The Complete Guide to Delta Partner Airlines

You can earn or sometimes redeem Delta SkyMiles for award flights on these partner airlines.

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As a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, Delta Air Lines has a well-connected route network with other airlines around the globe, allowing Delta loyalists to earn and redeem Delta miles even when flying with other airlines that aren't actually Delta. And over the years, Delta has also expanded beyond just the SkyTeam alliance to invest in airlines in strategic parts of the world where it wants to have greater presence, creating an even longer list of Delta airline partners.

Learn more about these Delta alliance partners, including how to earn and redeem Delta SkyMiles at every level of status.

Delta's partner airlines

When it comes to SkyMiles earning, Delta’s partner list is expansive. You can earn Delta miles when flying with its airline partners, or use Delta SkyMiles to redeem for flights on most partners.

So, what airlines partner with Delta? Delta's partner airlines include:

  • Aerolineas Argentinas.

  • Aeromexico.

  • Air Europa.

  • China Airlines.

  • China Eastern.

  • Czech Airlines.

  • Garuda Indonesia.

  • ITA Airways.

  • Kenya Airways.

  • Korean Air.

  • LATAM.

  • MEA.

  • Saudia.

  • Tarom.

  • Vietnam Airlines.

  • Westjet.

  • Xiamen Air.

Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles with our favorite Delta cards
Check out our nerdy picks for the best Delta credit cards and find the right card for you.

Earning miles with Delta partners

For partners airline flights, redeemable miles and Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) are determined by a combination of distance flown and fare class. This is different from how miles are earned when flying on Delta itself, which is based on the cost of the ticket (as opposed to the distance flown).

For most discounted economy fares on most Delta partners, you will earn 25% of miles flown as redeemable SkyMiles, and 5% of flown miles as MQDs. So, for example, a 1,000-mile flight in the lowest fare class on partner KLM would earn 250 SkyMiles and 50 MQMs. The earning table for each partner and fare class can be found on Delta’s partner page.

Note: When flying with partners, always make sure that your SkyMiles number is in the reservation and also printed on your boarding pass. Save boarding passes and ticket receipts from partner flights so that if miles don’t post to your account, you can request missing SkyMiles credit retroactively.

Credit cards for earning Delta Skymiles

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
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on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
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on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
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on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
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on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Earning rates

• 2 miles per $1 on purchases made directly with Delta and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.

• 1 mile per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

Terms apply.

Annual fee: $0.

• 2 miles per $1 on purchases made directly with Delta and at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.).

• 1 mile per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

Terms apply.

Annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $150.

• 3 miles per $1 on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on hotel purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.).

• 1 mile per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

Terms apply.

Annual fee: $350.

• 3 miles per $1 on eligible purchases made directly with Delta.

• 1 mile per $1 on other eligible purchases.

Terms apply.

Annual fee: $650.

Welcome offer

Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. Terms Apply.

Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

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Redeeming SkyMiles with partners

When it comes to redeeming SkyMiles, things become more complicated if you plan to use partner airlines. Delta infamously removed award charts from its website. These were helpful to travelers so that they could plan ahead and earn a certain number of miles for their desired destination.

With dynamic pricing, Delta made SkyMiles more difficult to use because awards are more closely tied to demand and the monetary cost of a ticket. This means you have no guide to help you save up enough miles for a trip until you lock in the dates. Then, you are forced to pay whatever Delta is charging, unless you can change your destination or dates.

delta redemptions

In some extreme examples, such as this one-way between the U.S. and Australia, that can translate to absurdly high redemption rates.

In general, you should use the same logic when determining whether to book partner flights using SkyMiles as you do booking Delta flights. Compare the value of the SkyMiles used for the award booking against a comparable cash ticket. If the value of the award booking is in line with or lower than the cash price, go ahead and book it. (NerdWallet values Delta SkyMiles at 1.2 cents each).

Understand how to use Delta.com

Delta.com is not the most reliable resource for searching for award tickets. Since Delta’s website does not provide every possible route, a phone reservation agent might be able to search for more options — believe it or not.

For the best results when searching online, check the “My dates are flexible” box so that you can conduct a calendar search. Another trick: search for award space segment by segment.

Let’s say you are flying between Atlanta and Athens, Greece. Try searching Atlanta to Paris first. If you find space, then search for flights from Paris to Athens. Once you find both, try to see if you can price the entire itinerary together as one award. Sometimes, longer connections that don’t appear in the initial search might prove fruitful.

Delta runs frequent mileage flash sales that offer discounted redemptions on certain routes.

Note: Delta now prices its lowest awards in basic economy, which do not permit advance seat assignments, flight changes or cancellation. However, basic economy awards are cheaper.

Delta status match across airlines

One of the perks of achieving Delta Medallion status is enjoying elite benefits when flying partner airlines. SkyTeam Elite Plus status (awarded to Gold Medallion members and above) comes with complimentary lounge access when flying SkyTeam partners internationally, SkyPriority access (priority check-in and boarding lines) and higher checked baggage limits.

These perks can make international travel much more pleasant.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can earn both redeemable SkyMiles and Medallion Qualification Dollars when flying with Delta’s partners. The number of miles earned will depend on the partner and the fare class of your ticket and the number of miles flown. Make sure your Delta SkyMiles number is on the reservation.

It depends. You’ll earn SkyMiles based on how far you fly, but the earning rate will depend on the fare class and partner. For example, business and first class tickets will earn more SkyMiles per miles flown than economy tickets.

Yes, you can use Delta SkyMiles to book flights with its partners. The number of miles needed is not based on an award chart, and will vary from route to route and airline to airline.

Yes, flyers with Gold Delta Medallion status or higher receive elite benefits on SkyTeam partners when flying internationally. This includes lounge access and priority baggage handling.

To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, see this page.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024:

Cards for Delta from our Partners
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-5x

5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

Points

Intro offer

60,000 Points + $300 Travel Credit

Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ value. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
4.7
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

2x-5x

Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options

Miles

Intro offer

75,000

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Miles
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