General Member (5x)
Silver Medallion (7x)
Gold Medallion (8x)
Platinum Medallion (9x)
Diamond Medallion (11x)
No Delta Credit Card
Gold/Blue Card (+2 miles per $1)
Platinum/Reserve Card (+3 miles per $1)
Total Estimated SkyMiles:
0
Understanding Delta SkyMiles Calculations
If you are planning a trip with Delta Air Lines, understanding how many SkyMiles you will earn is crucial for maximizing your rewards. Unlike older systems that used distance flown, Delta utilizes a revenue-based model for earning miles on flights marketed and operated by Delta.
How the Delta Miles Formula Works
The primary factor in determining your mileage haul is the "Base Fare." This is the ticket price minus government-imposed taxes and fees. Once you have the base fare, your Medallion status provides a multiplier:
General Members: 5 miles per $1 spent.
Silver Medallion: 7 miles per $1 spent.
Gold Medallion: 8 miles per $1 spent.
Platinum Medallion: 9 miles per $1 spent.
Diamond Medallion: 11 miles per $1 spent.
Additional Credit Card Rewards
When you use a co-branded American Express Delta SkyMiles card, you earn additional miles on top of the flight earnings. For example, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Reserve cards typically offer 3 miles per dollar spent directly with Delta. These are calculated on the total purchase price, including taxes, though for simplicity in estimation, most travelers combine these with the base fare calculation.
Example Calculation
Imagine you are a Gold Medallion member purchasing a ticket with a base fare of $500 using your Delta Reserve Card.
Flight Earnings: $500 x 8 (Gold Multiplier) = 4,000 SkyMiles.
No, Delta does not award SkyMiles for the portion of your ticket price that goes toward government taxes and fees. Only the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges count toward mileage accrual.
Is there a limit to how many miles I can earn?
Yes, Delta currently caps the number of miles earned per ticket at 75,000 miles. This generally only affects high-value business class tickets for Diamond Medallion members.
function calculateSkyMiles() {
var price = parseFloat(document.getElementById('ticketPrice').value);
var statusMultiplier = parseInt(document.getElementById('medallionStatus').value);
var cardMultiplier = parseInt(document.getElementById('creditCardBonus').value);
if (isNaN(price) || price 75000) {
flightMiles = 75000;
total = flightMiles + cardMiles;
}
// Display results
document.getElementById('resultArea').style.display = 'block';
document.getElementById('totalMiles').innerHTML = total.toLocaleString() + " Miles";
var breakdown = "Flight Earnings: " + flightMiles.toLocaleString() + " miles";
if (cardMultiplier > 0) {
breakdown += " + Credit Card Bonus: " + cardMiles.toLocaleString() + " miles";
}
document.getElementById('breakdownText').innerHTML = breakdown;
}