Delta SkyMiles & Starbucks Rewards Partnership Changes Yet Again!

In 2022, Delta and Starbucks launched a loyalty collaboration, intended to reward customers from both brands. While we often see partnerships like this between travel brands (like between airlines and hotels), it’s cool to see an airline partner with a coffee chain. In 2024, we saw updates to the partnership, impacting how rewards are earned. There’s now yet another update, as the earnings structure has changed yet again, to be very similar to the original concept. Long story short, with these updates, SkyMiles members can once again earn one mile per dollar spent with Starbucks… as long as they fly Delta at least once a year. How the Delta & Starbucks partnership worksEarn bonus Delta SkyMiles for Starbucks spendingEarn bonus Starbucks Rewards Stars on Delta travel daysBottom line How the Delta & Starbucks partnership works Thanks to the Delta and Starbucks collaboration, you have the opportunity to earn bonus Delta SkyMiles and bonus Starbucks Rewards Stars for your business with the two brands. In order to take part in the Starbucks Rewards and Delta SkyMiles partnership, you need to be enrolled, by linking your accounts. So let’s cover how this partnership works, and what’s changing — the ability to earn Starbucks Rewards Stars is staying the same, while the ability to earn Delta SkyMiles is being updated. Earn bonus Delta SkyMiles for Starbucks spending As of August 5, 2026, Delta SkyMiles members will earn one bonus mile for every dollar spent with Starbucks (excluding tax, gratuities, gift cards, and alcoholic beverages). The only catch is that you must take a qualifying Delta flight in the past 12 months (or fly in the next 60 days) to be eligible to earn. This is virtually identical to the earnings structure we saw at the time of launch. For what it’s worth, prior to this change (and through August 4, 2026), members are being rewarded when reloading the balance in their Starbucks account, as follows: A $25-49.99 Starbucks reload earns 25 bonus Delta miles A $50-74.99 Starbucks reload earns 75 bonus Delta miles A $75-99.99 Starbucks reload earns 125 bonus Delta miles A $100 Starbucks reload earns 200 bonus Delta miles Which system is more rewarding depends on the type of consumer you are. Earning a flat one mile per dollar spent with Starbucks is definitely more straightforward, and is more rewarding if you don’t want to reload your balance. Meanwhile the tiered system was more rewarding for those who didn’t mind making bigger Starbucks reloads. Personally I value Delta SkyMiles at a little over a cent each, so I value one incremental mile per dollar spent at a roughly 1% return. Earn Delta SkyMiles with Starbucks Earn bonus Starbucks Rewards Stars on Delta travel days What isn’t changing about this partnership is the ability to earn Starbucks Rewards Stars. US customers who are enrolled in both Delta SkyMiles and Starbucks Rewards can earn double Starbucks Rewards Stars when making purchases with Starbucks on the same day where they have a Delta flight scheduled. Starbucks Rewards members ordinarily earn 2x Stars when using a prepaid digital Starbucks Card, or 1x Stars otherwise. That’s before this additional bonus. Personally I value Starbucks Stars at 4-5 cents each, so think of it as a minimum of an incremental 4-5% return on Starbucks spending. Earn Starbucks Rewards Stars when flying Delta same day Bottom line Delta and Starbucks have offered a partnership since 2022. It underwent major changes in 2024, and now it’s undergoing major changes again as of August 5, 2026, bringing it very close to the original structure. It’s once again going to be possible to earn one Delta mile per dollar spent with Starbucks, rather than being rewarded just for reloading your Starbucks balance. As before, you’ll continue to earn double Starbucks Stars when visiting the retailer the same day you fly Delta. This is a fun partnership. I’m not sure it moves the needle all that much in terms of whether it makes sense to get coffee at Starbucks or fly Delta. But still, you might as well earn extra rewards. What do you make of the Delta and Starbucks partnership changes?