You may be enjoyed to fly with Delta Air Lines, but don’t prefer the Delta SkyMiles program with the same level of enthusiasm. Delta SkyMiles sits at the top of the list of perplexing loyalty programs. But, continual changes and opaque policies are frustrating the passengers.
On another side, it is also to be argued that the relative value of SkyMiles is increasing, as Delta and its airline partners have improved their in-flight product and other frequent-flier programs. So, here the five reasons you need to know about Delta airline’s SkyMiles to hopefully help you solidify your plan for the airline.
Num 1:- Delta Does Not Charge Last-Minute Booking Fees.
One of the best aspects of airline miles is that they’re more flexible than cash. Award flights are often cheapest at the last minute while paying cash for the last minute flights can cost extortionate. You can leap for joy because Delta does not charge close-in booking fees if you can’t book an award flight until the last minute.
You should go with the airline that charges the least miles and cash to book an award flight, but Delta will not apply the hidden fee on your award ticket. So, look at Delta first for a book a flight before the other major carriers.
However, other airlines will charge an additional fee in addition to the mileage requirements plus taxes if you wait to book a flight within the last 2 weeks before departure. But, Delta will let you book a flight for later today with no fee.
Num 2:- SkyMiles Never Expire
Delta is the only major airline in the country that allows you to hold the miles for a lifetime. Even if you are not flying with Delta again but your SkyMiles will be there waiting for you when you return. However, most of the other airlines clear the miles and points after 18-24 months without activity.
Num 3: You Can Earn Elite Status Without Ever Flying
You can earn the elite status with the Delta airline through credit card spending. Delta was the first airline to start requiring Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) in addition to miles (MQM) and segments (MQS).
The airline has a variety of co-branded cards that reward users with major MQMs. Here are the four cards and the MQMs they allow you to earn:
- Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card: Spend within a calendar year and earn 20,000 MQMs, which is enough for silver status.
- Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card: Spend within a calendar year and earn 20,000 MQMs, which is enough for silver status.
- Delta Reserve Credit Card: Spend within a calendar year and earn 30,000 MQMs, which is enough for gold status.
- Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card: Spend within a calendar year and earn a 30,000 MQMs, which is enough for gold status.
You can also earn up to platinum status to Diamond status if spend a huge sum of money. This strategy assumes Delta allows you to earn all the way up to Diamond status without flying.
Num 4: Book Delta Comfort+ With Miles
Delta helps you to book main cabin seats with extra legroom, free alcohol on flights over 250 miles, priority boarding and dedicated overhead bin space with miles. With the award search booking screen, you can redeem extra miles for Comfort+ tickets.
Of course, there’s no award chart where you know how many more miles you have to pay. But, the main thing that matter is how much you value a few extra inches of legroom and how many miles you have in your account.
Num 5: More Affordable Flights Through Delta’s Tiered Award System
Delta restructured some changes and announced that it would be implementing a new five-tiered award chart for each class of service. The benefit of this system is that when Delta does not have flights available at its lowest tier, then it often still has affordable flights available.
For example: if Delta does not have economy flights for India in affordable price, then it will often be selling tickets for more but which is not horrible if your itinerary is inflexible while other airlines charge you more.
Bottom Line
If you want the best redemption options for your flight, then book directly through Delta for Delta-serviced flights. But, when you are traveling outside the US, then its partner flights are the better. And for partner flights, the best deals will usually be in the first class or business class section. You also have more flexibility to earn SkyMiles at your leisure to save up for those more expensive flights since your SkyMiles never expire.
Also Read:
