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How to get priority boarding with Delta Air Lines
Get more space for your carry-on bags when you board early.
Delta priority boarding is a benefit that lets you board flights before general boarding groups. To use it, simply line up at the gate when the gate agent calls your group. Normally, Main Cabin 1 priority boarding costs $15. However, you can get the benefit — and perhaps board even earlier — through Delta credit cards, being a Delta Medallion Member and more.
Delta Boarding Order
| Boarding order | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Pre-Boarding | Customers needing assistance or additional time to board Active Duty U.S. Military personnel with ID |
| Delta One® | Delta One® customers Diamond Medallion® Members |
| First Class or Delta Premium Select | Delta Premium Select customers First Class customers Diamond Medallion® Members (if aircraft does not have a Delta One cabin) |
| Early boarding for customers traveling with carseats and strollers | |
| Delta Comfort+® | Delta Comfort+ customers |
| Sky Priority® | Platinum Medallion® members Gold Medallion® members Flying Blue Platinum and Gold members Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members Virgin Australia Platinum and Gold members GOL Smiles Diamond members SkyTeam® Elite Plus members |
| Main Cabin 1 | Silver Medallion® Members Delta Corporate Travelers Priority Boarding Trip Extra customers Cardmembers with Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card or Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Flying Blue Silver members Virgin Australia Velocity Silver members GOL Smiles Gold members Sky Team® Elite |
| Main Cabin 2 | Main Cabin customers |
| Main Cabin 3 | Main Cabin customers booked in T, X and V fares |
| Basic Economy | Basic Economy customers (E) |
Silver Medallion Members will not have a dedicated Priority Boarding zone on Delta flights departing AMS and CDG due to Air France-KLM boarding policies.
How to get Delta Air Lines priority boarding
There are a number of ways to board your Delta flight sooner, including:
- Purchasing a higher fare class.
The higher the fare class, the earlier you will board the plane. Boarding order starts from Delta One, First Class or Delta Premium Select and Delta Comfort+. - Earning elite status.
Rising up the ranks within the Delta frequent flyer program lets you board early. Diamond Medallion members board first, followed by Platinum Medallion and Gold Medallion members. Silver Medallion members board with Main Cabin 1. - Earn elite status with partner airlines.
Sky Priority boarding can be used by Flying Blue Platinum and Gold members, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold members, Virgin Australia Platinum and Gold members, GOL Smiles Diamond members and SkyTeam Elite Plus members. - Get an eligible Delta credit card.Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card cardmembers enjoy Main Cabin 1 boarding. Only basic cardmembers — not authorized users — are entitled to use Delta priority boarding with up to nine passengers traveling on their reservation.
- Purchase Delta priority boarding.
You can purchase Main Cabin 1 priority boarding for $15, but you will lose this perk if you change your flight. - Being an active duty US military member.
Those carrying a military ID can board before anyone else.
Compare credit cards with Delta priority boarding
With any of the cards listed below, you’ll get Main Cabin 1 group priority boarding.
How to get Delta Air Lines priority boarding with your credit card
- Get an eligible Delta Air Lines credit card.
- Use your card to purchase Delta airfare.
- You will automatically receive Main Cabin 1 group priority boarding.
Who gets priority boarding?
Preboarding is reserved for active US military personnel and customers who need assistance or additional time to board.
Next in line are those who purchased Delta One, First Class or Delta Premium Select fare, plus the highest elite tier members of the SkyMiles program — Diamond Medallion.
Travelers with carseats and strollers board next.
After that come the lower elite tiers, Delta credit card owners and elite tier members of partner airlines from Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia, Air France and KLM, GOL Airlines and Skyteam elite tiers.
Bottom line
The most frequent flyers and elite members of the SkyMiles program, along with active US military personnel get to board among the first. If you don’t fly as often, you can board right after them with an eligible Delta Air Lines credit card or if you purchase a priority boarding ticket.
However, if you fly on other airlines, check out other airline cards that offer priority boarding and compare your options.
Frequently asked questions
Pictures: GettyImages
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