for Core come from complimentary Delta Medallion status. Each year as a member, you can earn Delta status based on your Wheels Up spending. Even better, if you deposit into a fund, you can also use that money to cover Delta flights.<\/p>\n

Here's a look at the Delta elite status you can earn through Wheels Up spending in a calendar year:<\/p>\n