Delta Waives SkyBonus Minimums for 2020 and Extends Point Expiration Date

Delta Air Lines announced this afternoon it’s waiving SkyBonus’ spending and passenger requirements for certain accounts. Points and certificates set to expire this year also were granted certain extensions.

The moves are in response to the current state of travel (which is practically nil).

What is Delta’s SkyBonus Program?

Simply put, SkyBonus is Delta’s award program awarding businesses for Delta and select other SkyTeam travel. It functions separately from SkyMiles.

Points can be redeemed for award travel, upgrades, elite status, drink tickets, and more.

(One travel agent infamously gamed the system — before being indicted on federal charges.)

The “Five and Five” Minimums Waived for 2020

“Five” is sort of a magic number when it comes to Delta SkyBonus.

Members/companies must spend at least $5000 total each calendar year across a minimum of five travelers. (It didn’t use to be that way.) Those who don’t meet both requirements are deemed inactive.

In an email sent to program participants, Delta said current SkyBonus members are exempted fro those requirements this year. Their membership is extended through 2021.

New program members are safe, too. “Newly enrolled companies are not subject to spend and unique traveler program eligibility requirements for the first year,” the email read, “and Delta is extending this for an additional year for new customers that signed up in 2019.  Companies that signed up for SkyBonus in 2019 or 2020 will remain active until December 31, 2021.”

Points and Certificates Extended

Delta also announced these extensions:

• 2020 SkyBonus Elite status for an additional year through December 31, 2021
• All SkyBonus points set to expire this will be extended through December 31, 2021
• SkyBonus travel award certificates with a July to December 2020 expiration date will now expire on December 31, 2021

Final Approach

I’m glad Delta SkyBonus made this move. Personally, there’s likely no way I could’ve reached the five-and-five (as I call them) this year.

Even though SkyBonus certificates are difficult to redeem (their upgrade inventory almost always seems non-existent), this is certainly better than nothing.

#KeepClimbing, SkyBonus! (Boy, that’s something I never thought I’d write.)

— Chris

H/T: Larry K.

Featured image courtesy of Delta News Hub