Delta allows you to transfer miles to another person, but only through specific methods and with restrictions that vary by recipient

You can transfer Delta SkyMiles to a family member, friend, or another airline partner, but Delta does not let you do it for free. The company charges a fee based on how many miles you move and who receives them. If you transfer to another airline partner through Delta's program, you pay one rate. If you transfer to a person, you pay a different rate, and that person must have a Delta account. There is no workaround to avoid the fee — it is built into Delta's transfer policy.

The most common reason people transfer miles is to help a family member book a flight or to consolidate miles from multiple accounts into one before they expire. Understanding which transfer method costs less and what restrictions explore will help you decide whether transferring makes sense for your situation.

Key Takeaways

  • Delta charges a fee to transfer miles to another person; the fee is $15 per 1,000 miles transferred, with a $35 minimum.
  • You can transfer miles to airline partners like American, United, or Air France at different rates, which may be cheaper or more expensive depending on the partner.
  • The recipient must have an active SkyMiles account before you initiate a transfer to them.
  • Miles transferred as a gift to another person expire 12 months after the transfer date if the recipient does not use them.
  • You cannot transfer miles to yourself across accounts, and you cannot transfer miles that are part of a sign-up bonus until 24 months after you earned them.

Transferring miles to another person through Delta

To transfer miles to someone else, both of you need active SkyMiles accounts. The recipient does not need to be a family member — Delta allows transfers to friends or anyone else with an account. You initiate the transfer through your Delta account online, and the miles move within one to two business days.

Delta charges $15 for every 1,000 miles you transfer, with a $35 minimum fee. This means if you transfer 2,000 miles, you pay $30. If you transfer 1,000 miles, you still pay the $35 minimum. The fee comes out of your own account balance, not the recipient's. The recipient receives the full amount you specify — they do not see a deduction.

After the transfer completes, the miles in the recipient's account expire 12 months later if unused. This is different from miles you earn yourself, which typically expire after three years of account inactivity. The 12-month clock starts on the transfer date, not on when the recipient uses them.

Transferring miles to airline partners

Delta partners with other airlines through the SkyMiles program, including American Airlines, United Airlines, Air France-KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and others. You can transfer your Delta miles to these partners' frequent flyer accounts. The cost and exchange rate vary by partner.

Some partners charge a fee similar to Delta's person-to-person transfer. Others offer better or worse exchange rates — meaning you might get 1.2 miles in the partner program for every Delta mile you send, or you might get 0.8 miles. Check Delta's transfer partners page before you move miles, because the math can work in your favor or against it depending on which airline you choose and how many miles you are moving.

Partner transfers also take one to two business days. The miles do not expire on a different schedule than they would in that partner's program — they follow the partner's own expiration rules, which vary. American Airlines miles, for example, expire after three years of inactivity, while some other partners have different policies.

Restrictions on which miles you can transfer

Not all of your miles are available to transfer when ready. Miles you earned as a sign-up bonus on a credit card cannot be transferred for 24 months after you received them. This is Delta's way of preventing people from opening cards, getting the bonus, and when ready moving the miles elsewhere.

Miles you earned through regular spending or flying can be transferred right away. If you have a mix of bonus miles and earned miles in your account, Delta will transfer earned miles first, then bonus miles once the 24-month window closes.

You also cannot transfer miles to consolidate multiple accounts into one account that you own. Delta does not allow self-transfers. If you have two SkyMiles accounts in your own name, you cannot move miles between them. You would need to close one account and reapply, which resets your account history and any elite status you have earned.

When transferring miles makes financial sense

Transferring miles costs money, so you should only do it if the benefit outweighs the fee. One scenario where it makes sense is if a family member needs miles for a specific flight and you have extra miles sitting unused. If you transfer 5,000 miles at the $35 minimum fee, you are paying less than 1 cent per mile — which is often cheaper than buying miles outright from Delta.

Another scenario is if you are close to losing miles due to inactivity. If your account has been inactive for two years and you have 3,000 miles about to expire, transferring them to someone else for the $35 fee preserves them rather than losing them entirely. The recipient then has 12 months to use them.

Transferring to a partner airline makes sense only if that partner has a better redemption rate for the flight you want. If you need 25,000 American miles for a flight but only have 20,000 Delta miles, transferring at a 1:1 rate would cost you $300 in fees plus you would still be short. In that case, buying the remaining miles directly or waiting to earn more is usually cheaper.

How to initiate a transfer through your Delta account

Log into your SkyMiles account on Delta's website. Go to the "Manage Miles" section and select "Transfer Miles." You will see two options: transfer to a person or transfer to a partner airline. Choose the one you need.

If you are transferring to a person, enter their SkyMiles account number and the number of miles you want to send. Delta will show you the fee before you confirm. Review the fee, confirm the transfer, and it will process within one to two business days. The recipient will see the miles appear in their account and will receive an email notification.

If you are transferring to a partner airline, select the airline from the list, enter your account number with that airline, and specify how many miles to transfer. Delta will show you the exchange rate and total fee. Confirm, and the transfer processes the same way.

What happens if the transfer fails or you change your mind

If you initiate a transfer and realize you made a mistake — wrong account number, wrong amount — you can cancel it before it processes. Once the transfer completes and the miles appear in the recipient's account, you cannot reverse it. Delta does not undo completed transfers, even if you ask within hours.

If a transfer fails because the recipient's account number was wrong or inactive, Delta will return the miles to your account and refund the fee. You will see both the miles and the fee credit within a few business days. If this happens, double-check the account number and try again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer miles to someone who does not have a Delta account yet?

No. The recipient must have an active SkyMiles account before you transfer miles to them. If they do not have one, they can open a free account on Delta's website first, then you can send the miles. This takes only a few minutes.

Do transferred miles expire faster than miles I earn myself?

Yes. Miles you transfer to another person expire 12 months after the transfer date. Miles you earn yourself expire after three years of account inactivity. This is one reason to only transfer miles you are confident the recipient will use within a year.

Is there a limit to how many miles I can transfer at once?

Delta does not publish a single-transfer limit, but very large transfers (over 1 million miles) may require you to contact Delta directly. For typical transfers under 500,000 miles, you can do it online without calling.

What if I want to give miles to my spouse but we share a household?

You can transfer miles to your spouse's separate SkyMiles account the same way you would transfer to anyone else. Both of you need your own accounts with your own account numbers. The $15 per 1,000 miles fee still applies.

Can I transfer miles if my account is suspended or closed?

No. Your account must be active and in good standing to transfer miles. If your account is suspended due to fraud or policy violation, you cannot move miles until Delta reinstates it.