delta skymiles award travel cancellation policy

Delta Award Cancellation Policy for SkyMiles Redemptions

April 9, 2018 by Points, Miles & Martinis

Sometimes the unexpected happens in life and you need to cancel a Delta booked award trip . When this happens, numerous factors including elite status will have an impact of the fees and even if your SkyMiles can be redeposited.

Love racking up the Delta Miles?

If you are looking for more ways to earn Delta miles, consider The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, The  Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card or The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card.

The policy that applies to almost all scenarios is the 72 hour rule. Any booked award travel that departs within 72 hours is ineligible to be refunded or changed and the SkyMiles are forfeited.

However, as part of Delta’s Risk Free cancellation policy, if you book a flight within the terms of the customer service policy, you would be entitled to a full refund. (An example of Delta’s Risk Free cancellation includes the scenario where a customer buys a ticket at 12:01 AM on a Tuesday and then has until 11:59PM on Wednesday to cancel the ticket for a full refund).

A benefit of Delta elite status is waived award redeposit fees for Diamond and Platinum Medallion members for award trips that fall outside of the 72 hour rule. Gold, Silver, and General Medallion members are all charged the same $150 award redeposit fee. Some things to note include that the fee is determined by the SkyMiles member who is paying for the points.

For example if a Diamond Medallion is using their SkyMiles to buy their non-status child an award ticket and needs to cancel outside of the 72 hour rule, there will be no award redeposit fee. Additionally, the $150 award redeposit fee is only waived for Diamonds and Platinum Medallion’s who have elite status at the time of cancellation. To elaborate, if in 2018 a Diamond Medallion books an award ticket for Spring 2019 and fails to earn status for 2019, they will not have the $150 award redeposit fee waived when making the cancellation.

All awards purchased under Delta’s Risk Free cancellation policy are entitled to a full miles redeposit regardless of when the purchase is made. This is helpful in situations such as when you are making a booking 11 months out and immediately realize you have made a mistake with the dates of the trip after completing the booking.

A full list of Award Ticket FAQs can be found on Delta’s website.

Do you have experience canceling Delta award tickets? Any strategies you have for avoiding the redeposit fee? Feel free to share in the comments below.

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What is the 72 hour rule? Even in the extreme example given in this article (12:01 AM Tuesday to 11:59 PM Wednesday), that gives you just shy of 48 hours to get a refund. Where does the 72 hours come in? Thanks!

Last year Delta was kind and did not charge me any fees when my child died

Delta Skymiles are the TRASHIEST frequent flyer points you can earn. Within 72 hours is something happens you LOSE everything! Yeah, this airline HATES you if you are a customer of theirs.

so you will be 3x the amount of miles compared to most other airlines, fly on Skyteam, the worst alliance and the on top of that DL will keep your points if you have a last minute emergency.

DL flyers are lost in their own world

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What?! Did Delta Reinstate the 72-Hour Rule for Award Cancellations?!

(©iStock.com/viper-zero)

In late 2020, Delta Air Lines removed its rule that SkyMiles award tickets changes or cancelations made less than 72 hours before a trip would be subject to penalty. Usually, this resulted in some kind of fee or forfeiture of miles.

Ditching the 72-hour rule was a good move on Delta’s part and, quite candidly, long overdue.

But a Delta ticketing agent reportedly said something rather startling to a FlyerTalk member.

FT user sydneyracquelle wrote :

I just tried to cancel a domestic (Main Cabin) award ticket within 72 hours and the agent said the points would be forfeited. I thought this rule was eliminated in in [sic] December 2020. She said it was recently reinstated. I never saw any announcement of this reinstatement. So I asked her to please even exchange the ticket for any dummy date in the future with the same mileage amounts. Once this was done with the new dates I asked her to then cancel it for a full refund of my miles which she did. Who makes up these crazy rules?

So, Can You Cancel a Delta Award Ticket Without Penalty?

I contacted a Delta corporate representative who assured me  the 72-hour cancellation rule was NOT reinstated. The only exceptions are Basic Economy bookings. Read the rules here on Delta.com .

So, if sydneyracquelle’s recounting is accurate, it seems the Delta agent was mis- or uninformed.

And, frankly, some Delta agents dishing out incorrect information seems to be a rather disturbing trend lately. I frequently hear from readers who still are told all sorts of conflicting and wrong things about Delta’s new upgrade certificate policy .

I hope this all gets sorted out soon. But in the meantime, go ahead and book those SkyMiles trips (but not Basic Economy ones!) with peace of mind.

LISTEN: Pilot Gets Roasted for Making a Cabin Announcement on ATC

Hands down this is my favorite business class seat to fly during the covid pandemic, chris carley.

Chris Carley is the owner, editor, and lead writer of Eye of the Flyer (formerly known as Rene's Points).

First paragraph is a bit incorrect. Prior to December 2020 no one (PM/DM or anyone) could reinstate award ticket mileage within 72 hours. The DM and PM privilege of the waived $150 redeposit fees related to award bookings more than 72 hours in the future.

@Frankie – The T72 rule was imposed on us 15AUG2011 under the false wording that it would increase lower level awards ( see this post ).

The rule was so set in stone that no matter what your status you could not get your points back ( one reader even when so far as to complain about everything ever flight for a year to get the points back that Delta would not return inside T72 ).

Then things slowly started to change but not official in print from Delta. Some readers told me they got their points back but were charged a fee to redeposit. Some, think Delta 360* members, T72 was simply waved and points were back no worries.

Before the rule changed it seemed Delta had scrapped the T72 for everyone. At least that is how I experienced the progression.

The larger point, and why I like the post from Chris, is that reps are trained so poorly now that you may be told almost anything even when you know better or if Delta.com has other information you can read them.

Interesting. I had an agent tell me the same recently. Of course it may have been the same agent… I checked after and found the same info you published, that this is not true.

Just tried cancelling an award online, it tells me miles will be forfeited as within 72hrs of departure. It’s a Europe to Asia ticket and I am DM. Trying to call in to do it now.

Let us know what happens!

I am a Diamond and was wondering is there a cancellation fee for award flight originating in ZRH to JFK? Seeing contradictory info. Thanks for the help.

There shouldn’t be…

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The Complete Guide to Delta SkyMiles

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Table of Contents

Sign-up for Delta SkyMiles

How do delta skymiles work, how much are delta skymiles worth, delta vs. competitors, how to earn delta skymiles, how to redeem delta skymiles, delta skymiles medallion status, delta's airline partners, delta skymiles credit cards, flying on delta, is the delta skymiles program right for you.

One of the largest airlines in North America and the world, Delta Air Lines operates hubs at eight U.S. airports: Atlanta (which is Delta’s headquarters), Boston, Cincinnati, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Salt Lake City and Seattle-Tacoma. International hubs and key Delta markets are Amsterdam, Mexico City, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Seoul-Incheon and Tokyo

Delta is huge on its own, but it is also a member of the SkyTeam alliance, which includes airlines like Aeromexico, Air France-KLM, China Eastern, Korean Air and Virgin Atlantic. Then it has its own separate international airline partners including LATAM and WestJet, making it possible to earn and redeem Delta SkyMiles (and get elite status benefits) on other airlines besides Delta.

But you don’t need to live in a Delta-dominated city or fly the airline regularly to benefit from the airline's frequent flyer program, Delta SkyMiles. If there’s a chance you’ll fly Delta in the future, you might as well sign up for SkyMiles as the program is free to join. And given its wide array of partnerships with companies ranging from Lyft to Starbucks, there are tons of ways to earn Delta miles so you can get closer to that free flight — even if you're not a jetsetter.

To start earning miles with Delta, sign up for a SkyMiles frequent flyer account. Register here ; it’s free to join.

Beyond serving as the loyalty program name, SkyMiles are also the currency that members can earn and later redeem for flights with Delta or partners, hotel stays and other rewards.

You can generally earn miles by flying, spending on cards (Delta has several co-branded cards for its loyalists), traveling with partners, or dining and shopping through designated programs.

Delta SkyMiles do not expire, which is great news for infrequent travelers or those who have loyalty across multiple airline programs.

» Jump ahead to credit cards that earn SkyMiles or see our roundup of the best Delta credit cards

» Learn more: Considerations before joining airline loyalty programs

Based on the most recent analysis, NerdWallet values Delta Air Lines SkyMiles at 1.2 cents apiece. To determine the value of reward miles, we compared cash prices and reward redemptions for economy roundtrip routes across several destinations and dates. We divided the cost of the cash ticket by the cost of the reward ticket to determine a “cent per mile” value for each flight, then averaged this value across several flights and dates. Read more about how we arrived at these figures .

This is therefore a baseline value for Delta miles, based on real-world data collected from hundreds of economy routes; it is not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 1.2 cents or more in value from your Delta miles.

» Learn more: Better understand the value of Delta SkyMiles

How has this value changed over time?

Like many other airline miles, the value of Delta SkyMiles jumped in 2021 and 2022, up from a low of 0.9 cents per mile in 2020. As of 2023, the value is 1.2 cents .

Delta came in fourth place out of nine airlines in the best overall airline category in NerdWallet’s most recent analysis on the best airlines . It was edged out by Alaska, Hawaiian and American Airlines.

In a separate analysis of the best airline rewards programs , Delta SkyMiles landed in sixth place, beating only Frontier, Southwest and Spirit.

Delta is a bit of a funky airline in terms of its rankings. While some airlines rank consistently high or low across the board, Delta was all over the place. Here's a closer look at how it competed across subcategories:

Sixth in rewards rate .

First in operations .

Fifth in elite status benefits .

Fifth in terms of total fees .

Delta offers the worst basic economy ticket .

First in in-flight experience .

Third in most pet-friendly airlines .

Flying on Delta and its partner airlines is the easiest way to earn miles. But there are ways to rack up miles besides flying, such as using a Delta-branded credit card or spending money with Delta partner companies.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

The Delta SkyMiles you earn never expire as long as your account is open; this is different from how things work with some other frequent-flyer programs.

How are SkyMiles calculated?

Earn miles by flying on delta.

The number of SkyMiles you earn on Delta flights is based on how much you spend, not how far you fly. The base earning rate is 5 miles per $1 spent, but you earn higher rates depending on whether you have elite status, which Delta refers to as "Medallion" status. (We'll have more on Medallion levels later — or you can jump ahead to that part now .)

You earn SkyMiles only on the base fare and fees imposed by the airline. You don't earn any rewards on taxes or government-imposed fees that are rolled into the cost of your ticket.

So if you are a basic SkyMiles member and spend $150 on a flight, $50 of which is fees, you’ll earn 5 x 100 = 500 SkyMiles. Note, you will not earn SkyMiles on any basic economy tickets.

Earn Delta miles by flying on partner airlines

Each partner airline has its own rules for earning SkyMiles. In general, the rewards you earn on partner airlines are based on the distance of the flight — so they really are "miles." You can earn bonus miles based on the fare class (such as economy, business or first) and your Medallion status.

Spend on Delta credit cards

Delta offers co-branded credit cards with American Express. See below for a more detailed look at Delta's co-branded card collection .

Our favorite Delta credit card is the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card . The card gives you 2 SkyMiles per dollar spent with Delta. When you pay for tickets with the card, you get the first checked bag free for you and up to eight other people traveling on your reservation. Terms apply.

There's a great welcome bonus for new cardholders, too: Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply. The annual fee is $0 intro for the first year, then $150 .

» Jump ahead to other credit cards that earn SkyMiles

Other ways to earn Delta SkyMiles

Delta's non-airline partners include:

Hotels and Airbnb: You can earn SkyMiles at thousands of properties in most major hotel chains. In some cases, you earn a flat number of points per stay; in others, you earn points based on how much you spend. You can also earn miles at Airbnb. See hotel partners and earning rules here .

Auto rentals and Lyft: Several major rental agencies have an option to earn SkyMiles. And if you prefer rental car alternatives , here's a deal from Turo: Delta SkyMiles Members who link their SkyMiles number to their Turo profile will be able to earn 2,000 miles on their first Turo trip and 500 miles on every trip thereafter. You can also earn miles using the Lyft ride-hailing service. Details here .

Dining : Register your credit card with SkyMiles Dining and earn up to 5 miles per dollar when you use that card at thousands of participating restaurants. (You can use any credit card; it doesn't have to be a Delta-branded card.)

Shopping: Earn miles at hundreds of online merchants through the airline's shopping portal, SkyMiles Shopping .

Transfer from other programs: Delta SkyMiles is a transfer partner for both American Express Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy .

Purchase SkyMiles

You can buy additional SkyMiles through the Delta website, but this generally isn't a good value. SkyMiles cost 3.5 cents apiece when purchased like this, which means you're paying more than three times what the miles are worth on average.

» Learn more: Your guide to earning Delta Air Lines SkyMiles

So how do you use points from Delta SkyMiles? Not all redemptions are created equal. Use these tips to maximize Delta SkyMiles redemption value.

Good redemption options

SkyMiles are redeemable for flights through Delta Air Lines and its partners. In most cases, you redeem by booking through Delta's website. Go to the booking tool and choose the option for seeing the price in miles. Then enter information about when and where you want to travel, and choose your fare class.

How many SkyMiles are needed for a flight? It depends on your destination, but SkyMiles members can redeem as few as 4,500 SkyMiles for a domestic short-haul flight.

Basic Economy: This is a no-frills fare. You sit in a standard seat and get free drinks and snacks. However, you don't get to pick your seat, you're the last to board the plane, you can't get upgraded even with Medallion status, and there are fees of $99 or $199 to change a flight. You cannot book Basic Economy fares with miles and you cannot earn any miles on Basic Economy fares.

Main Cabin: This is a standard economy seat. You get free nonalcoholic drinks and basic snacks, plus seatback entertainment when available.

Delta Comfort+: This is essentially "economy plus." You get 4 inches of extra legroom and dedicated overhead carry-on storage.

First Class: You get a bigger seat with more legroom; free alcoholic drinks, snacks and meals on longer flights; dedicated storage and flight attendant service; and priority boarding.

Delta Premium Select: This is first class with extra-comfortable seating and amenities, available on select international flights.

Delta One: This is first class with lie-flat seating, available only on select long-haul flights.

Unlike some other airlines, Delta doesn't publish an award chart showing you exactly how many miles you need for a given flight. You have to figure it out the hard way — by entering your flight information and seeing what it costs in terms of miles.

Delta advertises that there are no blackout dates for award travel.

You can also use miles to purchase seat upgrades; membership to Delta Sky Clubs airport lounges; vacation packages; exclusive experiences; merchandise, gift cards, hotel stays and car rental in the SkyMiles Marketplace; or donations to charity through Delta SkyWish. See details about these and other options here .

If you happen to have at least 2.5 million SkyMiles in your account — and who doesn't? — you can redeem them for private jet travel. According to Delta , those 2.5 million points are "enough to take up to four passengers round-trip from Atlanta to South Florida."

» Learn more: Plan your next Delta SkyMiles redemption with our airline points tool

Bad redemption options

For the most part, using SkyMiles for anything other than flights will result in below-average redemption values. Delta and its partners might push promotions for these unorthodox redemption options, but don’t take the bait. Unless the offer is really extraordinary, you’re almost always better off using miles for flights.

Because Delta ties the cost of award flights closely to the cash price, you might see some very high award prices when cash prices are high. Although these are not necessarily bad options, it does mean you should double-check that the value you’re getting from miles is equal to or greater than the value you’re getting by just paying cash.

» Learn more: Complete guide to redeeming Delta SkyMiles

Anyone can join the Delta SkyMiles program for free, but to move up from basic membership to elite status (where the real perks are), you need to fly the airline regularly. In 2024, Delta revamped how its members earn elite status in an effort to reward its most loyal flyers (i.e. highest spenders).

Delta SkyMiles program levels and benefits

The SkyMiles Medallion program has four levels. In order from lowest level to highest level, they are:

Silver Medallion .

Gold Medallion .

Platinum Medallion .

Diamond Medallion .

All Medallion members get unlimited complimentary upgrades, complimentary preferred seats, priority check-in and priority boarding and waived baggage fees ( which were raised by $5 for domestic flights in early 2024 ).

All levels higher than Silver get priority security lane access and priority baggage service at select airports, waived same-day confirmed fees and are eligible for upgrades as early as right after ticketing (depending on status tier) to 72 hours before departure. .

Gold, Platinum and Diamond Medallion benefits also include:

For Platinum and Diamond status only: Choice benefits

Medallion members at the Platinum and Diamond levels are eligible for "Delta Choice Benefits," in which they choose the premium benefits they want from a list. Members can select their benefits immediately when they earn status.

Package of four regional upgrade certificates.

An MQD accelerator of $500 MQDs in 2024 and $1,000 MQDs in 2025 to help towards achieving/maintaining status.

20,000 bonus miles in 2024 (30,000 in 2025) to be added to the member’s account or donated to a SkyWish charity of choice.

$250 Delta travel voucher in 2024 ($300 in 2025).

Gift of Silver Medallion status to a friend (up to two times).

A statement credit of $200 in 2024 ($400 in 2025) to the member’s Delta co-branded American Express credit card.

A deposit of Starbucks Reward stars: 4,000 in 2024 (6,000 in 2025).

A Delta Vacations (flight and hotel) credit of $400.

A $250 credit toward Delta’s use of sustainable fuel.

Wheels Up flight credit of $1,500 in 2025 (not available in 2024).

Executive membership to Delta Sky Clubs (unlimited access for self and two guests) — This option counts as three choices and is available in 2024. In 2025, a selection of an executive membership (will count as three choices) or an individual membership (will count as two choices). The individual membership allows unlimited access for the member while guests pay a fee.

Package of as many as eight upgrade certificates (eight regional, four global, or two global and four regional).

An MQD accelerator of $1,000 MQDs in 2024 and $2,000 MQDs in 2025 to help towards achieving/maintaining status.

25,000 bonus miles in 2024 (35,000 in 2025) to be added to the member’s account or donated to a SkyWish charity of choice.

$250 Delta travel voucher in 2024 ($350 in 2025).

Gift of Gold Medallion status to a friend (up to two times).

A statement credit of $500 in 2024 ($700 in 2025) to the member’s Delta co-branded American Express credit card.

A Delta Vacations (flight and hotel) credit of $500.

Wheels Up flight credit of $2,000 in 2025 (not available in 2024).

See full details about choice benefits.

How is SkyMiles Medallion status earned?

To become a Delta Medallion elite, you'll need to earn Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs). Previously, Delta used a combination of MQDs, Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) and Medallion Qualifying Segments (MQSs) to calculate status but as of 2024, MQDs are the sole metric used by Delta for earning elite status.

Note: Because of this change, Delta is allowing a one-time conversion of any MQMs earned in 2023 towards 2024 status, or a Medallion status extension for those elites who earned a high number of MQMs. Those who have a rollover balance of 100,000 MQMs or more can choose to extend their 2024 elite status by one year for each 100,000 rollover MQMs. Members have until Dec. 31, 2024 to decide what they want to do.

To earn elite status with Delta, you will need to earn the following amount of MQDs:

You can earn MQDs in a variety of ways, including:

1 MQD per $1 spent on Delta-marketed flights operated by Delta or one of its airline partners. This includes the fare and airline fees, but not taxes, fees (including government fees), basic economy and similar fares, and insurance purchases.

1 MQD per $10 spent when using the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card or the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card .

1 MQD per $20 spent when using the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card or the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card .

1 MQD per $1 spent when booking travel through Delta Vacations. The calculation excludes taxes, fees (including government fees), basic economy and similar fares, tips, room service, other booking charges, and insurance purchases.

Medallion status for a given year is earned based on activity in the previous calendar year. Your status is generally good until Jan. 31 of the following year. For example, your Medallion status for 2025 is based on your activity in 2024 and will last until Jan. 31, 2026.

Status matching

You may be able to match your Delta status to another airline loyalty program. You must have current elite status with a qualifying airline, and you cannot have used the match in the previous three years. Once you’re accepted in the match program, you get complimentary Medallion status for three months. To keep it for the rest of the year, you need to earn it during those three months:

Silver: $1,250 MQDs.

Gold: $2,500 MQDs.

Platinum: $3,750 MQDs.

Delta is part of the international SkyTeam alliance, which allows you to earn and use SkyMiles on flights aboard carriers other than Delta.

Skyteam member airlines include:

Aerolineas Argentinas.

AeroMexico.

Air Europa.

Air France.

China Airlines.

China Eastern.

Czech Airlines.

Delta Air Lines.

Garuda Indonesia.

ITA Airways.

Kenya AIrways.

Korean Air.

MEA (Middle East Airlines).

Vietnam Airlines.

Virgin Atlantic.

Xiamen Air.

Delta also had partnerships with these non-SkyTeam airlines:

China Southern.

Hawaiian Airlines.

» Learn more: The complete guide to Delta partners: earning, redeeming, elite perks

Delta's credit cards are issued by American Express. All of the cards offer different spending rewards.

Personal Delta cards

on American Express' website

• 2 miles per $1 on purchases made directly with Delta and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.

• 1 mile per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

Terms apply.

Annual fee: $0 .

• 2 miles per $1 on purchases made directly with Delta and at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.).

Annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $150 .

• 3 miles per $1 on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on hotel purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.).

Annual fee: $350 .

• 3 miles per $1 on eligible purchases made directly with Delta.

• 1 mile per $1 on other eligible purchases.

Annual fee: $650 .

• No foreign transaction fees.

• First checked bag free.

• Priority boarding.

• Companion certificate (main cabin).

• Airport lounge access.

• Companion certificate (first class, Delta Comfort+ or main cabin).

• Credit for application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. To earn an unlimited number of visits each year, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more the previous year. To earn unlimited visits in 2025, you’ll need to spend this amount between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24.

Business Delta cards

Delta offers three business cards:

$0 intro for the first year, then $150 .

• 2 miles per $1 on purchases made directly with Delta and at restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.).

• 2 miles per $1 on purchases made with U.S. shipping providers and U.S. advertising providers in select media on up to $50,000 of purchases per category, per year.

• 3 miles per $1 on purchases made directly with Delta and on hotels.

• 1.5 miles per $1 on purchases U.S. shipping purchases and every single purchase of $5,000 or more up to $100,000 per year.

• 1.5 miles per $1 on eligible transit, U.S. shipping and U.S. office supply store purchases.

• 1.5 miles per $1 on all purchases after spending $150,000 in a calendar year.

Earn 55,000 Bonus Miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

Earn 65,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

Earn 75,000 Bonus Miles after spending $10,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

» Learn more: Which Delta Air Lines card should you get?

The actual experience of flying with Delta is among the best you’ll find across any U.S. airline. With free movies, seatback screens and free in-flight messaging, your time in the air makes for one of the best in-flight experiences you could have. And don’t forget those Biscoff cookies.

As far as the seats go, everyone except people with basic economy tickets will get to pick their seat. Physical basic economy seats aren’t actually different from standard economy seats, but because basic economy flyers don't get to pick, they'll likely end up with a middle seat. If you are in one of the pricier airfares that lets you pick your seat, choose wisely with this Delta seat selection guide .

The Delta fare classes are (in order from swankiest to stingiest) are:

Premium Select.

First Class.

Delta Comfort.

Main Cabin.

Basic Economy.

And some lucky folk might get one of those better seats without even paying extra for it. Here’s the ultimate guide to getting on Delta’s upgrade list .

That’s the in-cabin experience, but what about other aspects of flying Delta, like checking bags and changing your flight? Here’s what you need to know:

Delta bag fees

Delta does not charge for carry-on bags, even for basic economy fares. For checked bags, expect to pay bag fees with most Delta fares ($35 for your first bag on Main Cabin and Comfort+ fares throughout North America and the Caribbean), unless you’ve got something like a Delta card that lets you bring checked bags.

If you need to change or cancel a Delta flight

If you need to cancel a Delta flight , terms vary by the type of airfare you bought:

Some Delta fares are refundable , though not all. Whether Delta gives you a refund depends on how quickly after booking you change your mind, whether you paid in cash versus points and the type of fare you booked.

If Delta cancels your flight (or just delays it)

If the canceled flight was Delta’s choice — not yours — then you have more options.

Delta offers full refunds on flights it cancels , regardless of fare class, if you choose to not take another flight. Opt in to text, email or app alerts from Delta for the quickest notifications related to your flight status.

If your flight is canceled, you can rebook yourself on Delta’s website or app by choosing an alternate flight or sometimes another departure or arrival airport other than your original one.

If your Delta flight is delayed , you also don’t necessarily need to take the same one you booked. Flyers are eligible to rebook tickets to their final destination in the event of a flight cancellation or a schedule change of more than 30 minutes. Delta’s flight delay compensation policy means you might get additional travel assistance depending on the circumstances. Delta sometimes reimburses for expenses like extra hotel room nights, but it depends on your situation. If you do have additional expenses, save those receipts.

We've covered all the basic details of the Delta SkyMiles program, including how to use Delta SkyMiles for maximum value. But if you still aren't sure whether a frequent flyer program is worth the effort, see our beginner's guide to frequent flyer programs .

You can technically transfer your Delta SkyMiles to another person’s account, but it’s almost always a bad idea. Delta charges 1 cent per mile and $30 per transfer, which wipes out the value of the miles.

Delta SkyMiles do not expire, but they might lose value over time.

Delta SkyMiles cost 3.5 cents each when purchased directly, far more than their typical value . That is to say: Buying Delta miles is generally not a good move.

Delta SkyMiles cost 3.5 cents each when purchased directly, far more than their

typical value

. That is to say: Buying Delta miles is generally not a good move.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

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Getting Miles Back After Canceling Award Flights

How to Get Your Miles Back After Canceling an Award Flight

 tomasdelcoro / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Sometimes life gets in the way, and our travel plans change. But what happens if you’ve booked your trip with frequent flyer miles ? 

The good news is that airlines have policies in place to make sure you can get them back. The bad news is that each policy is different, and there ​is a range of fees attached to canceling reward tickets.

As with everything in the travel world, it’s important to read the fine print before  you book. When planning for your next getaway, be sure to understand the biggest airlines' cancellation policies for reward tickets. In some situations, it could make sense to pay to get your miles back.

Alaska Airlines

Editor's note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, award tickets purchased on or before February 26, 2020 for travel between March 9, 2020 and May 31, 2020 may be changed or cancelled at no cost. If you cancel your trip, your miles will be returned to your Mileage Plan account.

Award tickets purchased between February 27, 2020 and April 30, 2020 for travel through February 28, 2021 may be changed or cancelled at no cost. If you cancel your trip, your miles will be returned to your Mileage Plan account.

Mileage Plan flyers who need to make a change or cancel their trip 24 hours after the initial booking will be charged a $125 change/cancellation fee. If you need to cancel your ticket, your points will be redeposited into your account and taxes reimbursed. If you are making a change to your reservation, you may also have to pay for any price difference between your original flight and the new reservation.

Other cancellation fees, including the call center booking fee or the partner award fee, are non-refundable.

American Airlines

Editor's note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak , award tickets purchased before March 1, 2020 may be changed or cancelled at no cost. Flights scheduled for travel between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020 may also be changed or cancelled at no cost. You will need to call customer service in order to get these miles reinstated to your member's account.

If you have to unexpectedly cancel your trip  or change your itinerary and you booked with American AAdvantage miles , you can get those miles back . But unless you are a top-tier elite flyer, you will be forced to pay. 

If you booked a MileSAAver award, and you need to make a change, you will pay a $150 fee even if you keep the same award type. If you are traveling on a partner airline and need to change your origin, destination, or flying airline, you will also have to pay the fee, even if you keep the same award. If you are flying on an AAnytime award, the origin and destination change fees are waived if you keep the same award type. 

But what if you need to cancel your trip entirely? If your ticket has not expired, you can call the customer service number to request to have all your AAdvantage miles reinstated to your account.

If American is your primary airline and you fly a lot, you won't have to worry about fees. Most fees are waived for AAdvantage Executive Platinum members. 

Delta Air Lines

Editor's note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, tickets purchased between March 1 2020 and May 31, 2020 may be changed at no cost. Domestic and international flights scheduled for March, April, and May 2020 may also be changed at no cost. In both situations, you may choose to cancel your flight and use the value of the ticket towards a future flight (to be used within the next two years). Delta Air Lines will reinstate your miles to your account for free when you cancel an award ticket.

Delta Air Lines flyers who use SkyMiles to book their trip must pay a change or reinstatement fee, but those are sometimes waived for frequent flyers. 

Award flyers must either change their itineraries or cancel their tickets 72 hours from their departure time. There are change and reinstatement fees, in addition to any taxes or fees you will need to pay. But if you are a SkyMiles Platinum Medallion or Diamond Medallion flyer, your fees are waived  if  you make changes more than 72 hours away from your departure time. 

If you need to make a last-minute change within three days from your trip, you can say goodbye to those SkyMiles . Flights changed or canceled less than 72 hours from departure are non-refundable. 

Frontier Airlines

Editor's note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, tickets purchased before March 10, 2020 for travel through April 30, 2020 may be changed or cancelled at no cost . Tickets purchased between March 10, 2020 and April 15, 2020 may also be changed or cancelled at no cost. If you cancel your flight, note that you must use the value of the ticket towards the purchase of a future flight within 90 days of cancellation.

While it may be almost free to redeem your Frontier EarlyReturns miles, it certainly isn't cheap to cancel your trip. Don't look for help from elite status here, the cancellation policy applies to everybody. 

If you booked a Last Seat Availability award, there is no fee to cancel your flight and get your miles back. Otherwise, expect to pay a $75 redeposit fee to return your EarlyReturns miles to your account. And if you don't show up for your flight, those miles will be gone and forfeited. 

Editor's note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, flights scheduled through May 31, 2020 may be changed or cancelled at no cost. Award tickets purchased between March 27, 2020 and April 30, 2020 for travel through January 4, 2021 may be changed or cancelled at no cost. Any tickets purchased between February 27, 2020 and March 5, 2020 for travel through June 1, 2020 may also be changed or cancelled at no cost. Likewise, tickets purchased between March 6 and March 26, 2020 for travel through September 8, 2020 may be changed or cancelled at no cost.

If you cancel your flight, note that you must use the value of the ticket towards the purchase of a future flight within 90 days of cancellation.

When you book with JetBlue TrueBlue points , you are effectively booking a cash fare with the equivalent of a point. Unfortunately, that makes it difficult to determine how much you need to pay for changes or cancellations. 

If you need to change or cancel a Blue Fare or Blue Plus Fare booked in TrueBlue points, expect to pay based on the cash value of the flight . The more expensive the flight, the more you'll have to pay. And if you have to cancel, you will get the miles back in your TrueBlue account. 

If you booked a nonrefundable Mint fare with TrueBlue points, the change or cancellation fee is $200.

The worst thing to do is to not show up for your flight. If you don't show up and don't cancel your ticket, your miles are forfeited and fly away with the airplane. 

Spirit Airlines

Editor's note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, travelers may change or cancel their flights at no cost. If you cancel your flight, you can claim a Reservation Credit, to be used within 12 months.

Spirit Airlines is notorious for charging flyers for everything except using the lavatory in flight. The same is true for their frequent flyer program, FREE SPIRIT, if you have to change an award flight, you'll have to pay. 

Any changes or cancellations 24 hours after booking are subject to a varying modification fee (if change space is available) or a redeposit fee. 

Southwest Airlines

Editor's note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, customers scheduled to travel up until April 30 are able to modify their reservation to a date 60 days away from the originally scheduled travel date with no change fee.

If you cancel your flight, the fund will be returned to you for future travel. The value of tickets cancelled between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020 must be used by June 30, 2021. If you have travel funds that have expired or will expire between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020, they now expire June 30, 2021.

Any Southwest Airlines frequent flyer will tell you they "LUV" the airline because of their customer-friendly policies. This also applies to their change and cancellation policies as well!

At Southwest, change fees don't fly at all. If you are forced to change or modify your flight, you can do so for free on the website. However, if your change ends up with a higher fare, you will have to pay the difference. 

And if you accidentally miss your flight, those miles don't go away, instead, they go back into your account. But it can take up to four days for those miles to show up in your Rapid Rewards account. 

United Airlines

Editor's note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, award tickets purchased for travel between March 10, 2020 and May 31, 2020 may be changed at no cost. Any tickets purchased between March 3, 2020 and April 30, 2020 may also be changed at no cost. If you cancel your trip, the value of the ticket must be applied towards future travel within 24 months. Check the United Airlines website for additional information on travel waivers for specific destinations.

United MileagePlus miles are some of the best in the industry because of how many partners the Star Alliance carrier has. But if you're not a frequent flyer and need to make a change or cancel an award ticket, it can be a costly experience. 

The amount of money you pay to make a change to an award ticket or get your miles back after cancellation depends on your status . United MileagePlus Premier Platinum and 1K flyers who need to make a change or cancel an award trip at least 61 days in advance pay no fees. But Premier Gold flyers and Premier Silver flyers pay a lower fee, while everyone else pays a higher fee in change or cancellation and redeposit fees. 

Whatever you do, be sure to show up for your flight or cancel in advance. Everyone  who is a no-show for their flight is forced to pay a $125 redeposit fee to get their miles back.   

It’s very important to read up on your programs’ policies, to see if having status lowers (or eliminates) redeposit fees. In addition, some travel insurance policies will reimburse any cancellation or redeposit fees if your trip cancellation is for a covered reason. If you need to get a reward trip refunded, you’ll be prepared to take the appropriate action.

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17 ways to earn more Delta SkyMiles, from buying gift cards to using credit cards

T hough Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles has seen devaluations over the years, it can still be a valuable program for domestic awards and partner redemptions.

Not only does the airline have a vast route network with significant hubs in large U.S. cities, but there are many different ways to earn Delta miles that you can redeem for SkyTeam flights. Sometimes, Delta even runs award sales that allow you to snag cheap flights, starting at 5,000 SkyMiles round-trip .

Delta miles are fairly easy to accrue — and they never expire — so we'll show you ways to add to your SkyMiles balance, including flying on Delta and its partners, spending on travel rewards credit cards and transferring miles from other programs.

Earn Delta SkyMiles by flying

Earning Delta SkyMiles by flying may seem self-explanatory, but the number of miles earned depends on several factors. You'll earn miles differently on Delta and partner flights — here's everything you need to know.

Earn miles when flying with Delta

When flying on Delta-marketed and -operated flights, you earn miles based on your ticket's base price (which doesn't include government-imposed taxes). Flyers without elite status earn 5 miles per dollar on airfare, not including taxes and fees.

This means a one-way Delta ticket from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND) with a base fare of $1,100 (before taxes) would earn 5,500 SkyMiles, assuming the flyer has no Delta elite status.

While this revenue-based scheme is used for earning purposes, remember that Delta Medallion status is still partially earned based on distance flown, not just dollars spent. Any flight eligible for Medallion Qualification Miles will earn a minimum of 500 MQMs.

For example, if you're flying from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) in economy class, you'll earn 500 MQMs, even though the flight only covers 488 miles.

Elite status bonuses

Additionally, those with Delta Medallion elite status will earn at a higher rate than those without it — the higher your status, the more miles you'll earn.

Here's how many miles Medallion members earn for every dollar spent:

• Silver Medallion: 7 miles
• Gold Medallion: 8 miles
• Platinum Medallion: 9 miles
• Diamond Medallion: 11 miles

This means a Diamond Medallion would earn 12,100 miles on the same $1,100 ticket we discussed earlier.

Related: 5 things you need to know about Delta SkyMiles

Earn Delta SkyMiles when flying with airline partners

Things get confusing when earning miles with Delta's partner airlines. These flights sometimes earn miles differently from those operated by Delta, depending on how the ticket is booked.

The simplest example applies to flights booked on Delta ticket stock, which generally happens when you book on delta.com. Even though the flight is operated by another airline, it's marketed by Delta. So you'll earn miles the same as with a standard Delta flight.

But what happens if you book a partner flight on a partner airline's website and add your Delta SkyMiles number? In this case, you'll earn miles based on the distance flown. However, the exact number of SkyMiles you'll earn varies based on the partner, fare class and elite status.

For example, here's how many SkyMiles you'd earn on a flight that's operated and ticketed by Aeromexico:

Looking at the chart above, you'll see that tickets booked in higher fare classes earn more miles. You should be able to identify your fare class by calling the ticketing airline or checking the e-ticket sent to your email after purchase.

Once you've found your booking class, head over to Delta's list of partner airlines , find your partner and locate your fare class. Multiply the number in the "Total Miles Earned" column by the distance of your flight(s); the easiest way to figure out this final number is to use Great Circle Mapper .

For example, a one-way flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Mexico City International Airport (MEX) clocks in at 2,090 miles flown. An H-fare economy ticket earns 100% of that mileage, so you'd earn 2,090 SkyMiles for this ticket.

Related: Delta's loyalty changes are even worse than originally announced

Earn Delta SkyMiles with credit cards

One of the easiest ways to earn lots of Delta SkyMiles is through cobranded credit cards — including welcome bonuses and earning on everyday spending. Currently, American Express issues four personal Delta cards and three business cards.

Each one has a different suite of perks and benefits. Some are geared toward the frequent Delta flyer, and others are more suited for everyday consumers who want the occasional free Delta flight.

Here's a look at the full suite of Delta SkyMiles credit cards from American Express (terms apply):

Personal Delta cards

• Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card : Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card : Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card : Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card : Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.

Business Delta cards

• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card : Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases on your new card in your first three months of card membership.
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card : Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new card in your first three months of card membership.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card : Earn 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases on your new card in your first three months of card membership.

If you're a casual Delta flyer, we recommend the Delta SkyMiles Gold card. It earns SkyMiles on all purchases and has a 40,000-mile welcome bonus worth $480 at our valuation .

If you're considering applying for one of these cards, keep Amex's once-per-lifetime rule in mind. This rule limits you to one card welcome bonus per lifetime. If you've received a welcome bonus for the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card before, you won't be eligible to receive it again if you reapply for the card. That's why holding out for a high welcome bonus is so important — you'll only receive it once.

Related: Choosing the best credit card for Delta flyers

Earn Delta SkyMiles by buying gift cards

As a limited-time offer, Delta is running the following holiday promotion : Buy $400 or more in Delta gift cards and earn miles (terms apply).

• SkyMiles general members earn 3 miles per dollar
• Silver Medallions earn 4 miles per dollar
• Gold Medallions earn 5 miles per dollar
• Platinum Medallions earn 6 miles per dollar
• Diamond Medallions earn 7 miles per dollar

This promotion is only running from Nov. 20 - 29, and no enrollment is required. Whether you want to gift the special someone in your life with a Delta gift card or purchase the gift card for yourself and use it to book your own flight, you can earn extra miles.

Transfer points and miles to Delta SkyMiles

If you need SkyMiles quickly or don't want to add another credit card to your wallet, you may be able to transfer points or miles from another reward program. Delta partners with American Express Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy , making it easy to top off your balance when needed.

Transfer Membership Rewards points to SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles has one credit card transfer partner: American Express Membership Rewards.

You can transfer Membership Rewards points to Delta SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio. However, you will pay a fee of $0.0006 per mile (up to a maximum of $99) to offset the federal excise tax , so the transaction will carry an additional cost.

Often, putting purchases on a card that earns Membership Rewards points will yield more SkyMiles per dollar spent than using one of Delta's cobranded American Express cards. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express earns 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with any airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year).

Here are some popular options for earning Amex points that can then be transferred directly to your SkyMiles account:

• The Platinum Card from American Express : Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. However, some readers have been targeted for an even higher welcome offer using the CardMatch tool (offer subject to change at any time). Terms apply.
• American Express® Gold Card : Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases with your new card within the first six months of account opening. However, some readers have been targeted for an even higher welcome offer using the CardMatch tool (offer subject to change at any time). Terms apply.
• American Express® Green Card : Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership. Terms apply.
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express : Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the card within the first three months of card membership. Terms apply.

The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: The best ways to use Amex Membership Rewards points

Transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to SkyMiles

You can also transfer hotel points from various programs to your Delta SkyMiles account. In my experience, the only potentially appealing transfer is from Marriott Bonvoy. These points transfer to Delta at a 3:1 ratio, but you'll get a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred.

That said, we generally recommend using Marriott points to book hotel stays, as you'll typically get better value.

Chase and American Express issue several Marriott cobranded credit cards if you're short on Marriott points.

Related: The award travelers guide to Marriott Bonvoy

Transfer Delta SkyMiles between accounts

While you can transfer SkyMiles between accounts, we don't recommend it. Delta charges $0.01 per mile transferred plus a $30 transaction fee. This isn't a great deal, as you'd lose most of the value of your miles after paying the applicable fees, and you can only transfer a maximum of 30,000 miles per transaction.

If you decide to go this route, both accounts must have been open for at least 10 days and earned at least 1 mile. Miles earned through the Delta SkyMiles Shopping portal do not fulfill this requirement. You can receive a maximum of 300,000 SkyMiles per year and transfer out up to 150,000 SkyMiles per year.

Related: Your ultimate guide to family points pooling

Earn Delta SkyMiles by shopping and dining

You can also earn Delta SkyMiles through several everyday Delta partners. These methods make it easier than ever to earn miles based on things you already do, like eating out and shopping online.

Earn with the SkyMiles Shopping portal

Like most airlines, Delta has its online shopping portal : SkyMiles Shopping. This site lets you earn extra SkyMiles when you shop online, in addition to rewards earned with your credit card. To use the portal, sign up for a SkyMiles Shopping account, find your merchant on the site and click through the link. Each merchant offers a different number of SkyMiles per dollar spent, and these rates fluctuate — especially around the holidays.

Check the portal frequently for spending and merchant bonuses. In the past, we've seen promotions from merchants like Nike, Under Armour, AT&T and others. If you're going to make a purchase anyway, shopping through Delta's portal can mean serious bonus miles.

Related: Your guide to maximizing shopping portals for your online purchases

Earn while you eat with SkyMiles Dining

The Delta SkyMiles Dining program is a way to earn extra miles when dining out. Sign up for an account, link a credit card and dine at a participating restaurant, cafe or bar. When you swipe your registered card at these establishments, you'll earn extra SkyMiles. This is in addition to the miles you already earn with your credit card. Make sure to link a card that earns bonus points at restaurants to watch the rewards add up.

The number of miles you earn through SkyMiles Dining depends on your status in the program, which is entirely separate from your Medallion status. There are three tiers: member, select member and VIP. You'll become a select member by signing up for email alerts, and you can get VIP status after making 11 transactions within 12 months.

If you don't give the program a valid email address and sign up for email alerts, you're a standard member and will only earn 1 mile for every $2 spent. Select members will earn 3 miles per dollar spent, while VIP members will take home 5 miles per dollar.

Related: The best hotel rewards programs in the world

Earn Delta SkyMiles for your business

SkyMiles for Business is open to all companies, regardless of size and annual revenue. However, earning miles is still restricted to companies with at least five unique employee travelers and that spend at least $5,000 in eligible flight revenue every calendar year. Here's a closer look at the SkyMiles for Business tiers:

• Member : Open to any business, with no minimum traveler or spending requirements
• Plus : Accounts with at least five employee travelers and $5,000 in annual travel spending
• Elite : Accounts with at least five employee travelers and $300,000 in annual travel spending

Related: Airline loyalty programs for small businesses

Earn Delta SkyMiles with travel partners

You can also earn bonus miles when you book other types of travel, like rental cars, Lyft rides and hotel stays. Here's a quick look at all your travel earning options.

Book a ride with Lyft

You can earn Delta miles when you link your Delta and Lyft accounts. When you take a ride through the platform, you'll earn 1 mile per dollar spent on everyday rides and 2 miles per dollar spent on airport rides. Business travelers can rack up huge amounts of points with this promotion.

Best of all, once you're linked, you don't need to click through a link to earn SkyMiles on Lyft rides. They'll be automatically credited to your account.

Just note that Lyft also partners with other programs — including Alaska Airlines MileagePlan and Bilt Rewards. Since you can only have one program set as your active loyalty rewards partner in your Lyft account, you'll want to select the one that makes the most sense for your needs.

Related: Triple stack these offers to maximize your next Lyft ride

Earn with Delta Vacations

Delta Vacations recently made several customer-friendly changes to its program. Here's what you can earn on travel packages with Delta Vacations:

• 1,000 SkyMiles per person on bookings of up to $4,999
• 5,000 SkyMiles per person on bookings of $5,000 to $9,999
• 10,000 SkyMiles per person on bookings of $10,000 or more

You'll also now earn additional miles from the flight portion of your vacation packages.

Earn SkyMiles on cruises

Through Delta Cruises , you can earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on your next sailing. However, the platform does offer limited-time bonuses during certain times of the year, allowing to to take home even more miles.

To earn SkyMiles on your next cruise, book on cruises.delta.com or call 800-820-3244 with your SkyMiles number.

Related: How to book a cruise using points and miles

Earn SkyMiles on Airbnb stays

Similar to Delta's partnership with Lyft, you can earn SkyMiles on eligible Airbnb stays . Just head over to Airbnb's Delta website, enter your SkyMiles number and click through the link before you make a booking. You'll earn 1 mile per dollar on Airbnb purchases with no limit, so more expensive trips can rack up a nice haul of SkyMiles.

Related: 15 tips that will help you score the perfect Airbnb every time

Earn SkyMiles when you book hotels

In addition to Airbnb, you can earn SkyMiles with Delta's hotel booking portal . The portal awards 2 miles per dollar spent on hotels, with frequent bonus promotions. The prices on this portal should match booking directly, but it's in your best interest to double-check.

One word of caution: You won't earn hotel points or get to use elite status benefits when booking through this portal. Unfortunately, these are generally reserved for those booking directly with the hotel company. Research and see if earning Delta miles or hotel points is best for your hotel stay.

Read more: 9 things to consider when choosing to book via a portal vs. booking directly

You can also earn SkyMiles when you book directly with Delta's hotel partners. The number of miles you'll earn depends on the hotel group you book with — here's a look at how many miles you can earn:

Earn SkyMiles when you rent a car with one of these partners

You can also earn SkyMiles when you rent a car with one of Delta's partners. Similar to hotels, you won't earn rental car points when you elect to earn SkyMiles. Here's a look at how many SkyMiles you can earn:

Delta elite members are eligible for a free status match with Hertz Gold Plus Rewards . Gold Medallion members receive a match to Hertz Five Star status, while Platinum and Diamond Medallions are eligible for President's Circle status. You can enroll in this status match on Delta's website .

You can also read about Delta's partnership with Turo .

Related: How to never pay full price for a rental car

Buy Delta SkyMiles

If you need SkyMiles in a pinch, you can buy them directly from Delta. The airline charges a whopping $0.035 per mile, more than TPG's valuation of 1.2 cents per mile. You must buy miles in increments of 2,000, and you can purchase a maximum of 60,000 SkyMiles per account per year.

Delta frequently discounts SkyMiles by offering bonus miles or a bonus on the number of miles purchased. Buying SkyMiles is only worth doing if you have an immediate use for them. Otherwise, purchasing miles speculatively is usually a bad idea, as they can be devalued anytime.

Related: Book a pricey suite or flight for a fraction of the cost: Current points promotions to save you money

Bottom line

There are plenty of ways to earn Delta SkyMiles, whether through flights, credit cards, transferring points or using one of Delta's many other partners.

Even better? SkyMiles is one of the few loyalty currencies that never expire . And with the myriad earning opportunities outlined above, you'll hopefully have no shortage of SkyMiles the next time you plan a trip.

For details on the redemption process, check out our guide on redeeming miles with the Delta SkyMiles program .

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Can I Cancel/Change My Flight Without Fees?

Updated as of March 21, 2024

We understand that your plans may change. Enjoy more peace of mind with no change and cancellation fees when you purchase Main Cabin or above tickets on flights originating from the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Any remaining value will become an eCredit that you can use at any time before your ticket expires (typically one year from the date of purchase).

You can change the date, time or location of your trip prior to departure in My Trips . When changing your ticket, sometimes your new flight may cost more than your original flight. If this happens, you will need to pay the difference in price. Any ticket not changed or canceled prior to departure will have no remaining value. Please note that Basic Economy tickets remain non-changeable and non-refundable in most cases.

For some originating markets, change and cancellation fees will continue to apply for all tickets, including Main Cabin and premium fares.

Already have an eCredit and ready to book? Visit delta.com/redeem to book your future travel. If you need assistance with how to cancel or change your flight, visit our how-to guide .

Tickets purchased directly from Delta, including Basic Economy fares, are included in our  24-Hour Risk-Free Cancellation policy . This means you have up to 24 hours after booking to cancel your ticket for any reason and receive a full refund with no change or cancellation fees.

Basic Economy tickets are non-changeable* and non-refundable in most cases. You may cancel your ticket before departure to receive an eCredit minus a cancellation fee** and apply the remaining value toward a future Delta ticket. Basic Economy Award Tickets are also non-changeable and non-refundable in most cases; you may cancel for a fee in miles which is deducted from the value of your ticket, and the remaining mileage balance will be redeposited into your SkyMiles account.

How to Cancel Your Flight:

• To cancel your flight, visit My Trips on delta.com and click on "Need to Cancel?” then “Start Flight Cancellation”
• Follow the steps through the cancellation process. Before the cancellation is final, you will have the opportunity to check your flight details and confirm that you would like to cancel
• You may cancel your flight before departure and apply any remaining value of the ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket for a period of one year from the original date of purchase

*For tickets issued for travel originating in Korea, tickets will be refunded to the original form of payment after deducting the cancellation fee. Check your ticket along with the Baggage & Travel Fees page to view any fees that may apply to your Basic Economy ticket depending on your origin city and destination.

**An eCredit will not be issued if the cancellation fee exceeds the ticket value.

How to Change Your Flight: 

• For Main Cabin or above tickets you would like to change, visit My Trips on delta.com, select the flight you wish to change and then click on "Change or Add Flights"/li>
• View and select new flight options
• To cancel your flight, visit My Trips on delta.com and click on "Need to Cancel?” then choose "Start Flight Cancellation"
• You may cancel your flight before departure and apply any unused value of the ticket toward the purchase of a new ticket for a period of one year from the original date of purchase. Cancellation fees apply for Basic Economy fares and other fares originating in select markets.

Depending on where you are flying from and the type of ticket you purchased, change and cancellation fees may apply. The Change and Cancel Waiver is still in effect for flights originating from Asia, Oceania, India and Israel so that customers originating in these regions may continue to change or cancel their flight without incurring a change or cancel fee.

How to Change Your Flight:

• To change your flight, visit My Trips , opens in a new window on delta.com, select the flight you wish to change and then click on "Change or Add Flights"
• To cancel your flight, visit My Trips , opens in a new window on delta.com and click on “Need to Cancel?” then choose "Start Flight Cancellation"
• Once you have selected “Start Flight Cancellation” you will be taken through the cancellation process and have the opportunity to check your flight details and confirm that you would like to cancel before it is final
• You may cancel your ticket before departure to receive an eCredit , opens in a new window minus a cancellation fee* and apply the remaining value toward a future Delta ticket for a period of one year from the original date of purchase

*An eCredit will not be issued if the cancellation fee exceeds the ticket value.

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Some airline issues get you a refund, some don't. How it works | Cruising Altitude

John Schrier was traveling home to New York from Taipei last month and said the flight was interminably boring.

“As we boarded, you could see that about half of the screens had a black screen,” he told me. “Half of us were not able to watch an entertainment system.” 

Schrier said he reached out to the Taiwanese airline EVA Air on multiple platforms, including on social media during the flight, but said he initially had no luck hearing back or getting reimbursed for the inconvenience of a transpacific flight with no inflight entertainment.

Unfortunately for Schrier, it’s unlikely that compensation will be required. Airlines have conditions attached to every ticket, known as contracts of carriage, that outline their minimum obligations to passengers. Contracts of carriage, coupled with rules from regulators like the Department of Transportation, give passengers their basic rights when flying – but seatback screens are not usually considered mandatory equipment, even if they’re advertised as an available amenity.

Nevertheless, the DOT recently announced new rules that give consumers increased protections when other kinds of things go wrong, so here’s what you need to know about what is and isn’t a reimbursable offense by an airline these days.

What is an airline contract of carriage?

Airline contracts of carriage are the terms and conditions that passengers agree to when they fly. Travelers automatically sign on when they purchase their tickets, even if they don’t have to formally sign a document. The contracts typically outline an airline’s commitments for transportation, as well as what happens if your flight is delayed or canceled and other fine print related to your itinerary.

“Some airlines have a customer bill of rights to basically simplify the airline contract of carriage, but essentially it’s what’s allowed, what’s not allowed, but everybody has a little bit different verbiage,” Loulu Lima, founder of the Texas-based travel agency Book Here Give Here, told me. 

If you want to comb through the fine print, airlines make their contracts of carriage available on their websites. EVA’s contract , which covered Schrier’s trip, includes terms and conditions on how tickets can be used and (not) transferred, how stopovers work, what kinds of delays or cancellations make a passenger eligible for a refund and other assorted policies.

“It’s going to depend on the airline. An American airline is going to have a different set of rules than an Asian one,” Lima said. “The rules are really written based on the country of the corporate office.

Here are the contracts of carriage for each of the major U.S. airlines, if you want to take a look: 

• American Airlines
• United Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Southwest Airlines

Can passengers get a refund for broken inflight entertainment?

Usually not. 

“If you have status, you might get some loyalty points out of it, but other than maybe going on social media and making a big stink about it you’re probably not going to get anything,” Lima said.

Some airlines are also more accommodating than others and may voluntarily give passengers credits when something like that goes wrong. A few years ago, I was flying on Delta, and my seatback screen was broken, and they gave me about 2,500 SkyMiles as a goodwill gesture. 

Schrier said EVA eventually offered him about $100 in compensation.

Last week's Cruising Altitude: Another Boeing plane issue? Don't fall for the headlines.

New Department of Transportation rule increases traveler protections

While inflight entertainment isn’t typically considered critical equipment by an airline, which means it’s safe to travel even if those seatback screens aren’t working, the DOT recently announced new rules that help guarantee protections and refunds for other kinds of issues in the air. 

Part of the change mean: 

• Airlines will have to automatically issue refunds within 20 days if a passenger’s flight is canceled or significantly delayed (over three hours) and they choose not to travel on alternative flights offered.
• If a traveler pays a checked bag fee and their bag is significantly delayed, they’ll be entitled to a refund of the fee. 
• If a traveler pays in advance for an ancillary service like an extra legroom seat or Wi-Fi and then does not have access to that amenity on the flight, they will have to receive a refund for those charges.

The refund policies were also coupled with another new rule that requires more upfront, clear-cut disclosure of airline fees.

“A lot of what we hear from passengers involves refunds – or the lack thereof – for passengers who experience cancellations and disruptions.” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement announcing the new rules. “Infrequent fliers are especially vulnerable, since they may not know that we are here for them, and are often not told about their right to a refund, and too often instead offered compensation in form of a voucher or miles whose value amounts to pennies on the dollar of what they are actually owed. Or they enter the vortex of call centers and chatbots, sometimes giving up before they get their money back.”

Schrier, for example, said he had a lot of trouble getting through to EVA to file his complaint. 

It’s definitely frustrating for travelers who are on a long flight without functioning entertainment. I’m usually totally dependent on the seatback screen for my distractions while flying. But if the alternative is for a flight to get significantly delayed or canceled while technicians fix the operating system, I think I’d rather just get going. 

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].

Delta SkyMiles: Your complete guide to earning, redeeming and elite status

Editor's Note

One of the most popular frequent flyer programs is Delta SkyMiles, the loyalty program of Delta Air Lines . TPG currently values SkyMiles at 1.2 cents apiece, and you can redeem them for flights, upgrades, hotels and more.

After you earn enough SkyMiles, there are many ways to redeem them for your dream vacation. And, you'll typically get the most value from your miles if you snag one of Delta's frequent flash sales , which offer discounted award flights domestically and abroad.

Whether flying or using a Delta cobranded credit card , earning SkyMiles is easy. Plus, the program also lets you earn elite status on award tickets. Keep reading to find out more about the Delta SkyMiles program.

What is the Delta SkyMiles program?

Delta SkyMiles is the loyalty program of Delta Air Lines. Joining the program is free, and your miles never expire.

You can earn Delta SkyMiles through a variety of methods. Some popular ones include flying, spending on Delta's credit cards, transferring points from American Express Membership Rewards , shopping through the Delta SkyMiles shopping portal , dining out through the SkyMiles Dining program and partaking in various other promotions offered by the airline.

Delta SkyMiles program partners

Delta is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance , which includes over a dozen airlines worldwide. You can earn and redeem miles when you travel with a SkyTeam airline. SkyTeam serves 1,000 destinations and touches virtually every part of the globe, with flights landing on six continents.

The members are:

• Aerolinas Argentinas
• Aeromexico (the partnership with Delta will reportedly end in October 2024)
• China Airlines
• China Eastern Airlines
• Czech Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Garuda Indonesia
• ITA Airways
• Kenya Airways
• Middle East Airlines
• Vietnam Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic

Related: Delta Air Lines unveils 4 new routes, expanded service to Latin America

Other partners

Delta has several other partnerships beyond SkyTeam members, giving you numerous options for earning miles even when you aren't flying on Delta or a SkyTeam airline.

Non-alliance partners include:

• China Southern Airlines

Just note that each partnership has specific restrictions and requirements .

Related: The best websites for searching SkyTeam award availability

Delta SkyMiles elite status

The program offers four elite status tiers for frequent Delta flyers: Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion and Diamond Medallion.

Earning Delta Medallion status

As of Jan. 1, 2024, Delta only uses Medallion Qualification Dollars as criteria for qualification — and the requirement thresholds are increasing significantly for 2025 requirements. Remember, status is earned based on activity during the previous calendar year.

According to Delta's website , "Beginning February 2024, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum, Platinum Business, Reserve and Reserve Business American Express Card members will receive an MQD Headstart of $2,500 MQDs per card type for the current Medallion Qualification Year."

Additionally, Delta introduced an "MQD Boost" benefit, which allows cardmembers to earn additional MQDs when spending a certain amount on their Delta cards. Unfortunately, you'll no longer have access to the MQD waiver on your Delta credit card, enacted on Jan. 1.

You can earn MQDs in the following ways:

• Delta and partner flights: Earn 1 MQD per dollar spent on a Delta-marketed flight operated by Delta or by a partner airline.
• Credit cards: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card members earn 1 MQD for every $10 spent. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card members earn 1 MQD for every $20 spent. (Terms apply.)
• Delta Vacations: Earn 1 MQD per dollar spent on the entire vacation experience (in addition to what you earn for your flight) when booking directly with Delta Vacations. You will earn MQDs on parts of the package, including stays, cars, rides and activities.

Related: Is Delta Air Lines status worth it? What this disappointed soon-to-be-Diamond thinks

Here are some key benefits of each of Delta's status tiers.

SkyMiles Silver Medallion

The entry tier in Delta's program is Silver Medallion status. As a Silver Medallion, you'll receive:

• Complimentary first-class upgrades on domestic and short-haul international flights from 24 hours before departure
• Upgrades to Comfort+ within 24 hours of departure
• Priority boarding and check-in
• One complimentary checked bag
• 7 miles per dollar spent

SkyMiles Gold Medallion

Next up is Gold Medallion. Here's what you'll get as a Gold elite:

• Complimentary first-class upgrades on domestic and short-haul international flights from three days before departure
• SkyPriority status
• Upgrades to Comfort+ within three days of departure
• Waived same-day confirmed changes
• Two complimentary checked bags (within the U.S. and Canada)
• 8 miles per dollar spent

SkyMiles Platinum Medallion

The third tier in the SkyMiles program is Platinum Medallion status. In addition to the previously mentioned Silver Medallion and Gold Medallion perks, you'll get the following:

• Complimentary first-class upgrades on domestic flights and short-haul international flights from five days before departure
• Upgrades to Comfort+ at the time of booking
• Three complimentary checked bags (within the U.S. and Canada)
• Your pick of a Choice Benefit
• 9 miles per dollar spent

SkyMiles Diamond Medallion

Finally, the highest public elite tier in the SkyMiles program is Diamond Medallion. You'll get everything detailed above, plus some even better perks:

• Additional Choice Benefit options
• Complimentary Clear Plus membership
• Higher upgrade priority
• 11 miles per dollar spent

Note that Delta does have an invitation-only tier of status: Delta 360. However, there are no published qualification criteria to earn it.

Related: The inside scoop on invite-only Delta 360 status

How to earn SkyMiles

There are several ways to earn Delta SkyMiles. The easiest ways are flying Delta-operated flights, traveling with a SkyTeam partner and opening a Delta cobranded credit card. You can also earn miles through everyday activities like shopping and dining.

Earn SkyMiles by flying

When you fly Delta on a Delta-issued ticket, you earn SkyMiles based on the base price of your ticket. Since Delta miles never expire, there's no reason to avoid becoming a member.

Those with Delta Medallion elite status earn more miles on paid tickets.

• General member : 5 miles
• Silver Medallion : 7 miles
• Gold Medallion : 8 miles
• Platinum Medallion : 9 miles
• Diamond Medallion : 11 miles

In practice, this means that if you buy a one-way flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for $253 before taxes on delta.com , you will earn 1,265 SkyMiles as a general member. However, you'll earn 2,783 miles if you're a Diamond Medallion.

Earn SkyMiles through credit cards

There's a Delta credit card for everyone — the loyalist, the business traveler and even the infrequent flyer. All of them — except the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card — offer the following perks:

• First checked bag free and priority boarding on Delta flights
• 20% discount on inflight purchases
• 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights

However, each one offers some additional perks for travelers.

Here's a look at some of the best Delta SkyMiles credit cards from American Express. (Terms apply.)

Earn SkyMiles through partners

Another way to earn miles is by flying Delta's partner airlines, but how you earn those miles depends entirely on how you booked the ticket. For example, when you book partner airline tickets — like KLM — on delta.com, you'll earn miles the same way as a regular Delta flight, even if another airline operates the flight.

Meanwhile, if you book a partner flight on the carrier's website (for example, Air France) and add your Delta SkyMiles number, you'll earn miles based on a percentage of the distance flown. However, the exact amount of SkyMiles you'll receive varies based on the partner , booking class and whether you have elite status. Additionally, Delta slashed partner earning rates when it announced elite status changes in Sept. 2023.

Related: When you will (and won't) earn miles on your flight

Earn SkyMiles through shopping portals

One of the easiest ways to earn Delta miles is through its online shopping portal . You can earn miles for purchases you ordinarily make with thousands of merchants online.

If you don't already have an account, you must register using your SkyMiles number so the bonus miles will be credited to your frequent flyer account. Then, you can use the search box to find your favorite stores or a product. You can also compare prices and mileage rates. Remember to look for stores offering bonus miles (more on that later), featured deals and special bonus offers.

After selecting your merchant, click on the store, product or offer, and you'll be taken to the store's website to shop and check out. The store will alert the portal when you've made a purchase, and the miles you earned will be added to your SkyMiles account. You'll receive an email to confirm when your miles have been posted, typically within three to five days. However, depending on the store, the miles can take up to 15 days to post to SkyMiles Shopping.

Almost every major airline has a shopping portal, so use a shopping portal aggregator to ensure you get the best deal when you shop online.

Transfer Amex points to Delta

Finally, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points directly to Delta at a 1:1 ratio. We don't usually recommend this because we value Membership Rewards points higher than SkyMiles. Currently, we value SkyMiles at 1.2 cents apiece — 0.8 cents per point lower than Amex's valuation. It's often difficult to get a higher value from Delta, thanks to dynamic pricing. You'll also have to pay an excise tax offset fee when transferring Amex points to Delta (and other domestic frequent flyer programs).

Related: 5 things you need to know about Delta SkyMiles

How to redeem SkyMiles

Delta removed published award charts in 2015, becoming the first major U.S. airline to shift to dynamic pricing for award tickets. As a result, you will need to search on delta.com (or in the Fly Delta app) to determine how many SkyMiles you need for an award ticket. Delta's site is pretty easy to navigate, and you can see how many miles you need for a redemption through a handy calendar feature.

Generally, we've found the best redemptions on domestic flights. Paired with a Delta cobranded credit card (which offers a 15% discount on Delta-operated award tickets), you can sometimes book short-haul flights for under 4,000 SkyMiles one-way. That said, prices will vary by day, route and cabin class.

Note that Delta award tickets are fully refundable (excluding basic economy fares), so if your plans change, you can redeposit the miles (and get a refund of the taxes and fees). This also allows you to rebook an award ticket when the mileage price drops, securing a partial refund of the difference in miles.

Additionally, you can use your miles to book partner tickets on most of Delta's SkyTeam and non-alliance partners. Unfortunately, these have now largely been aligned with prices on Delta's own flights, minimizing the opportunity to get maximum value from your SkyMiles , especially in premium cabins.

Sweet spots

With Delta using full dynamic pricing across its route network, there aren't many sweet spots to maximize the value of your SkyMiles. Nevertheless, there are a few good options out there.

Delta flash sales

Delta frequently runs SkyMiles flash sales to short- and long-haul U.S. destinations and cities in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. We've seen some terrific deals for Main Cabin, Comfort+ and first class. Past deals include round-trip flights to Europe for just 33,000 miles and round-trip flights for New Yorkers for as little as 5,000 SkyMiles .

Of course, these cheap tickets aren't always published. Delta often prices short- and mid-haul award tickets for well under what other airlines would charge for similar flights. You'll often find the best deals when booking in advance and traveling on off-peak dates.

Delta and LATAM economy flights to South America

Regardless of the class of service, cash flights to South America are rarely cheap, especially to Brazil. Delta SkyMiles members can book LATAM award tickets at reasonable prices, and it's one of the better ways to use miles.

When you search for flights to South America, you might find reasonable award rates. For example, 66,000 SkyMiles can generally get you a round-trip itinerary from JFK to Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), and many of these flights are nonstop.

Bottom line

With its operational performance, numerous flight options and many ways to qualify for status, some say Delta is the best domestic airline. In fact, the carrier has taken the top spot in TPG's own analysis of the best airlines in the U.S. for the last five years. Despite its lack of award charts and unannounced program devaluations, there's still plenty to like about the Delta SkyMiles program.

However, this may not be the case for some travelers over the next year or two, as massive changes now impact how you earn Medallion status and how you access the Delta Sky Club.

Nevertheless, if you're a frequent Delta flyer (or even a more casual customer), a mix of flying, shopping portals and credit cards can increase your SkyMiles balance for your next redemption.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card, click here . For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card, click here . For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card, click here . For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card, click here . For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card, click here . For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Card, click here .