Delta Miles on Alaska Airlines: Partnership History, Rules, and Current Status

# Delta Miles on Alaska Airlines: Partnership History, Rules, and Current Status

You cannot earn or redeem Delta SkyMiles on Alaska Airlines flights. The reciprocal frequent flyer partnership and codeshare agreement between Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines officially ended on April 30, 2017. Today, Delta and Alaska operate as separate, highly competitive commercial airlines with no shared loyalty reciprocity, no transferability between mileage accounts, and no reciprocal elite status recognition.

If you have Delta SkyMiles, you can only redeem them on Delta-operated flights or through Delta's official SkyTeam alliance partners. Similarly, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles can only be redeemed on Alaska and its oneworld alliance partners. Understanding the evolution of this relationship helps travelers avoid common booking mistakes and maximize rewards across West Coast routes.

What Happened to Delta Miles on Alaska Airlines?

For over a decade, Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines maintained one of the most successful domestic airline partnerships in the United States. Following Delta's merger with Northwest Airlines in 2008, Delta lacked a substantial West Coast domestic feeder network to supply passengers for its growing transpacific flights.

Alaska Airlines, headquartered in Seattle, stepped in as Delta's primary regional partner. Under the agreement, travelers could seamlessly book codeshare tickets, earn Delta SkyMiles when flying on Alaska aircraft, and redeem SkyMiles for flights across Alaska's extensive West Coast, Pacific Northwest, and Alaskan route network.

To explore the strategic and corporate background of this alliance, read our in-depth analysis of the Delta Alaska Airlines partnership.

The Battle for Seattle and the 2017 Breakup

Beginning in 2013, Delta made the strategic decision to transform Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) into its own premier international and domestic connecting hub. Rather than relying on Alaska Airlines to feed its flights, Delta began launching its own competing nonstop routes out of Seattle to key domestic destinations including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Anchorage, Portland, and Las Vegas.

What started as friendly cooperation rapidly escalated into intense commercial competition. The tension culminated in December 2016 when both carriers announced the formal dissolution of their partnership. The relationship officially terminated on April 30, 2017.

Since the breakup, Alaska Airlines acquired Virgin America, significantly expanded its presence in California, and formally joined the global oneworld alliance alongside American Airlines and British Airways.

What Travelers Should Know: Current Loyalty Boundaries

Because older travel blog posts and outdated forum discussions still circulate online, many travelers mistakenly believe they can still credit Alaska flights to Delta or vice versa.

Key Rules of Current Program Independence

• No Mileage Accrual: You cannot earn Delta SkyMiles by purchasing or flying on an Alaska Airlines-operated flight. Entering your SkyMiles number during an Alaska booking will result in an invalid frequent flyer error.
• No Award Redemptions: Delta cannot view, access, or book award seats on Alaska Airlines. SkyMiles cannot be redeemed for Alaska tickets on delta.com or over the phone.
• No Mile Transfers: You cannot transfer miles between Delta SkyMiles and Alaska Mileage Plan. The two currencies are maintained by separate legal and corporate entities with no conversion mechanism.
• No Reciprocal Elite Perks: Delta Medallion members do not receive priority boarding, free checked bags, or complimentary upgrades when traveling on Alaska Airlines, and Alaska MVP elites receive no benefits on Delta.

Where You CAN Use Delta SkyMiles Today

While Alaska Airlines is no longer an option, Delta travelers have access to an extensive global network of partner carriers.

Delta's Global Partner Network

Through the SkyTeam alliance and independent bilateral joint ventures, you can earn and redeem Delta SkyMiles across dozens of carriers worldwide, including:

• Europe: Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic
• Asia-Pacific: Korean Air, China Airlines, Vietnam Airlines
• The Americas: Aeromexico, LATAM

For a comprehensive guide to maximizing alliance award tickets, explore our overview of Delta airline partners. In addition, travelers with inactive accounts can rest assured that their balances are safe, as explained in our detailed guide on do Delta airline miles expire.

Evaluating Delta vs. Alaska for West Coast Travel

For travelers based in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, deciding which airline to fly often comes down to route frequency and cabin comfort. For a side-by-side analysis of cabin classes, reliability, and loyalty perks, review our direct comparison of Alaska Airlines vs Delta.

How to Check the Latest Information

To verify current partnership guidelines and manage your loyalty balances:

• Log in to your personal account on delta.com or the Fly Delta app to review your current SkyMiles balance and search eligible award destinations.
• Consult the official "Airline Partners" page on delta.com for an up-to-date roster of carriers where SkyMiles can be earned and redeemed.
• If you fly both carriers frequently, consider opening separate accounts in both Delta SkyMiles and Alaska Mileage Plan, ensuring that each flight you take credits to its corresponding program.

What to Do If You Need Help

Planning travel that involves both Delta and Alaska—such as flying Delta into Seattle and taking a separate Alaska flight to a remote destination in Alaska—requires careful coordination. Because the airlines no longer share baggage agreements, you must collect your checked luggage in Seattle, exit the secure area, and re-check your bags with the onward carrier.

If you need help building complex multi-airline itineraries or ensuring adequate connection times between separate airline tickets, our independent travel consultants can provide personalized assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I earn Delta SkyMiles on Alaska Airlines flights?

No. The reciprocal partnership between Delta and Alaska ended on April 30, 2017. You cannot earn SkyMiles on Alaska Airlines flights.

Can I use Delta SkyMiles to book flights on Alaska Airlines?

No. Delta SkyMiles cannot be redeemed for tickets on Alaska Airlines. SkyMiles can only be used on Delta and its official SkyTeam and joint-venture partner airlines.

Can I transfer miles between Delta and Alaska Airlines?

No. There is no direct mechanism or conversion portal to transfer points or miles between Delta SkyMiles and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.

Does Delta transfer luggage to Alaska Airlines on separate tickets?

No. Delta will only check bags through to a connecting carrier if the entire itinerary is booked under a single ticket document and an interline baggage agreement is active. On separate tickets, you must collect your bags in your transfer city and re-check them.

Which airline alliance does Alaska Airlines belong to?

Alaska Airlines is a member of the oneworld alliance alongside American Airlines, British Airways, and Cathay Pacific. Delta Air Lines is a founding member of the competing SkyTeam alliance.

Which airline is better for West Coast travel, Delta or Alaska?

Both airlines offer outstanding operational reliability. Alaska Airlines provides greater route frequency to smaller regional airports in the Pacific Northwest and the state of Alaska, while Delta offers broader transcontinental connections and a larger global international network.

Conclusion

The era of using Delta miles on Alaska Airlines came to a close in 2017 as Seattle evolved into a competitive battlefield between the two carriers. While the partnership is a thing of the past, travelers today can still maximize Delta SkyMiles across an expansive global network of SkyTeam partners, while maintaining separate Alaska Mileage Plan accounts for regional West Coast trips.

Policies, fees, schedules and availability can change. Verify the latest information with Delta Air Lines or the applicable airport before traveling.

If you would like assistance booking flights or planning your next journey, call our independent specialists at +1 725 765 9837.