These deals come up without much notice, so act fast if it is a deal you can leverage. SkyMiles can be used for more than just award flights. SkyMiles can be used to offset the price of a cash ticket purchase or even upgrading your seat class of service where applicable. Delta Club membership, gift cards and vacation packages can also be purchased using SkyMiles. Delta has a very good international network for earning and spending SkyMiles.
Pairing with a co-branded card can also lead to accelerated SkyMiles balance growth as earning can continue even when not flying. The tricky part is redeeming. This applies even more so to those who live in and near hub and focus city locations. Alvin Byers is a consultant by day and "travel hacker" by night. After conquering a fear of flying, Alvin seeks any opportunity to get into the air to explore the world. As a married man and father to 3 boys, he studies and leverages credit card points and miles to make global family travel more than a "once in a lifetime" event.
She has visited over 45 countries and lived in Thailand, China, and Ireland where her son was born. Her kids have over 20 stamps in their own passports. Her passion lies in showing families how to travel more while keeping their savings and sanity. Her guidebook, Disney World Hacks, is a bestseller on Amazon. Select Region. United States.
United Kingdom. Alvin Byers, Dia Adams. Contributor, Editor. Editorial Note: Forbes Advisor may earn a commission on sales made from partner links on this page, but that doesn't affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. Background Delta Air Lines is one of the major U. Was this article helpful? Share your feedback. Send feedback to the editorial team. Rate this Article. Thank You for your feedback! Delta will automatically apply the bonus earnings. However, don't worry if you don't see these bonuses showing up in your SkyMiles account at first.
However, this Delta status accelerator doesn't apply to:. Exception fares except Delta Vacations packages. Upgrades purchased at check-in or at the gate. So, they will earn a total of:. For the first time, flyers can earn elite status credits on Delta award flights between April 1 and Dec.
To qualify, flights must be both marketed and operated by Delta. Put another way, your boarding pass needs to show a Delta flight number and the side of the plane needs to say Delta. However, as award flights don't currently qualify for any Medallion status earnings, it isn't clear at first how you'd apply these status accelerator bonuses.
So, Delta is introducing new base earning rates for award tickets. Delta award flights will earn MQMs based on the distance of the flight and cabin booked:.
MQDs on award tickets are calculated by dividing the mileage redeemed by You won't earn any MQDs on taxes and fees paid. SkyPriority kicks in at this level.
Photo courtesy of Delta Air Lines. You might have to spend some time on a plane to hit your goal, but it can be worth it. Buy Medallion Qualification Miles The simplest but most expensive way to rack up a few thousand extra MQMs quickly is simply to buy them from the airline.
Credit card spending Like certain American Airlines co-branded cards, some Delta American Express cards offer the ability for cardholders to earn MQMs via welcome bonuses and a lot of spending. Status challenge Delta SkyMiles is one of the most generous programs when it comes to status challenges. Have some flights coming up? Consider a status challenge.
Related: Delta adds new partners to SkyBonus program Courtesy of Delta Airlines If your company participates in SkyBonus, it might be worth asking your travel manager about earning status this way. Mileage-run scenarios Now that achieving elite status requires earning both elite-qualifying miles or segments and hitting spending thresholds, mileage runs are not necessarily the useful tool toward qualifying they once were.
Courtesy of Delta Airlines 10, miles short: You could meet this requirement with a series of short- and mid-range flights. Additional reporting by Ethan Steinberg. Sign up for our daily newsletter. Sign up. I would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not sell your email. Please enter a valid email address Please check mailing preferences. Sign-up Successful! Welcome to The Points Guy!
Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U. Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. Lest you think a Medallion Qualification Dollar is just a dollar, Delta makes it a little more complicated. First, Medallion Qualification Dollars are only accrued from the base fare of a ticket, excluding taxes and fees.
The fraction of partner miles flown that are converted into Medallion Qualification Dollars varies by partner and fare class. Delta makes this far, far more complicated than it should be. Since Platinum status only requires 75, Medallion Qualification Miles, the extra 25, you earned will roll over to and provide a jumpstart to your status for the next calendar year.
However, note that Medallion Qualification Dollars do not roll over to the following year. The dollar threshold is harder to hit than the mileage one for many frequent flyers, which can render the mileage rollover benefit moot. All Medallion tiers offer priority boarding and check-in, and all except Silver get priority security and baggage access.
All tiers also receive complimentary seat upgrade eligibility, free checked bags and bonus SkyMiles, with higher tiers offer correspondingly greater benefits. Although complimentary seat upgrades are one of the biggest benefits of any airline elite status, the process by which upgrades are determined can seem daunting and confusing.
This is because all complimentary upgrades are essentially a lottery, with no certainties even for travelers with Diamond Medallion status. For example, although upgrades begin clearing for Diamond members hours prior to departure as the above table describes, this only means that they get the first crack at seats that are available at that point.
More seats will open, sometimes at the last minute, and those will get assigned to Medallion members still on the upgrade waitlist in descending order of status and fare class. In other words, the highest Medallion status members get first dibs on upgrades, but only when those upgrades are available. Companions traveling with you are also eligible for complimentary upgrades, though it gets a bit convoluted. Companions must have a SkyMiles membership to be eligible for upgrades.
A companion booked on the same reservation as you will get upgraded at the highest tier of the two. Finally, basic economy E fares are not eligible for any complimentary upgrades, so think twice before booking these tickets for long-haul flights.
Delta offers a unique choose-your-own benefit option for both Platinum and Diamond Medallion members. Package of four regional upgrade certificates. Gift of Silver Medallion status to a friend. Individual membership to Delta Sky Clubs unlimited access for self; guests pay a fee. Executive membership to Delta Sky Clubs unlimited access for self and two guests — this option counts as two choices.
Package of as many as eight upgrade certificates eight regional, four global, or two global and four regional. Gift of Gold Medallion status to a friend.
0コメント