The Surprising Way I Earned the Most Delta SkyMiles Last Year

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If you think earning airline miles is all about racking up flights, think again. These days, most U.S. airline programs have traded mileage for money—the more expensive your ticket, the more “miles” you earn.

What’s more surprising? Flying isn’t even the most rewarding way to earn miles anymore. As many of us in the loyalty world know, credit cards often take the crown. But in 2024, I discovered an unexpected way I earned the most Delta SkyMiles—and it’s not what you’d think.

Delta Partners

Delta Air Lines partners with several companies that allow you to earn miles. To take advantage of these partnerships, you usually need to enroll or use a special link or code.

In 2024, Delta’s partners included:

• Starbucks Rewards – Earn miles when reloading your Starbucks card. Delta made a change to how you earned SkyMiles in 2024. Read about the changes here.
• Lyft – Earn miles with Lyft rides (note: this partnership ends on April 7, 2025. Read more about the changes here.)
• Delta Vacations – Earn bonus miles on every vacation package.
• Ticketmaster – Earn miles when booking tickets through the Delta link. Learn more about maximizing your Ticketmaster bonus points here.
• Hertz – Earn miles when booking Hertz rentals through the Delta portal. Learn more and book here.

My 2024 SkyMiles Breakdown

Last year, we only took three Delta flight segments, a significant drop from previous years. Of those flights, we paid for two and earned 1,200 SkyMiles—not exactly a mileage windfall.

However, Delta recently sent a personalized “Yearly Recap” email to keep people engaged. One stat in particular blew me away: I earned over 3,500 SkyMiles from Starbucks alone.

The Starbucks Connection

Delta and Starbucks changed the way you earn SkyMiles in 2024. Instead of earning for each dollar spent, you now earn when you reload your account, with the best value coming from loading $100—which gets you 200 SkyMiles.

My coffee addiction was far more rewarding (in SkyMiles, at least) than I’d ever realized.

Final Thoughts

I never thought I’d earn more SkyMiles from my Starbucks habit than flying on Delta. Beyond that, I also earned miles through Ticketmaster, Delta’s Dining program, and booking a hotel with Delta Stays. While these weren’t huge numbers, they all add up. Eventually, they might be enough for an inexpensive Main Cabin flight—a reasonable way to spend your miles with Delta.

It shows that even if you’re not in the air, there are plenty of ways to keep your mileage balance brewing… one latte at a time.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary