SkyMiles is the rewards program for Delta Airlines, and it's fairly straightforward. Members earn miles on qualifying flights and purchases and redeem miles on travel, merchandise, and more.
SkyMiles also offers the ability to bid on exclusive experiences like resort stays and Broadway performances. We'll walk you through the program so you know how to earn miles, redeem them, and maximize your rewards with the right credit cards.
Key Takeaways
- Delta SkyMiles rewards include flights, car rentals, vacation packages, hotels, travel upgrades, and merchandise.
- Miles can be redeemed for flights through Delta or one of its partners.
- Miles are worth 1.98 cents CAD per mile when redeemed for flights.
- The fastest way to earn miles is to use a Delta American Express card for flights and purchases, but this card isn’t available to Canadians.
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What is Delta SkyMiles?
SkyMiles is the rewards program operated by Delta Airlines. By the numbers, Delta carries the second-highest number of passengers aboard the third-largest fleet in North America.
As a member, you'll earn SkyMiles when you purchase Delta flights (or flights with qualified partners), as well as cruises, experiences, car rentals, and vacation packages. Delta even allows you to link your account with other rewards programs like Marriott Bonvoy and Amex Rewards so you can earn miles from shopping or dining out.
Delta flies to and from multiple Canadian airports – including Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver – making SkyMiles a rewarding choice for Canadians. To go further abroad, you'll probably have to use one of 9 major hubs, including Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Detroit (DTW), and New York (JFK).
Overview
Currency: Miles
Redemption options: Car rentals, charity, experiences, flights, hotels, travel extras, and vacation packages
Pros:
- 945+ global destinations offered by 20+ partner airlines
- 1,000 aircraft and 300+ destinations in the Delta network
- 5 ways to earn miles
- 7 ways to spend miles
- 4 membership tiers with exclusive perks
- Miles don't expire
Cons:
- No co-branded credit cards available in Canada
- Basic economy tickets don't earn miles
- Can't transfer miles for free
- No flight reward chart available
SkyMiles membership tiers
SkyMiles encourages customer loyalty by offering 4 elite membership tiers known as Medallion Status: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.
Here's how it works: You'll earn 1 Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) for every $1 spent on most Delta Airlines and partner flights, plus vacation packages. You can also earn extra MQDs using a Delta credit card. Collect enough MQDs in one calendar year, and you'll gain Medallion Status for the rest of that year and the following year.
All Medallion Status members receive priority check-in, waived baggage fees, complimentary flight upgrades to most tickets, and more. But the best parts of being a Medallion member are the advanced miles earn rates and exclusive perks.
| Silver | Gold | Platinum | Diamond | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MQDs required | $5,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 | $28,000 |
| Miles earned per $1 USD spent on flights* | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 |
| Phone support | Priority | High priority | Higher priority | VIP |
| Priority boarding | Zone 5 | Zone 4 | Zone 4 | Zone 2 |
| CLEAR+ Membership | $169 USD per year | $169 USD per year | $169 USD per year | Free |
| Hertz Gold Plus Rewards status | Five Star | Five Star | President's Circle | President's Circle |
| SkyTeam status | Elite | Elite Plus | Elite Plus | Elite Plus |
| Free checked bag for you and up to 8 companions | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| 4 drink vouchers | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Priority baggage and SkyTeam lounge access | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Priority security and expedited baggage | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
* Excluding Basic Economy flights and government taxes and fees
Additionally, Platinum and Diamond members receive their pick of Choice Benefits when they reach Medallion Status, including:
- 35,000 bonus miles (40,000 for Diamond members)
- 6,000 Starbucks Stars
- $1,500 USD private flight credit ($2,000 USD for Diamond members)
- $1,000 MQDs for next year ($2,000 for Diamond members)
- $250 USD American Express Delta credit card statement credit ($500 USD for Diamond members)
- $400 USD Delta Vacations flight + hotel credit ($500 for Diamond members)
- $350 USD Delta travel voucher ($550 USD for Diamond members)
- $250 USD donation to Sustainable Aviation fuels
- 4 Regional Upgrade Certificates (choice of 4 Global, 8 Regional, or 2 Global + 4 Regional for Diamond members)
- Gift Silver Medallion Status to 4 members (gift Gold status for Diamond members)
Medallion Status can also increase the number of miles earned with credit cards, car rentals, and other purchases (more on that later).
Note: Basic Economy flights do not earn MQDs.
Million Miler status
SkyMiles members who collect at least 1 million MQDs join the Million Miler program, granting them lifetime Medallion Status. You'll need $1 million MQDs for Gold, $2 million MQDs for Platinum, $3 and $4 million MQDs for Diamond, and $5+ million MQDs for an annual invitation to Delta 360°, a club with benefits so exclusive that Delta doesn't even list them online.
How much are Delta SkyMiles worth?
Delta SkyMiles take their value from what you spend them on. Generally, they're worth about 2.32 Cents Per Mile (CPM) when redeemed for vacation packages.
Value of reward in CAD / cost of reward in miles x 100 = value in cents per mile (CPM)
In terms of value, the best redemption options for Delta SkyMiles are as follows:
| Redemption option | Categories | Average cents per mile (CPM) |
|---|---|---|
| Vacation packages | * Flight + car * Flight + hotel * Hotel + car | 2.32 CPM |
| Travel extras | * Checked bags * Delta Sky Club * Premium drinks * Seat upgrades * Ticket changes | 2.13 CPM |
| Flights | * Award Travel * Miles + Cash * Partner flights * Pay with Miles | 1.98 CPM |
| Charity | * Give in Asia * Give in Europe, Africa & Middle East * Give in Latin America * Give in the U.S. | 2 CPM |
| Hotels | * Hotels * Vacation rentals | 1 CPM |
| Car rentals | * Alamo * AVIS * Budget * Dollar * Enterprise * Europcar * Hertz * National * Payless * Sixt * Thrifty | N/A |
| Experiences | * Culinary * Fashion, Art & Design * Music & Film * Sports * Wellness & Adventure | N/A |
How to earn Delta SkyMiles
Like many airline rewards programs, Delta gives you plenty of ways to earn rewards in addition to flights. You can:
- Book flights
- Book other travel
- Buy miles or convert points
- Shop and dine with partners
- Use an American Express credit card
For Canadian members looking to maximize miles, flights, and credit cards are the way to go – but we'll explore each method below.
Book flights
Basic SkyMiles members earn 2 to 7 miles per $1 USD spent on all Delta Airlines and partner flights, while Medallion Status members earn 7 – 11 miles per $1 USD spent. The only exceptions are Basic Economy flights, which don't earn miles, period.
To collect miles, visit the Delta Airlines website, log into your SkyMiles account, and book your flight.
If you book a flight on a partner's website, you can earn SkyMiles by providing your membership number during checkout – but know that your miles earn rate will change to 25 – 300% of the distance flown. Medallion Status bonuses and MQD earnings are also based on flight distance.
All in all, there are 20+ partner airlines awarding miles, including:
- Aeroméxico (Core partner)
- Air France (Core partner)
- China Eastern (Core partner)
- KLM (Core partner)
"Core" airlines award more miles and MQD than non-Core ones.
Book other travel
You don't have to stop earning miles just because your flight is over; Delta also rewards members with miles for hotel stays, car rentals, vacation packages, and more.
| Partner | Miles earning rate | Bonuses |
|---|---|---|
| Delta Car Rentals | 2 miles per $1 USD spent* | * Get 4 – 8 miles per $1 USD spent on Hertz car rentals |
| Delta Cruises | 2 miles per $1 USD spent* | * Get a 110% refund if you find a better price online |
| Delta Stays | 2 miles per $1 USD spent* | * Keep an eye out for special promotions like double miles |
| Delta Vacations | 1 mile per $1 USD spent on the total vacation package price | * Exclusive offers like 20% off select locations or instant savings off of vacation package prices * Get 2 – 3 bonus miles per $1 USD spent with a Delta credit card |
* Excluding taxes, fees, gratuities, and other surcharges
Exception Fares secured by travel agents, vacation packages, and other third parties earn miles and MQD based on fare class and distance flown. Exception Fare rates may apply to flights, cruises, bulk packages, discounted travel, and more.
Buy miles or convert points
We don't recommend buying Delta SkyMiles, but if you're only a few miles short of your next reward, you can purchase miles for $0.035 USD each, plus tax. Gifted miles cost the same amount, while transferring miles incurs $0.01 USD per mile plus a $30 USD fee and tax.
Instead, why not convert your points in other rewards programs to SkyMiles for free? Canadian members have plenty of options:
| Partner | Min. points required | Conversion ratio (points to miles) |
|---|---|---|
| American Express | 1,000 | 1:1 |
| ALL Accor | 4,000 | 2:1 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 9,000 | 3:1 |
| Hilton Honors | 10,000 | 10:1 |
| IHG Rewards Club | 10,000 | 5:1 |
| Shangri-La | 1,000 | 1:1 |
| World of Hyatt | 5,000 | 5:2 |
Shop and dine with partners
Sometimes, the easiest way to earn miles is to link your Delta SkyMiles account with other rewards programs.
For instance, you can earn 25 – 200 miles whenever you reload your Starbucks Rewards account with $25 – $100 USD. Uber and UberEats members get up to 3 miles per $1 USD spent on eligible rides and orders.
You can also earn up to 15 miles per $1 USD spent – or up to 3,500 miles per order – at thousands of stores using SkyMiles Shopping. As long as you use the portal to browse and the store ships to Canada, you're good to go.
Unfortunately, SkyMiles Dining only offers rewards with purchases in the States. You'll have to sign up for a free account and head across the border to earn up to 5 miles per $1 USD spent.
Use an American Express credit card
There are 4 official Delta SkyMiles credit cards earning up to 3 bonus miles per $1 USD spent on Delta flights, all of which are unavailable in Canada.
But because you can convert Amex Membership Rewards points to miles, you can rack up the rewards with 5 fantastic offerings from American Express:
| Credit card | Current offer | Annual fee | Rewards | Apply now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Cobalt Card | Up to 15,000 bonus points (terms) | $191.88 | * 5 points per $1 spent on eligible groceries and restaurants (up to $2,500 spent per month) * 3 points per $1 spent on eligible streaming services * 2 points per $1 spent on eligible gas, transit, and ride share purchases * 1 point per $1 spent on foreign currency purchases * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases | Apply now |
| American Express Gold Rewards Card | Up to 60,000 bonus points (terms) | $250 | * 2 points for every $1 spent on gas, groceries, drugstores, and travel * 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases | Apply now |
| The Platinum Card | Up to 100,000 bonus points (terms) | $799 | * 2 points per $1 spent on restaurants and travel * 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases | Apply now |
| American Express Green Card | 10,000 bonus points (terms) | $0 | * 1 point per $1 spent on all purchases | Apply now |
| The Business Platinum Card from American Express | Up to 120,000 bonus points (terms) | $799 | * 1.25 points per $1 spent on all purchases | Apply now |
Our top pick, the American Express Cobalt Card, isn't just the best travel rewards card in the country, but the top credit card overall. In Canada, the transfer rate between American Express Membership Rewards and Delta SkyMiles is 1:0.75, meaning you'll get 750 SkyMiles for every 1,000 Membership Rewards points you transfer.
With the American Express Cobalt Card earning up to 5 points per $1 CAD spent, you could receive those 750 SkyMiles after spending as little as $200 on groceries or dining out.
×9 Award winner 
How to redeem Delta SkyMiles
Just because SkyMiles is an airline loyalty program doesn't mean you have to redeem your miles on flights. After logging into your SkyMiles account, you'll find 7 redemption options available:
| Redemption option | How to redeem |
|---|---|
| Car rentals | Book a rental car on Delta Car Rentals after ticking the box "Pay with miles." |
| Charity | Donate your miles online to charitable organizations around the world. |
| Experiences | Buy or bid on unique dining, vacation, and theatre SkyMiles Experiences online. |
| Flights | Book a flight with Delta or a partner airline, or pay for part of your ticket with miles on the Delta Airlines website or mobile app. Don't forget to tick the box "Shop with Miles". |
| Hotels | Book a stay at a hotel or vacation rental on Delta Stays after ticking the box "Pay with miles." |
| Travel extras | Search for flights and select the "Upgrade with Miles" option before purchasing. |
| Vacation packages | Book flight + hotel, flight + car, or hotel + car packages on Delta Vacations. |
Delta SkyMiles calculator
If you're unsure about how much your miles are worth, play around with our handy SkyMiles calculator. Enter the number of miles you wish to redeem, and you'll see the values of each redemption option.
| Redemption Option | Point Value | Total Value |
|---|---|---|
| Vacation packages | 2.32 cents | $232 |
| Travel extras | 2 cents | $200 |
| Charity | 2 cents | $200 |
| Flights | 1.5 cents | $150 |
| Hotels | 1 cent | $100 |
| Car rentals with Avis and Budget through Aeroplan | 1 cent | $100 |
Note that experiences are not captured in the calculator, as these offers change frequently and value varies, but read on for a guide.
Vacation packages
Value: 2.32 CPM
Categories: Flight + car, flight + hotel, or hotel + car bundles
After playing with multiple destinations, travel dates, and fare classes, we arrived at a fixed value for all 3 vacation packages: 2.32 CPM.
Fixed-value rewards are fantastic because you don't need bargains or special promotions to make all the time you spent collecting rewards worthwhile. Although Delta Vacations offers fewer destinations – for example, we couldn't find any packages in Asia – it offers a valuable, reliable method for redeeming SkyMiles.
Travel extras
Value: 1 CPM – 2.13 CPM
Categories: Checked bags, Delta Sky Club, premium drinks; products and services; and seat upgrades
Best option: Premium drinks starting at $3 USD or 200 miles (2.13 CPM)
If you don't have enough miles to purchase a flight, consider spending your rewards on 5 travel extras aboard Delta Airlines:
- Premium drinks at Delta SkyClubs for 2.13 CPM
- Airport lounge access to Delta SkyClubs for 1 CPM
- Checked baggage fees (N/A)
- Seat upgrades (N/A)
- Ticket change fees (N/A)
Because prices vary, we don't know how many miles are required to purchase checked bags, flight upgrades, or ticket changes; however, we do know Delta baggage fees start at $45 USD for 1 checked bag and $55 USD for a second bag. If you pay 2,485 – 3,195 miles or fewer per bag, you'll secure about 2 CPM of value.
Flights
Value: 0.2 – 4.5+ CPM
Categories: Award Travel, Miles + Cash, partner flights, and Pay with Miles
Best option: One-way from Toronto (YYZ) to Punta Cana (PUJ) in Business for 14,000 miles + $327 USD (4.89 CPM)
You can get over 4 CPM by redeeming SkyMiles for Award Travel on Delta Airlines, but it's not a sure thing. We found some flights to be worth as little as 0.8 CPM; the average was 2 CPM.
You'll get a similar value if you pay for your flight with a combination of Cash + Miles. As for partner flights, we don't really know; it was hard to find any partner flights eligible for miles redemptions on the Delta website.
Our advice? If you don't want to use your miles on a vacation package or a Cosmo at the bar, search for flights aboard Delta Airlines in the Comfort+ class during peak travel dates. In the absence of calculating and comparing flight values for yourself, it's the best way to make your miles go a little further.
Charity
Average value: 2 CPM
Categories: Donate miles to charitable organizations in the US, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean; and Europe, Middle East & Africa
Best option: Any
Delta SkyMiles makes it possible to donate miles to 29 registered, charitable organizations spread across 4 regions worldwide.
While donated miles aren't tax-deductible, they're put to good use providing travel to non-profit workers and beneficiaries. For example, the American Red Cross uses SkyMiles to deploy aid, while Make-A-Wish uses donated miles to bring children and families to dream destinations.
Hotels
Average value: 1 CPM
Categories: Hotels and vacation rentals
Best option: 2 nights in the least expensive hostel in Bogotá for $40 USD or 3,569 miles (1.59 CPM)
Delta Hotels and vacation rentals provide between 0.99 – 1.59 CPM of value. Travel dates, hotel brands, and price point make little difference, with the majority of results averaging about 1 CPM.
On the plus side, you can choose from thousands of properties worldwide and stay at major chains, including Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott. The price in miles covers all taxes and fees, so there's no cash fee to subtract from the value of your reward.
Car rentals
Categories: Alamo, AVIS, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Thrifty, Sixt, and Europcar.
SkyMiles members can redeem their rewards on car rentals through Delta Cars. There are 10+ rental agencies with locations globally, giving members plenty of choices without needing to book a flight.
Unfortunately, the "Pay with miles" feature was unavailable during our research. Based on our experience with similar airline rewards programs, rental cars usually provide around the same value as hotel stays.
Experiences
Categories: Culinary; Fashion, Art & Design; Music & Film; Sports; and Wellness & Adventure
SkyMiles Experiences gives members the ability to buy or bid on exclusive entertainment and dining experiences in major American cities with miles. If you keep an eye on the offerings (which refresh every 2 weeks on Tuesdays), you could score a fantastic deal on packages such as:
- 7 nights at an exclusive resort in Maui, Scottsdale, Laguna Beach, or Sea Island
- 2 courtside tickets to see LA vs. New Orleans in April, plus access to the Delta SKY360° Club
- 2 tickets to see "Wicked" on Broadway, with a post-performance meet-and-greet
Prices for experiences vary, but we recommend treating your miles as you would any other currency if you choose to use SkyMiles Experiences. When bidding or buying, aim to match or exceed a value of 2 CPM.
The cash value of experiences can be more difficult to assess, but consider the approximate cost – and how much the experience means to you.
How to get the most out of your Delta SkyMiles
If you're ready to take your membership to the next level, there are several ways to maximize your miles:
- Utilize Delta's platforms: Book as much travel as possible through Delta platforms, including vacations, hotels, and car rentals.
- Book flights strategically: Book flights aboard Delta Airlines or core partners to earn more miles and more MQD.
- Put Choice Benefits toward statement credits: If you reach Platinum or Diamond Medallion Status, make an Amex credit card statement one of your Choice Benefits for superior value.
- Shop with an Amex card: Grab a US-issued Delta Airlines American Express credit card or a Canadian Amex card to earn as many SkyMiles as possible.
- Redeem strategically: Redeem your miles on Delta flights in Comfort+ and on Delta vacation packages.
- Fly with Delta often to earn MQD: Shoot for Medallion Status to increase your miles earning rate.
Delta SkyMiles vs. other programs
It seems like almost every airline or airline alliance has its own rewards program, so you've got options!
Here's how the Delta SkyMiles stacks up against Canada's most popular one—Aeroplan.
| Features | Delta SkyMiles | Aeroplan |
|---|---|---|
| Currency | Miles | Points |
| Participating airlines | Sky Team | Star Alliance |
| # of elite status tiers | 4 | 5 |
| Co-branded cards available in Canada | No | Yes |
| Reward opportunities | Vacation packages, travel extras, flights, charity, hotels, car rentals, experiences | Flights, Air Canada gift cards, car rentals, hotels, vacation packages, merchandise, gift cards |
| Best redemption option | Vacation packages | Air Canada flights |
| Free membership benefits | * Start earning miles immediately * Fast, free Wi-Fi on most U.S. flights * Preferred pricing on a Clear+ membership | * Start earning points immediately * Free in-flight texting over Wi-Fi * Can pool points with family members (once you've been a member for 6 months) |
FAQ
How many Delta SkyMiles do I need for a free flight?
Although Delta doesn't publish redemption flight charts, some sources suggest you need at least 3,000 miles to start booking U.S.-based domestic flights. They also say you need around 5,000 miles for Canadian-based reward flights.
How much money is 30,000 Delta SkyMiles worth?
The value of 30,000 Delta SkyMiles depends on how you choose to redeem them. Generally, vacation packages give the most consistent high value—2.32 cents per mile. If you were to redeem all 30,000 miles for vacation packages, you'd get a value of almost $700.
How much do 5,000 Delta SkyMiles get you?
Again, the value of 5,000 miles depends on your redemption options. You can put them toward reward flights, travel packages, travel upgrades, car rentals, hotel stays, and charitable donations. You could even transfer them out if you don't feel like using them yourself.
What is the best way to redeem Delta SkyMiles?
The best guaranteed way to get the most value is to use your SkyMiles for Delta vacation packages. This gives them a value of 2.32 CPM. However, if you're willing to do some math and hunt for deals, putting your miles towards flights can give a value of over 4 CPM.
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