You want more Delta SkyMiles. We get it – especially with all the incredible Delta SkyMiles flash sales lately like 34,000 miles roundtrip to Tokyo, or Auckland and back from 50,000 miles.
Don't worry: We're here to help. Beyond flying with Delta, there are plenty of easy ways to rack up SkyMiles. But you have even more options than you might think…
No, you can't transfer miles to your Delta account from other airlines – not even partner carriers like Virgin Atlantic, Air France, or KLM. But you can use bank points from non-Delta credit cards like the *amex gold* to boost your stash of SkyMiles. And even some hotel points can come in handy in a pinch.
Here's how to transfer your Amex or hotel points to Delta SkyMiles.
Transfer Between SkyMiles Accounts
Let's get straight to it. You can transfer miles between SkyMiles accounts … but you shouldn't.
While other airlines like United and Hawaiian Airlines have made it easier than ever to share miles with loved ones, Delta still charges a hefty fee to transfer SkyMiles between accounts – even to spouses and relatives. If you want to go this route, it'll cost you 1 cent per mile plus a $30 processing fee per transaction (plus applicable taxes). And you must transfer SkyMiles in increments of 1,000. Ouch!
At that rate, transferring 30,000 SkyMiles to another user would cost you $330 ($300 for the miles and a $30 transaction fee). That rarely makes sense – especially when there are better options.
Transfer from American Express Membership Rewards Cards
Delta SkyMiles credit cards aren't the only way to earn SkyMiles fast. In fact, we'd argue they aren't even the best credit cards for earning SkyMiles.
That distinction goes to American Express Membership Rewards cards. Yes, it's a bit confusing as they share a bank (and similar names) with the co-branded Delta credit cards … but these standalone cards are much different. And you can transfer these points to your Delta SkyMiles account instantly on a 1:1 basis.
For starters, there's *amex platinum*, which we love. It starts with an 80,000-point welcome bonus after spending $8,000 in the first six months. But be sure to check and see if you qualify for a bigger bonus via CardMatch or through a friend referral first!
With a 1:1 transfer ratio, a 100,000-point stash of Membership Rewards can easily be turned into 100,000 SkyMiles. While transferring all those points to Delta SkyMiles may not be the most valuable option, we're still big fans – especially if you find a deeply discounted Delta SkyMiles flash sale.
Not sure how it works? Read our guide to transferring Amex Membership Rewards points!
Plus, the card comes with an unbeatable suite of perks for the frequent traveler. The list is long but it starts with unbeatable lounge access, up to $200 in annual credits for incidental airline charges, up to $200 in annual Uber Cash, a statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, as well as a credit that covers the cost of CLEAR® Plus … and that's really just the tip of the iceberg.
To top it off, the card earns an unrivaled 5x points for flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com (on up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year), making it much easier to justify the card’s $695 annual fee (see rates & fees).
Learn more about *amex platinum*.
Then there's the *amex gold* – and it might just be the best all-around credit card for travelers, period. It earns 4x Membership Rewards points at both restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 each year, then 1x) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 each year, then 1x). Making it a great card to keep in your wallet for everyday purchases, especially if you're spending big on groceries or restaurants.
The card also earns 3x Membership Rewards on flights booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com, and 2x points on prepaid hotels, rental cars, and cruises booked through amextravel.com. Other eligible purchases earn 1x point per dollar spent.
The card carries a $325 annual fee (see rates & fees) but we've run the numbers and for us, it's more than worth it. With over $400 per year in statement credits up for grabs, you can easily get your money's worth year after year.
Learn more about the *amex gold*
Finally, there's the revamped American Express Green Card®. With an annual fee of $199, it's at a lower price point, but it still packs a decent punch with $100 toward annual CLEAR membership fees to skip the line at airport security.
Learn more about the American Express Green Card®.
The one downside of transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to Delta – or any U.S. airline – is that Amex tacks on a small fee of .06 cents per point, up to a maximum of $99. This means a transfer of 20,000 Membership Rewards points would cost you $12. So while it's not free to transfer, don't let that stop you – it's a relatively small price to pay.
Thrifty Tip: You can also transfer Amex points to another traveler's SkyMiles account if you've added them to your account as an authorized user.
Transfer from Marriott Bonvoy
You can't take miles from another airline and turn them into Delta SkyMiles. But if you've got the right hotel points, you're in luck.
While you could technically transfer Hyatt, Hilton, and IHG points to airlines, it is not recommended due to the poor transfer ratios. Marriott Bonvoy's program stands out from the rest as it allows you to transfer points to more than 40 airlines at a (mostly) 3:1 transfer ratio … including Delta SkyMiles. So transferring 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points would get you 5,000 Delta SkyMiles.
That might not sound like a great deal, but if you're in a pinch and need more SkyMiles to book an award, it's nice to have the option. Plus, with the occasional big welcome offer on Marriott's suite of co-branded cards, it's quite easy to rack up big batches of points in a hurry.
Marriott requires travelers to transfer a minimum of 3,000 points to airlines – and note that it may take up to 24 hours for the points to be successfully deposited into your account.
Read more: How to Transfer Marriott Points to Partner Airlines
Bottom Line
Aside from flying Delta or racking up miles by spending on of their co-branded credit cards, there are some other easy ways to transfer points into your Delta SkyMiles account.
Just avoid transferring SkyMiles between Delta accounts and from most hotel chains – unless you absolutely have to.
My husband applied for the Hilton Surpass card, he met the spend but have not received his points. We called American Express this week. They are looking into it. Says it could be up to 2 weeks. We hadn’t checked his account before, because we were saving for a trip. Now I:m trying to book a trip & the points aren’t there.
How can I use Capital One rewards points for travel on Delta? Seems it’s possible to transfer these awards points to a Delta Partner airline program (Star Alliance) and then use the points for Delta travel. If this is possible can I then combine my regular Delta miles in conjunction with the Delta Partner miles? Say 75,000 Cap One points converted to a Delta Partner program combined with 150,000 Delta miles for a total of 225,000 miles to buy 2 free tickets on Delta.
You can transfer Capital One miles to Air France/KLM – a SkyTeam airline, just like Delta. Then use those Air France/KLM miles to book Delta flights. But there is no way to combine Air France miles with your existing balance of Delta miles – or, more broadly, there is no way to combine miles between almost any airlines. The miles you have in an airline account live in that account.
Is there any way to transfer Aeromexico Rewards to Delta Sky Miles?
Unfortunately, this isn’t possible.
No, sadly. Generally speaking, you cannot transfer miles from one airline to another – even between partner airlines.
You can, however, use Aeromexico Rewards to book flights on Delta.
Is there a way can you book Delta flights through, or with, Aeromexico points? Are that the same as Aeromexico Rewards?
You would have to search on Aeromexico’s site to see if a Delta flight is available as a partner award.
Thank you!
What about Capital One Reward Miles? Can they transfer to Delta Sky Miles?
March of 2022, I applied to American Express for the Delta Gold Card. I received to card, met he requirements for charges within the timeframe, and nothing. Spoke with American Express a couple of billing cycles later. They were looking into it….
My Gold Card just came up for renewal, and still no points. I canceled my card. (I took a hit on my credit report). I have an American Express Hilton card, and travel oversees every few months. It’s a shame,I like Delta, but I fly other carriers. FYI
Did you receive the welcome bonus for the “Gold” card before? They only allow it once.
Great info Kyle, very helpful. How about a transfer of points from a BankAmerica VISA card to Delta Skymiles. Possible?
Hey John, unfortunately not possible.
You did not mention transferring miles from other credit cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Can those miles be transferred if I need more miles than I have in my Sky Miles account to use for a flight?
It’s not possible to transfer from Chase to Delta SkyMiles.
I agree it’s not a good idea to transfer points, but I did login to my husband’s sky miles account (with his permission! 🙂 and booked my daughter and son-in-law’s flights MSP-DUB and used the Delta Amex perk where you lower the cost with miles on their flights. Did my flight on my own account. You can book and use the miles even though he was not flying.
Thanks for the reply! (It came down to taking the hit or losing the points altogether, so there wasn’t much choice.)
I have 69,940 Hilton Honors points that are set to expire soon, but I’m living in Nairobi Kenya currently. Are you aware if these points can be transferred to my Delta Skymiles account? I only see transfer to other people on the Hilton Points website
You can exchange Hilton points for Delta miles, but it’s on a 10:1 ratio in transfers of 10,000 HH points at a time. So you would only get 6,000 Delta SkyMiles. https://hiltonhonors3.hilton.com/en/earn-use-points/exchange/index.html