Woman goes viral for revealing easy way to rack up Delta miles buried in its app
- A travel advisor has shared a simple trick for boosting Delta SkyMiles
- SkyMiles are free to set up and can be used for upgrades and flights
- There’s a simple way to rack up more miles without doing anything
Published on Apr 18, 2025 at 9:28 PM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Apr 08, 2025 at 6:42 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A travel advisor has shared a simple trick to boost your Delta SkyMiles without having to do anything – sounds good, right?
For those unaware, Delta’s SkyMiles scheme is a loyalty program that allows you to collect miles that you can then use towards travel.
The miles can also be used to purchase perks, such as seat upgrades and checked luggage.
The scheme is free to join and one member has revealed a simple way to rack up some extra miles without any effort.
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There’s a simple way to add Delta SkyMiles without doing anything
Tom Stuker, who bought an unlimited flight pass with United Airlines back in the 1990s, has managed to rack up more than 24 million air miles.
However, while you probably won’t hit those sorts of numbers – air mile loyalty schemes such as Delta’s SkyMiles – are a great way to snag yourself discounts, perks, and even free travel.
With SkyMiles, you’ll earn miles on Delta flights that are Main Cabin or above and can get even more miles with an American Express Delta SkyMiles credit card.
However, travel expert Kayleigh Zavadil – who runs the goodlifetravelkz Instagram account – recently shared another easy way to add to your miles.
In a post shared on her page, Kayleigh revealed a baggage-related tip that is hidden inside the app.
Delta operates a 20-minute bag guarantee, which means that all passengers on domestic flights should have their checked bags on the carousel after their flight lands.
If Delta doesn’t manage this, those who are a SkyMiles member will receive 2,500 bonus miles.
You’ve only got three days to claim
So, if you land from a domestic flight and wait more than 20 minutes for your checked bags to rock up on the carousel, you can simply fill in a form within three days of landing and claim those bonus miles.
Kayleigh said that when landing, she switches on the timer on her phone and casually makes her way to the baggage carousel – if her bag isn’t there within 20 minutes, she’ll quickly submit a claim.
“My home airport is consistently bad about bags on time so I’ve racked up a ton of miles just by this easy tip,” she wrote alongside the video.
“Another tip: if the desk agents are offering to check your bags at the gate because it’s a full flight and you’re at your home airport might as well gate check your bags to try and get compensated!”
The clip was soon flooded with comments from fellow frequent travels who had no idea about the policy or the free bonus miles.
“Darn, I wish I knew this before my flight last weekend! I definitely waited longer than 20 minutes,” said one.
“Definitely starting this,” said another.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
