ATLANTA & SEATTLE, USA – Today, Delta Air Lines and Starbucks Coffee Company announced a strategic partnership that will offer members of Delta SkyMiles and Starbucks Rewards, two of America’s most highly regarded loyalty programs, the ability to unlock even more ways to earn rewards at Delta and Starbucks. Starting Oct. 12, U.S. customers who are enrolled in both Delta SkyMiles and Starbucks Rewards loyalty programs can easily link their accounts by visiting either deltastarbucks.com or starbucksdelta.com.
Once the accounts are linked, members will earn one mile per $1 spent1 on eligible purchases at Starbucks, and on days when enrolled members have a scheduled flight with Delta, they will earn double Stars on eligible purchases at participating Starbucks stores2.
This new benefit is open to currently enrolled members as well as new members of the companies’ loyalty programs. Customers can join Starbucks Rewards at starbucks.com/rewards and Delta SkyMiles at delta.com/join-skymiles.
“We’re continuing to evolve Delta’s SkyMiles program to give our customers valuable, premium experiences not just on the days they travel but in their everyday lives as well,” said Prashant Sharma, vice president of loyalty at Delta. “Through this new partnership with Starbucks, we can deliver more moments and interactions that matter, both in the air and on the ground.”
“Starbucks Rewards and Delta SkyMiles are centered on creating moments of meaningful connection, and by bringing together two of the country’s most celebrated loyalty programs we are able to reward our members with more of what they love,” said Ryan Butz, vice president, loyalty strategy and marketing at Starbucks. “We are excited to partner with Delta to offer our members even more valuable benefits, as well as invite more customers to join Starbucks Rewards.”
Valuable Bonuses and Added Benefits
It’s easy for millions of Starbucks Rewards and Delta SkyMiles members to earn free coffee and miles. In addition to earning one mile per $1 spent on qualifying purchases at Starbucks and double Stars at participating Starbucks stores on the days of a scheduled Delta flight, customers who link their accounts from Oct. 12 to Dec. 31, 2022 will earn 500 miles3, and, once they make or have made a qualifying purchase, 150 Stars.
Delta SkyMiles is also announcing the addition of Starbucks Stars as an exciting new Choice Benefit for its most loyal—and coffee-loving—members. Along with the newest slate of Choice Benefits announced last week, Diamond and Platinum SkyMiles Members will be able to select 4,000 Stars as one of their annual Choice Benefits in 2024.
To further celebrate the launch of the partnership, Delta passengers on flights departing Seattle on Oct. 12 will receive a “Star Card” valid for 150 Stars that can be redeemed toward a handcrafted beverage at their next Starbucks visit.
Two Storied Loyalty Programs
Earlier this year, Starbucks announced Reward Together, a program that allows Starbucks Rewards members to link their accounts with some of the world’s leading brands’ loyalty programs, adding new benefits and ways to earn Stars that were not possible before. Through these loyalty partnerships, the company aims to increase awareness and drive growth of Starbucks Rewards as well as attract new members by offering valuable benefits and making it easier for customers to join. Starbucks Canada launched account linking partnerships with a travel partner in 2021 and a financial institution in 2022. Delta is Starbucks’ first U.S. partner in this program.
Introduced in 2009, the industry-leading Starbucks Rewards program continues to grow in popularity and offers members free rewards, personalized offers, games, exclusive deals and the ability to order ahead and pay on the Starbucks app. Earlier this year the company expanded mobile order and pay to Starbucks stores located in major airports across the U.S.
Over the last five years, U.S. membership has more than doubled, with more than 27 million U.S. 90-day active Starbucks Rewards members as of July 2022. Additionally, Starbucks Rewards transactions account for more than half of tender at all U.S. company-operated stores in the same timeframe.
Delta’s SkyMiles program continues to lead with industry-first program enhancements such as the ability to earn toward Status on Award Travel, unlimited mileage accrual for tickets for any Member, and expanded upgrade opportunities to give customers more access to premium seats on both domestic and international flights. With partnerships with brands like Instacart, the leading online grocery platform in the U.S.; Turo, the world’s largest peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace; and Lyft, one of the largest transportation networks in the U.S., Delta’s making it easy to turn even more purchases into earning miles toward travel.
As recently announced by U.S. News & World Report, for the sixth year in a row, Delta’s SkyMiles program outperformed all global airlines in the outlet’s annual ranking of airline loyalty programs. U.S. News weighs five components in its ranking: ease of earning a free round-trip flight, added benefits, network coverage, flight volume and airline quality ratings.
As always, customers can continue to take advantage of Delta SkyMiles favorites, such as miles that don’t expire, no blackout dates for Award tickets on any Delta Air Lines flight, and industry-leading Medallion benefits such as complimentary upgrades to Delta One on domestic flights.
