Delta SkyMiles
Issued through Delta Air Lines. Checked October 4, 2026 against the program's own pages. Partner lists and ratios change; the transfer screen inside your account is the final word, and transfers are usually irreversible.
- Currency type
- Airline currency
- Transfers out
- No, closed currency
- Expiry clock
- Do not expire
- Facts checked
- October 4, 2026
Partners and mechanics you will actually use
SkyMiles is a closed airline currency whose partners are the SkyTeam airlines, including Air France, KLM, Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic and Aeromexico, plus WestJet and LATAM outside the alliance. Everyday earn partners on Delta's SkyMiles pages add miles but are not places to spend them. The only bank currency on this site that moves in is American Express Membership Rewards, at 1 to 1.
| Partner or mechanic example |
|---|
| SkyTeam airlines (earn and redeem partners: Air France, KLM, Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic, Aeromexico and others) |
| WestJet and LATAM (non-alliance earn and redeem partners) |
| Everyday earn partners on Delta's SkyMiles earn pages (earn only; the miles still spend on flights) |
What to confirm instead
For SkyMiles, everything to confirm sits on the specific Delta search result. Delta publishes no award chart for its own flights, so re-price both the mileage price and the cash fare on the day you book. Then read the fare rules: basic economy awards carry mileage cancellation charges on many routes, which matters if plans might change.
Where this currency tends to return value
- Delta-operated flights during SkyMiles sales, where the mileage price drops faster than the cash fare
- Partner flights to Europe and Asia priced through Delta when the same seat costs more miles in another program
- Long saving horizons: miles that do not expire can wait for the right trip instead of forcing a weak one
A worked example, priced in full
- Cash side
- $198
$5.60 of it survives as fees on the award
- Points side
- 11,000 points
Value received $192.40, which is 1.75 cents per point
Arithmetic illustration, not live inventory: a one-way economy seat from Atlanta to Orlando priced at $198 cash appears at 11,000 miles plus $5.60 in taxes. Value on this booking: ($198 - $5.60) / 11,000 = 1.75 cents per point. On a peak date the same seat at 21,500 miles returns 0.89 cents and cash wins. Delta publishes no chart, so the date is the valuation.
The first link loads this example's cash price, points price and fees into the calculator. Replace the balance and target with yours and the verdict is your booking's, not this example's.
Program notes
- SkyMiles do not expire, per Delta program pages checked October 4, 2026. The balance waits; the prices do not, because Delta prices awards dynamically.
- Delta publishes no award chart for its own flights. The mileage price you see today is a market price that moves with the cash fare, the season, and the route.
- SkyMiles is a closed currency. American Express Membership Rewards points transfer in at 1 to 1; SkyMiles do not transfer out to other programs.
Watch out for
- Without a chart, yesterday's price proves nothing about today's. Re-price both the cash fare and the mileage price on the day you book.
- Basic economy awards carry mileage cancellation charges on many routes. Read the fare rules on the specific ticket before buying.
What makes Delta SkyMiles different
SkyMiles never expire, and that single rule shapes the whole currency. With no clock, a Delta balance is a long holding account, but what it holds is a dynamically priced product: there is no award chart, prices track the cash fare loosely, and the value of a mile is whatever today's booking says it is. SkyTeam partners widen where the miles can go, though partner pricing does not always follow the same logic as Delta's own seats. The working method for this currency is unglamorous: price the exact flight in miles and in cash on the same day, take the cents per point the calculator returns, and let that number, refreshed per trip, be the whole opinion. A balance that cannot expire invites neglect, and neglect is how SkyMiles lose value, through drift rather than deadline.
How to use this number
This hub's example returns 1.75 cents per point on one date and 0.89 on a peak date, when cash wins. Since the miles never expire, the target can be held firm: a date that misses it is a reason to pay cash and keep searching.
Run your own fare and award price through the Cash or Points Calculator, then read best use by currency and the transfer guides before anything moves.
Common questions about Delta SkyMiles
Is this the full partner list for Delta SkyMiles?
No. It lists 3 examples checked October 4, 2026. The program's own partner pages show the full list.
Should I transfer Amex points to Delta before I find a flight?
No. Membership Rewards points move into SkyMiles at 1 to 1 and do not come back. Without a chart, the price can move between your search and your transfer: the hub's Atlanta to Orlando example costs 11,000 miles on one date and 21,500 on a peak date. Find the seat, then transfer for it.
What is Delta SkyMiles worth per point?
There is no universal figure. This hub's worked example returns 1.75 cents per point on one booking; your own booking's figure comes from the calculator.
Do Delta SkyMiles expire?
No, per Delta program pages checked October 4, 2026. The balance can wait for a trip that prices well. The prices themselves do not wait, because Delta prices awards dynamically with the cash fare, the season and the route.
Earn this currency
Decided this is the currency you want? Cards that earn Delta SkyMiles → Compare the cards listed for this currency in the card directory, on fee, earn rates and welcome offers as checked on each issuer's own page.