Delta Has a New Plan to Help You Get a Free Flight

You can earn miles towards a vacation when you shop at one of Delta’s new partners.

Corporate synergy is all the rage these days with airlines.

While each airline likes to think that it offers its own unique characteristics (Southwest likes to tout that it has the best customer service, for example), to many casual travelers, unless they have miles at a specific airline, they’ll just go with the best (or really, cheapest) flight offered on Travelocity.

That’s one reason airlines such as American and Delta have teamed up with T-Mobile, which gives subscribers free wi-fi on select flights on those airlines. After all, you have to find ways to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

It’s an oft-stated principle of business that it’s more important to keep a customer than to spend time getting a new one. So that’s why loyalty programs are so vital to nearly any airline, as they can help ensure repeat business, and can sway a potential customer to fly with them again even if they have to suffer through a flight with a layover.

Loyalty programs are so valuable, in fact, that the Harvard Business Review notes that many airlines used them as collateral for loan programs during the pandemic, and many airlines also use their loyalty members as leverage when bargaining with potential third-party partners.

So in order to sweeten the pot, airlines will try to find ways to make the points you earn with flights and in-flight purchases worth more than just a potential free flight, and now Delta has teamed up with a corporate giant to offer a novel perk.

Delta Has A New Way To Earn A Free Flight

Delta has announced a partnership with Starbucks, which will allow customers that are members of both companies loyalty programs to double up on perks.

Customers can now link their Delta SkyMiles and Starbucks Rewards accounts. This will let customers earn 1 SkyMile per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Starbucks. On days where you have a flight with Delta, you will earn double those points for purchases at Starbucks stores, as noted by The Points Guy.

In this instance, eligible products mean food, coffee or merchandise. It does not include gift cards or alcoholic beverages.

You can use Starbucks’ store locator to find participating locations.

Can Drinking Coffee Earn You A Free Flight?

If you link these loyalty programs before the end of the year, you’ll earn 500 SkyMiles, and once you make a qualifying purchase at Starbucks, you’ll earn 150 Stars.

Earlier this year, the company teamed up with Instacart to allow members to earn SkyMiles for groceries, and has also teamed up with Airbnb.

Delta also has a partnership with American Express. So if you drink at Starbucks everyday, and use that card and your accounts are all linked, you’ll be getting a triple value. It takes a while to earn enough points for a free flight, but it only takes 50 points for free coffee, and fancier beverages and breakfast are only 150 points.

Also, members of Delta’s Diamond and Platinum Medallions will get 4,000 Starbucks Stars as part of a new Choice Benefit perk. That’s a lot of free coffee.