Delta Air Lines partners

Delta, one of the largest American airlines, leads the way in connecting people around the world. In conjunction with its worldwide partners, the airline connects 200 million passengers each year with flights to over 275 destinations representing 50 countries. With over 4,000 daily flights, Delta and its partners can transport you to more destinations than you might think.

Best of all, members of the Delta SkyMiles frequent flyer program can earn miles toward award flights and more when you fly with Delta or its more than 20 airline partners through the SkyTeam alliance. Keep in mind, Delta SkyMiles never expire too.

In this article, learn more about Delta Air Lines, its partners, and how you can earn and redeem Delta SkyMiles to use on future travel.

Delta Air Lines partners

• Core global airline partners

  • Aeromexico
  • Air France
  • China Eastern
  • KLM
  • Korean Air
  • Latam Airlines
  • Virgin Atlantic
  • WestJet

• Other global airline partners

  • Aerolineas Argentinas
  • Air Europa
  • Air Baltic
  • Cape Air
  • China Airlines
  • China Eastern
  • Czech Airlines
  • El Al
  • Garuda Indonesia
  • Hawaiian Airlines
  • ITA Airways
  • Kenya Airways
  • Middle East Airlines (MEA)
  • Riyadh Air* (a new airline beginning flights in 2025)
  • SAUDIA Airlines
  • TAROM
  • Vietnam Airlines
  • Xiamen Air

How to earn Delta SkyMiles with partners

When it comes to earning Delta SkyMiles, you will earn points every time you fly with Delta or one of its partner airlines. Keep in mind, Delta does not offer SkyMiles for flights booked in their Basic Economy class. To understand the number of miles you will earn, it is important to pay attention to the airline operating your flight.

For example, if you fly with Air France, one of Delta’s core global partners you will earn miles based on the number of miles you fly multiplied by a percentage designated to the fare class you book. These percentages can also change depending on whether you’re flying only within Europe or to other international destinations.

So, if you fly from Paris to Accra with Air France on a regular economy fare ticket, you’ll earn 50 percent to 100 percent of the miles you actually fly, depending on your purchase. On a business class ticket, you’ll earn a boosted 200 percent of the total miles in SkyMiles.

Delta’s website offers an in-depth look at different earning rates with each of its partners.

Earning Delta SkyMiles with credit cards

In addition to earning SkyMiles by flying with Delta or its partner airlines, you can earn them through spending with credit cards. This can be another helpful way to accrue miles from your everyday purchases.

One of the easiest ways to accrue SkyMiles is through a Delta co-branded card in partnership with American Express. These cards provide a set number of miles per dollar spent with bonuses varying depending on the card.

For example, The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers 3X miles on Delta purchases. Delta offers multiple co-branded credit cards at a variety of annual fee price points, so you can look for one that best meets your needs. In addition, if you aren’t ready to commit to a full airline rewards card, you could consider a general travel rewards card that earns American Express Membership Rewards points since cardholders can transfer Membership Rewards to their Delta Skymiles loyalty account.

How to use Delta SkyMiles with partners

Redeeming miles on a partner airline is as easy as a Delta Air Lines ticketing experience. You can redeem miles by searching on the Delta website or mobile app. When you search for your destination and preferred dates, you can toggle between showing the fares in dollars or in SkyMiles. Depending on how many miles you have in your account, you may also choose to book with a combination of miles and cash.

When booking with miles, the options available may differ from booking with dollars as airlines may limit the number of seats in a given cabin for award fare tickets.

Some of Delta’s partners may not be available to book online, though these partners can vary. If that’s the case with a partner airline you’d like to book with, you can contact Delta Reservations by phone to learn more about your options.

Partner status transfer

You’ll also get to maintain some status benefits with partner airlines if you’re a Delta Medallion member. These benefits vary depending on your Medallion status and the specific airline. Some partner airlines don’t offer all Medallion benefits, for example, and Delta’s core global airlines may offer extended benefits over other global airline partners.

If maintaining the perks of your Medallion status is important to you when flying with partners, make sure you read all the details of what you can expect with each partner airline before you book.

You can find more information on Medallion benefits with partners on Delta’s website.

More Delta partners

In addition to partner airlines, Delta also partners with hotels, car rental companies and other brands to help you boost your SkyMiles earnings when you make purchases. Here’s an overview of Delta’s current non-airline partners:

• Hotel partners

• Car rental partners

  • Hertz
  • Dollar
  • Thrifty
  • Alamo
  • Enterprise
  • National
  • Europcar
  • Carmel
  • Sixt

• Other partners

  • Lyft
  • Turo
  • Starbucks
  • Instacart
  • Ticketmaster
  • FTD
  • Vinesse Wines
  • Select energy companies

How to maximize Delta SkyMiles

If you fly often and prefer flying with Delta, maximizing the number of SkyMiles you earn can be a great way to save on your annual travel costs and enjoy some great benefits when you fly.

Here are a few more ways to maximize how you earn and redeem your Delta SkyMiles:

Shop with partners

Delta’s non-airline partners can offer valuable boosts to your miles.

If you already have a Starbucks account, for example, you can link your SkyMiles account and earn 2 miles per dollar you spend at participating Starbucks when you reload your account with $100. Your Starbucks rewards will benefit, too, with double stars earned on days that you fly with Delta.

While these rewards may not add up as quickly as flights, they can help you earn more miles over time. Check Delta’s SkyMiles partner offers regularly to make sure you’re taking advantage of the offers that fit with your regular spending.

Use the right credit card

A co-branded Delta credit card can be a great way to boost your SkyMiles earnings.

You may also choose to use a credit card that earns rewards points which you can transfer to Delta. Points you earn under the American Express Membership Rewards program, for example, are transferable with Delta SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio. You can use a card that best aligns with your budget and spending habits to maximize the number of SkyMiles you earn toward future travel with Delta.

Be flexible with redemptions

Award flights are one of the best ways to use your SkyMiles, but you can get more value for your miles with flexible dates.

Delta offers dynamic pricing that changes depending on your route, your dates and when you book. Before you book your award travel, play around with the booking tool on Delta’s website or app (select “My dates are flexible” to see the different costs over a week or month period around your preferred dates) to get a feel for how prices change over the days surrounding your trip.

The bottom line

Delta Air Lines has a vast list of global partners, offering you the option to earn miles and travel nearly anywhere in the world using your SkyMiles.

If you like flying Delta, maximizing your SkyMiles earned can help you more quickly access free award flights, upgrades, travel perks and more. And when you’re ready to book, take the time to research your best option to ensure you’re getting the best redemption value possible.

Check out Bankrate’s travel toolkit for tips and tricks on how to maximize travel with a credit card.