Looking to earn Delta SkyMiles on a LATAM-operated flight? The two carriers announced at the end of February that earning reciprocity would launch on 1 April 2020 but offered no other details. Now the earning chart is finally available.
The rates look a lot like those for other partners where Delta Air Lines also holds an equity stake or a joint venture is in play. At the lowest end of the fare range earnings are just 25% of the miles flown, though 100% credit towards medallion qualifying miles and 5% towards the medallion dollars. At the top end, full fare business class earns 200% miles for both award and Medallion qualifying while also netting 40% towards MQDs.
Because LATAM is a joint venture/equity partner existing SkyMiles Medallion members will also earn bonus points on LATAM flights credited to the SkyMiles program. As with other, similar partners the earn rate is indexed to the Base Miles earned for the trip, with a status tier-based multiplier:
- Diamond – 120%
- Platinum – 80%
- Gold – 60%
- Silver – 40%
One important consideration, especially as LATAM still has many partners from its prior life in the oneworld alliance, is how credit is earned for LATAM-coded flights not operated by that airline. The new SkyMiles earning rules are clear on that front: “Mileage credit is only applicable to Delta partner flights that are marketed and operated by that partner or Delta.” This is slightly different from Delta’s policy when the partner is a SkyTeam member. In those cases a codeshare operated by any other alliance member also counts towards earning.
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30% MQD earning on some business class fares is interestingly a step below all other JV partners (which are 40% MQDs on all business class fares).
O fares on KL are 20%, I believe. So not entirely consistent at 40%.