Earn Delta SkyMiles quickly using these strategies

Earning enough Delta SkyMiles to get award flights can seem daunting. Fortunately, you’ll find many ways to earn those miles beyond spending on Delta flights. For example, you can earn SkyMiles by flying with Delta partners or by dining out and joining SkyMiles dining.

Fly with Delta and Delta partners to earn SkyMiles

Just join Delta SkyMiles — it’s free. As a basic member, you earn five miles per dollar spent on eligible Delta and Delta partner flights.

You can earn status in Delta’s elite system by becoming a Medallion Member. As a Silver, Gold, Platinum or Diamond Member, you earn more miles per eligible flight.

Earn SkyMiles with Delta credit cards

With Delta SkyMiles credit cards, you can earn SkyMiles in a few ways:

• Welcome offer. If you reach the spending requirement on your Delta credit card within the specified time period, you qualify for a large number of miles depending on which card you own.
• Spending with your card. All Delta credit cards offer 2x or 3x miles on eligible Delta purchases and 1x miles on all other purchases. Depending on the card, you may also find bonus rewards in other categories such as hotels, restaurants and supermarkets.
• Qualifying for Status Boost. Qualify for Status Boost by meeting annual spend requirements with the and — as well as their business versions — to earn more Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs). These help you earn higher status in Delta’s frequent-flyer program, which in turn helps you earn more SkyMiles on flights.
• Getting Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) waivers. By meeting annual spend requirements with the , you can waive the MQD requirement for Platinum, Gold or Silver Medallion Status. Higher status lets you earn SkyMiles faster.
• Transfer points. You can also transfer points earned using general travel credit cards into SkyMiles.

The beginner’s guide to Delta Airlines SkyMiles

Compare cards for earning Delta SkyMiles

With all Delta credit cards, you earn 2x or 3x miles on Delta purchases and 1x miles on all other purchases. Certain spend categories — such as hotels, restaurants and US supermarkets — may also pay bonus rewards. The difference between the cards is the additional perks offered, such as priority boarding, free checked bag, lounge access, Status Boost, companion certificates and travel credits.

While you won’t directly earn SkyMiles using partner programs, you can transfer your earned miles to SkyMiles. Look for American Express cards that offer Membership Rewards points. You can convert these points to SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio. Using cobranded hotel cards, you can also convert points from certain hotel programs into SkyMiles.

SkyMiles Dining

If you often dine out, consider registering your credit or debit card account to SkyMiles Dining for free to earn additional SkyMiles at participating restaurants, clubs and bars.

New Member Bonus: Earn up to 3,000 bonus SkyMiles

You can earn 3,000 bonus miles for your first three restaurant visits within the first 30 days of signing up for SkyMiles Dining.

• See New Member Bonuses and requirements

  • 500 miles after you spend at least $30 at a participating restaurant.
  • 1,000 miles after you spend at least $30 on your second participating restaurant visit.
  • 1,500 miles after you spend at least $30 on your third participating restaurant visit.

  To be eligible for the welcome offer, you must sign up for SkyMiles Dining emails when registering an account. After each visit, head online within 30 days and finish an online review.

Earning miles through SkyMiles Dining

This is a generous program where you can earn up to 5x SkyMiles on purchases, including tax and tip, at participating locations. But the exact number of SkyMiles you earn depends on your membership level.

SkyMiles Shopping

Register for SkyMiles Shopping with your SkyMiles account number to earn SkyMiles when you spend at certain retailers.

There are hundreds of eligible partners in categories, such as apparel, jewelry, beauty and health, home, magazines, sports and travel.

Earning miles through SkyMiles Shopping

You can find many one-time mile bonuses while shopping. For example, you can earn up to a few thousand miles for joining a partner program. However, most retail partners offer 2x or 1x miles when you spend with them. Sometimes, you’ll find partners who offer up to 20x miles.

How to earn miles through SkyMiles Shopping

• Log in to your SkyMiles Shopping account.
• Look for a participating retailer through the SkyMiles Shopping portal.
• 1,500 miles after you spend at least $30 on your third participating restaurant visit.

Use the SkyMiles Shopping button

Download the SkyMiles Shopping button for Google Chrome to earn SkyMiles without going through the SkyMiles Shopping portal. The plugin notifies you when you’re on a participating retailer’s website. Then just activate your rewards and shop as normal.

Book through hotel partners and Airbnb

Here are the rewards rates for qualifying charges with eligible Airbnb properties and hotels where you can earn SkyMiles.

Delta Vacations

Earn up to 7,500 SkyMiles per person on your itinerary when you book a Delta flight and hotel package through Delta using your SkyMiles number.

You earn more SkyMiles when you add an eligible car rental through National or Alamo. As the primary driver, you earn an extra 500 bonus miles. And with a Delta SkyMiles credit card, you earn double miles per eligible dollar.

SkyMiles Cruises

If you’re setting out on the seas, consider booking your trip through SkyMiles Cruises. Here are the miles you can earn:

You’ll find around 30 SkyMiles Cruises partners, including Carnival Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Viking River Cruises.

Car partners

Lyft is Delta’s ridesharing partner. You’ll also find a bevy of car-rental partners.

Buy SkyMiles

Buying SkyMiles is an option at a cost of 0.035 cents each. This is a poor rate considering SkyMiles are worth 1.4 cents each according to our March 2021 valuation.

That said, buying miles could be a good option if you only need a few more for an award flight.

You can deposit a maximum of 60,000 miles to your account each year.

Bottom line

You can earn SkyMiles faster than you think by spending through Delta and Delta partners. Use a combination of credit cards and spending through Delta portals.

Compare Delta cards to find the right one for you, or consider general travel cards that may offer valuable perks and rewards. And once you’ve collected enough miles, compare your redemption options to find out which offer the best overall value.

Frequently asked questions

• How long will I have VIP membership in SkyMiles Dining after I qualify?

  You’ll be a VIP member from when you qualify until the end of the next full calendar year.

• Can I register for dining programs from multiple airlines?

  Yes. However, your credit card can only be linked to one dining program at a time.

• How do I become a Delta Medallion Member?

  Earn a combination of these qualifiers each year:

  • Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs). These are based on the distance of each flight and fare class.
  • Qualification Segments (MQSs). These are based on the number of your flights.
  • Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs). Earn these based on your spending on Delta and Delta-partner flights.

  For a detailed explanation of Medallion Status, check out our Delta SkyMiles guide.