I’m going to level with you: there was a ton of Quick Tip fodder this week. Yet, one story proved itself to be so absolutely perfect for this slot that I couldn’t deny it. Somehow, this news combines two companies that we’ve talked about a lot on this site and adds in free stuff. Plus, I realize now that you can read the headline so I can stop teasing it — Delta and Starbucks are partnering on a new promotion.
It’s actually a bit embarrassing how excited I was by this development. The second the email hit my inbox, I was already on the site and ready to link before I even read what the benefits were. Then, once I was caught up, I even dedicated my second-ever YouTube Shorts to the subject. So, yeah, I was pretty pumped… but why? Let’s get into the details.
Now, Delta SkyMiles and Starbucks Rewards members can link their accounts to earn reciprocal rewards. Specifically, you can now earn 1 SkyMile per dollar spent at Starbucks (in addition to the Stars you’d already earn). Additionally, on “Delta Travel Days,” you can earn Double Stars at Starbucks. Looking at the terms, your Delta Travel Day starts at 12:01 a.m. local time on a day when you have a Delta-operated or Delta-marketed departure.
On top of that, to incentivize customers to link their accounts ASAP, both companies are currently offering bonuses. When you link your Starbucks and Delta accounts before the end of the year, you’ll earn 500 SkyMiles as well as 150 bonus Stars when you make a qualifying Starbucks purchase. According to the FAQ, the arrival of your SkyMiles bonus can take up to 10 business days, but mine arrived near instantly. Believe it or not, I have yet to make a Starbucks purchase and earn my Stars, but those should apparently arrive within 2 business days of meeting the qualifications.
Funny enough, I noticed that I wasn’t the only one excited about this new partnership. After sending the link to all of my friends, I heard back from a couple of them that they’d run into errors. Later, when I went to take a look, I noticed that the duo had actually temporarily removed the linking feature, noting that it’d be back soon once they could catch up. Luckily, it seems to be functioning once again.
Of all the reciprocal reward promotions we’ve seen from the likes of Uber, Lyft, Hilton, and, well, Delta, this one is undoubtedly my favorite. Even though my wife and I don’t frequent Starbucks nearly as much as we used to, we are fans of their Rewards program. So, the fact that we can now continue to earn those stars while also adding a little bit to our SkyMiles accounts is pretty awesome. If nothing else, if you’re a Starbucks drinker, I’d say it’s worth opening and linking a SkyMiles account just to get those 150 bonus Stars, since that’s enough for a free drink (and have you seen the price of a Pumpkin Spice Latte these days?!). All in all, while I’m sure there’s a downside somewhere, this Delta-Starbucks partnership is all win in my book.