Starbucks has revamped its program so that you now need to have their top status to earn rebates as quickly as general members used to. Starbucks ‘status’ doesn’t make its best customers better off, and the change was a huge devaluation for everyone else.
Now the Starbucks-Delta partnership has restricted SkyMiles earning to people actually flying Delta, and they’ve changed the earning structure to 1 SkyMile per dollar spent.
Here’s the old SkyMiles-earning rate:
| Single reload | SkyMiles |
|---|---|
| $25–$49.99 | 25 |
| $50–$74.99 | 75 |
| $75–$99.99 | 125 |
| $100+ | 200 |
This made a $100 Starbucks reload earn 2 SkyMiles per dollar. That’s the structure that went into effect June 12, 2024.
Ironically, from the start of the partnership October 12, 2022 until that time, linked members earned… 1 SkyMile per eligible dollar actually spent at Starbucks. So we’re back to 1 mile per dollar on qualifying purchases, but it’s restricted to active flyers.
Starting on August 5, 2026, existing Linked Account Members are eligible to earn the Mileage Offer on Qualifying Purchases only during the period of time such member maintains Flight Active Status.
“Flight Active” means that, at the time of the applicable Qualifying Purchase, the Linked Account Member has flown on, and completed, at least one (1) Eligible Flight within the preceding one year, which such flight included the member’s SkyMiles Program Account number in the flight itinerary prior to the flight.
“Eligible Flight” means any flight segment that is marketed by Delta (bearing a “DL” flight number), including flights operated by Delta, Delta Connection carriers, or other airline partners, regardless of origin, destination, or cabin, and including revenue bookings, exception fares, bulk tickets, tour operator bookings, award travel, block bookings, consolidator fares, and agency bookings (provided that such agency bookings has a Delta ticket stock (006)), but excluding (a) flights marketed by another airline, whether operated by Delta or otherwise, (b) flights marketed and operated by another airline, (c) positive space and non-revenue travel, (d) travel industry or cargo customer discount fares, (e) charter flights, and (f) any tickets that are refunded, voided, or otherwise not flown.
The flight needs to have a Delta Air Lines flight number, but it can be award travel.
This seems strange to me. It’s a whole lot cheaper! But the idea isn’t just to incentivize Starbucks spend. It’s also to bring Starbucks customers into the Delta ecosystem to feed the top of the SkyMiles funnel and ultimately sell them cobrand American Express cards. Perhaps (1) Starbucks has learned that only actual Delta flyers are new coffee customers incentivized by SkyMiles, so why pay everyone else? or (2) only those brought in by Starbucks who actually fly wind up converting to the card.
Yawn…..I avoud Starbux at all costs.
Starbucks reload to earn miles never made sense since buying gift cards usually resulted in a much bigger discount (10-15%). Now you can buy gift cards on discount and still earn delta miles so this isn’t a devaluation at all.
when was the last time I paid for starbucks? almost six years ago
Have you considered just, say, cutting Starbucks loose from your coverage? It’s sufficiently niche that saying that the value to your readers of coverage is low enough that you’re just not going to give them (digital) ink wouldn’t be unreasonable, and you could just mostly elide the DL partnership thereafter when covering DL.
Love Starbucks (do go w local coffee to extent possible when I travel) but the nominal points w Delta or Marriott don’t move the needle for me. Personally I wish these minor “partnerships” would just end since not material and just adds one more thing to click on
Gary, as more and more of these rewards programs become “more trouble than they are worth” they are going to put you out of a job. It’s becoming pointless to follow these programs as the value of the program continues to shrink.
Of course, View from the Wing, does still offer some value by alerting us as to which programs are most likely to arrest their valued members.
This is fine. Starsucks (sic?) has gone down-hill.
Excellent!
Starbucks in Indonesia is quite good with fresh Sumatra coffee and fresh cinnamon rolls. And the rewards program reaches the point of free drinks quite quickly. P2 gets the free drinks.
@jack the ladd — Speaking of Indonesia, I recall seeing a “D2” in Bali that seemed like it was a former Dunkin’… I’m sure there’s a story behind that….
I don’t do Starbucks nor would I waste time with such an insignificant benefit. Unless you are one of the “hopelessly addicted” fanboys/girls of $7 cup of sh!tty coffee and spends hundreds/thousands a year on that garbage, not worth the effort to sign up. Besides, the miles/points I have on DL are evaporating at an alarming rate, Starbucks purchases couldn’t possibly fill the void.
Just saying
@D Fray — That should be your closer for all comments… *hot-take* then… “Just saying” (I go on-and-off with a ‘Bah!’ Or a ‘you do you.’ Etc.)
You could have spent $5 every day at Starbucks for the last decade and yet only earned 18,250 SkyMiles, not even enough for that one-way getaway to…Macon.
@1990
I’ll consider that…. Hmmm….
@D Fray — For an elevated on-board coffee partnership experience, please consider Delta… just saying. (@L737, trying to fit-in as many site-based memes as possible.)
@1990
I avoid the Delta coffee, food between ATL and LAX has been pretty decent to almost good though… So there is that…
Just Saying