Why (and How) to Book Delta Air Lines Partner Mileage Runs

We recently posted a couple of AeroMexico mileage runs. Then we received lots of questions and comments.

Based on that feedback — as well as some informal polling I conducted among friends and family — it’s apparent that many people don’t understand why Delta Air Lines partner mileage runs can be so valuable.

Frankly, that’s understandable because the concept can be confusing at first.

The jackpot is all the MQD a well-crafted run produces.

With more than half the year left and many people feeling ready to travel (and maintain or earn Medallion status), now is a perfect time for a broad why-and how-to when it comes to Delta partner mileage runs.

Delta Medallion Elite Status Requirements

To become a Delta SkyMiles Medallion status holder, you must accumulate a certain number of Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD).

MQD can also be earned when traveling on Delta Air Lines partners. That’s the golden goose.

That is where Delta partner mileage runs come in.

Earning Delta MQD on Partner Airlines

Here’s where stuff gets confusing for many people. So we’ll try to be as clear and concise as possible.

To be clear: the trips we’re discussing are not booked as Delta-marketed flights. You will not buy these partner runs through Delta.com or the Fly Delta app. In fact, you won’t search for any Delta flights.

Whenever you buy and fly a trip on a Delta partner airline and credit the trip to your SkyMiles account, you’ll receive MQD and redeemable SkyMiles.

Delta apparently can’t see how much you pay for a trip with one of their partners. Even the ones they partially own. (At least, that’s the story.) So how are you supposed to earn MQD?

Here’s Delta’s amazing solution we hope never changes (for the worse): Your SkyMiles elite status earnings depend on a formula comprised of how many miles your trip travels and what fare class you buy.

Your MQD earnings have nothing to do with how much you pay for a trip.

This page on Delta’s website breaks down how much you’ll earn with each partner.

Let’s create an example. For our purposes, we’ll use AeroMexico’s earnings below.

So when you buy an AeroMexico-marketed trip in a “C” class (Business), your MQD earnings will be equal to 30% of the distance flown.

Let’s use those criteria and some round numbers to make this as simple as possible.

If an AeroMexico trip is scheduled to fly 10,000 miles, you’ll earn $3,000 MQD regardless of how much your trip costs. Why? Because 30% of 10,000 miles is 3,000. So if you paid $1500 for your business class ticket, you earn more than twice that amount in MQD. Four of those trips would snag you $12,000 MQD — more than enough MQD for Diamond Medallion status. And you’d spend only $6,000 on airfare.

What about taking a cheap coach run? If you buy a Deep Discount Economy/”V” class ticket, your MQD earnings are only 5% of the distance flown. In our above example, you’d earn only $500 MQD. (10,000 miles x 5% earnings) So that’s probably not worth your time or money.

Also, consider that most of these mileage runs involve at least one long flight. Having a business class seat — especially a lie-flat bed — can make your trip fairly comfortable. And considerably more fun.

How Do You Find Out How Many MQD You’ll Earn?

If you use ITA Matrix to find runs, they’ll display the approximate mileage right there on the itinerary page.

I also go to the Unofficial SkyMiles Calculator and plug in the itinerary.

There’s usually a slight discrepancy between Matrix and the USC. I generally choose the lesser figure just to stay on the “safe” side. Then I go to Delta’s partner earnings page, find the airline and fare class, and do the math.

How to Credit Delta Partner Mileage Runs

When you’re booking a Delta partner run and asked to input a frequent flyer account, enter your SkyMiles number. That’s the whole point.

When you check-in, make sure your Delta SkyMiles number is printed on the boarding pass. If it’s not, talk to an agent at that airline.

Keep every single piece of documentation you receive pertaining to your reservation. (Receipts, boarding passes, etc.) If something goes wonky, you have backup.

Will Any Flights Be on Delta?

Possibly. But you’ll be flying as a passenger of, say, AeroMexico flight 6123 operated by Delta Air Lines as a codeshare. You still earn miles and MQD according to the AeroMexico fare class chart.

How Do You Find Delta Partner Runs?

Before the pandemic, we cranked out runs on a relatively regular basis. We hope to become more active — but we still publish them from time to time. Make sure to sign up for our alert emails and follow us on Twitter.

I usually start punching around Google Flights and ITA Matrix. I pick a few departure and destination cities — then go from there. I select “Business Class” and “SkyTeam” for my criteria. Occasionally, I’ll hunt for Premium Economy runs.

I sometimes find good runs on Premium Cabin Deals.

We generally aim for runs whose MQD earnings are at least triple the cost of a ticket. For example, a trip costing $1,000 but earning $3,000 MQD interests us. But a $2,000 trip earning $3,000 MQD usually isn’t too exciting — unless we’re super desperate.

The trips are sometimes bookable on an airline’s website (i.e., AeroMexico.com. Again, don’t touch Delta.com for these trips.) Other times, you might be able to find them only through an online travel agency (OTA) such as Priceline, Momondo, Expedia, etc.

Keep in mind you may have to take positioning flights to/from a mileage run’s departure city. For example, my dad lives in Fargo. He’d have to get himself to and from JFK to start the $12,000 MQD odyssey. But he’d take Delta, of course, and earn medallion qualification markers on that trip, too!

Remember you can use points (such as Chase Rewards and Membership Rewards) to book many Delta partner mileage runs. For example, head to AmexTravel.com, find a partner run, and then apply MR points to knock down your cost. You’ll still earn the MQD when crediting the trip to your SkyMiles account.

I may sound like a broken record — but Point.Me (formerly Juicy Miles) is such a fantastic help. They can build an entire mileage run (including positioning flights, hotels, COVID testing, etc.) according to your wish list. And they know how to use points and miles to keep your costs to a minimum.

Which Airlines Are the Best for Delta Partner Runs?

Quite simply: one with a great deal.

AeroMexico is sort of our savior right now. They have a nice selection of transoceanic business class flights.

KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and Air France occasionally pop up with something good in Premium Economy, though those runs aren’t as lucrative. However, Air France and KLM allow you to use Global Upgrade Certificates to upgrade from premium economy to business class. So they may be worth your time.

China Eastern was popular with many readers — and its home country now allows US visitors inoculated with Moderna, Pfizer, or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccinations. But consider that Chinese President Xi Jinping apparently told his subjects that China is “unstable.” So I don’t know that I’ll chance visiting or even connecting through an “unstable” China — especially just for frequent flyer status.

Final Approach

Delta partner mileage runs are a fantastic way to help you earn Medallion status — especially Diamond. You can earn a lot of MQD while keeping costs fairly low — and enjoy traveling in premium cabins!

The concept can be a little tough to figure out at first — but once you get the hang of it, the Sky(Miles) is the limit.