Do all Delta flights get miles?

Miles When You Fly: How to Earn on Flights *Most, but not all paid tickets earn miles. Ticket price eligible to earn miles includes base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges, but excludes government-imposed taxes and fees.



No, not all Delta flights earn SkyMiles. The most significant exception in 2026 is Basic Economy (E) fares. Delta made a major policy change a few years ago: if you book a Basic Economy ticket, you will not earn any SkyMiles and you will not earn credit toward Medallion Status (MQDs). To earn miles, you must book "Main Cabin" or a higher class (Comfort+, First Class, etc.). Furthermore, "award tickets" booked using miles do not earn additional redeemable miles, though they may earn status-qualifying MQDs. Miles are also generally not earned on "complimentary" tickets, such as those used by airline employees or through certain high-discount "exception" fares like vacation packages or consolidated tour fares. If earning miles is a priority, you must ensure your fare class is "Main Cabin" or above before clicking the purchase button, as Basic Economy has effectively become a "miles-free" zone.

People Also Ask

Miles can take up to 10 business days after your ride is completed to post to your SkyMiles account. If more than 10 business days have passed since you completed your ride and miles have not been posted to your account, please contact SkyMiles Account Support by visiting the Delta.com Comment page.

MORE DETAILS

Considering that Delta award flights start at around 6,000 miles, you don't need to accumulate many SkyMiles to be able to fly for free. In addition to free flights on Delta Air Lines and its partners, you can use SkyMiles for seat upgrades and Delta Vacations packages.

MORE DETAILS

Calculating the value of SkyMiles For example, if a flight from Boston to Miami costs $99 or 7,500 SkyMiles, your SkyMiles are worth 1.3 cents ($99 / 7,500 = $0.013 or 1.3 cents).

MORE DETAILS

100,000 Delta miles are worth an average of $1,120, according to WalletHub data. You will get the best value for your Delta miles if you use them for flights booked through Delta, though there are a few other redemption options to choose from.

MORE DETAILS

If you've got the miles to splurge, their value is even higher when you book first or business class, where you can get the most bang for your buck. Although the flights often cost thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars, the amount of miles you'll pay generally isn't exorbitantly higher than an economy ticket.

MORE DETAILS

With most airlines, free flights generally start at 5,000 to 7,500 miles per one-way segment. So to book a round-trip flight, you typically need at least 10,000 to 15,000 miles. But prices that low tend to only be available on short hops, meaning flights of about an hour to an hour and a half.

MORE DETAILS

Basic Economy (E) fares are not eligible for paid or Medallion Complimentary Upgrades, regardless of Medallion or other elite status. Complimentary Upgrades are not available for selection by any passenger while onboard the aircraft regardless of Status or fare class.

MORE DETAILS

SkyMiles is more than just a frequent flyer program, it is a loyalty program. With SkyMiles partners, get closer to your next adventure by earning miles with the everyday products and services you enjoy. Earn miles on dining out, overnight stays, rideshares, shopping sprees and more with the brands you love.

MORE DETAILS

Frequent flyer miles earned from the following major domestic airlines do not expire: Delta Air Lines SkyMiles, JetBlue TrueBlue, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, United Airlines MileagePlus. Other airlines, including American and Alaska, have varying mileage expiration policies and ways to keep your miles active.

MORE DETAILS