# How to earn a few Delta SkyMiles very quickly



## GetawaysRus (Apr 5, 2009)

My Mom needs only 3 more Delta SkyMiles for an award ticket she'd like to purchase.  

I know ways to earn American AAdvantage miles, since that's the airline I generally use.  But I'm not knowledgeable about Delta SkyMiles.

Can someone clue me in on quick ways to earn just a few Delta SkyMiles?  She would need them to post very soon.  She already has a Delta AmEx card, but wants to purchase this ticket before her next statement date closes (and more miles are then credited from AmEx usage).


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## DeniseM (Apr 5, 2009)

Can she buy them on the Delta website?


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## GetawaysRus (Apr 5, 2009)

Yes, she is aware that she can buy miles from Delta.  But she is trying to avoid that if possible.  She only needs 3 more SkyMiles.

Are there any sign-up bonuses for Delta or Delta-related programs that might post quickly?


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## Anne S (Apr 6, 2009)

She can join www.points.com and swap AA miles for Delta miles.


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## LisaRex (Apr 6, 2009)

Three?!  Bummer.  The easiest way to get 3 miles is to buy 4 99 cent songs from iTunes via SkyMilesShopping.  However, the biggest issue is the posting time.  Some vendors post immediately (FTD posts right away, IME) but some take a few weeks. 

If she has NWA miles, she can transfer them over for free.  If she has HiltonHhonors, MarriottReward points or StarPoints, she can transfer a few over, though the conversion rate is fairly poor.   

If she has none of these and an award ticket is available, especially a Saver ticket, then I'd recommend buying 100 miles and being done with it.  No sense fiddling around trying to find a free way to get 3 miles only to see the award seat gone when you try to book it.


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## Talent312 (Apr 6, 2009)

Here's a thought:  Pay $$ for the ticket, and next time she want to take a like trip, she'll have enuff points.  Otherwise, if she can wait for posting, use SkyMiles Shopping.  If not, buy them.


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## Judy (Apr 6, 2009)

SkyMiles Dining.  Your Mom can affiliate a credit card with her SkyMiles account and then dine out at a participating restaurant, making very sure that she's dining on a participating date/time.  Most restaurants post miles within a few days.  http://skymiles.rewardsnetwork.com/


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## GetawaysRus (Apr 6, 2009)

These are all good suggestions.  I actually posted the same question on FlyerTalk.  (I'm loyal to TUG - I posted here first, and realized afterwards that FlyerTalk would be another good resource.)

Here is my favorite suggestion from a FlyerTalk response:  sign up as a frequent flyer on NWA.  Complete one course at WorldPerks University on the NWA website - NWA miles for completing a course should post quickly.  Next, link the NWA frequent flyer account to her Delta account and transfer the NWA miles to Delta.


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## jhoug (Apr 6, 2009)

*Convert points from other programs*

I had Choice Hotels points that they converted immediately to Delta Skymiles and posted within 1-2  days---but I don't know if that was because it was the end of the month?.   I had about 3000 I needed to get for an award ticket.  A couple of days later I got about 2500 Skymiles from converting points I had from playing games on Microsoft "Live Search Club" but this took til the end of the month to post. (Each award level 500, 1000, 2500 or something can only be earned once.)


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## GetawaysRus (Apr 6, 2009)

Thanks to all of you who responded - there are some excellent ideas here.

In the end, it is ironic what ended up happening.

My mom is nearing 80.  She is, uh, a little computer-challenged.  She lives some distance from me, so we do our computer work over the phone.  

I talked her through signing up for a NorthWest WorldPerks account.  And then I helped with a WorldPerks University course, as suggested on FlyerTalk.  She earned 100 miles, and I could see the credit in her new NWA account.  I told her to call Delta, get Delta to link her NWA account, and then transfer the miles.

When she called Delta, it turned out that she had an old NWA frequent flyer account from the 1990s that she had totally forgotten about.  She had 18,000+ miles sitting in her old NWA account.  The Delta rep helped her get those miles transferred, and it was plenty more than the 3 that she needed for a ticket.  So now, she is going to fly back East for her grandson's and grandaughter's high school graduation ceremonies in June.

Sometimes things just work out, and the good guys win.


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