Estate planning as a SkyMiles account holder
Delta Air Lines miles are forfeited when the account holder dies
SkyMiles Customer Service (no dedicated estate team published)
Delta SkyMiles is Delta Air Lines' loyalty program. Miles are earned through flights, Delta SkyMiles co-branded American Express credit cards, and partner programs. SkyMiles do not expire during the member's lifetime as long as the account is active and in good standing (no-expiration policy since January 1, 2011). Members can redeem miles for award flights with no blackout dates on any Delta-operated flight, seat upgrades, vacation packages, gift cards, and merchandise. Miles can be transferred to other SkyMiles members for a fee ($0.01 per mile plus a $30 processing fee per transaction), gifted, or donated to charity through the SkyWish program. The program offers Medallion elite status tiers (Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond). Under the program rules, miles are explicitly "not the property of any Member" and are not transferable upon death; a deceased member's account may be closed and the miles forfeited.
When a SkyMiles account holder dies, their miles are forfeited. The program's terms state that miles do not constitute property of the account holder and cannot be transferred upon death, by operation of law, or through estate planning documents.
Members can transfer miles to other SkyMiles participants while their account is active. Fees generally apply, but this is the most direct way to move miles to family members.
What happens at death
The SkyMiles Membership Guide and Program Rules state, under "Restrictions on Transfer," that "Miles are not the property of any Member" and that "miles may not be sold, attached, seized, levied upon, pledged, or transferred under any circumstances, including, without limitation, by operation of law, upon death, or in connection with any domestic relations dispute and/or legal proceeding." Under "Account Closure & Mileage Expiration," Delta may deactivate or close an account when "A Member is deceased," and "Medallion Status, benefits, and/or miles in the SkyMiles account will be forfeited when an account is closed." Delta previously administered an Affidavit and Release process that let estates request a transfer of a deceased member's miles, but Delta has since discontinued that process, and no current Delta-hosted page describes a death-transfer procedure. Under current policy, miles are forfeited when a member dies and the account is closed; there is no published exception process. An estate may still submit a written goodwill request asking Delta to exercise its discretion, but any such transfer or reinstatement is entirely at Delta's discretion and is not provided for in the rules.
Planning your estate
Protecting SkyMiles while the account is active
No beneficiary designation, lifetime transfer options for miles, and 5-step plan.
View details →When someone dies
Handling SkyMiles after a death
Miles are forfeited under the official terms, 5-step process, and 3 required documents.
View details →SkyMiles does not offer a beneficiary designation feature. Without this option, miles cannot be assigned to a named recipient through the program's own settings.
Frequently asked questions
No. SkyMiles do not expire as long as the account is active and in good standing. Delta eliminated mileage expiration on January 1, 2011. However, miles are forfeited if Delta closes the account for program rule violations, if the member closes the account voluntarily, or when the account is closed after the member's death.
Sources
Data sourced from Delta Air Lines primary sources (7 pages reviewed). How we research.
SkyMiles Customer Service (no dedicated estate team published)
