What happens to SkyMiles when the owner dies
Delta Air Lines miles are forfeited under the program's terms when the account is closed
SkyMiles Member line (Delta General Sales & Services)
SkyMiles Account Support (no dedicated estate team published)
Delta Air Lines, Inc., SkyMiles Account Support, Dept. 654, P.O. Box 20532, Atlanta, GA 30320-2532
Delta publishes no timeline for deceased-Member requests, because it publishes no deceased-Member process. Account closure is an ordinary account request handled through the SkyMiles line or the "Other SkyMiles Requests" form. A discretionary request to transfer or reinstate miles has no committed turnaround; Delta would review any such request at its discretion and may decline it.
Delta Air Lines's terms state that miles are not the property of the account holder and are forfeited at death. The program does not provide a mechanism for transferring miles to heirs.
Families have occasionally received goodwill accommodations from Delta Air Lines, but these are not part of the published terms and cannot be relied upon.
What to do
If a SkyMiles account holder has passed away, here is what to do:
- •The deceased Member's full name, date of death, and SkyMiles account number
- •A certified copy of the death certificate
- •Documentation showing your authority to act for the estate (for example, Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration)
- •The name and SkyMiles account number of the survivor who would receive the miles, since miles move only between SkyMiles accounts
- •The signature of the person making the request
Required Documents
- Deceased Member's SkyMiles account number
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Documentation showing authority to act for the estate, such as Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for any discretionary request)
- The name and SkyMiles account number of the survivor named as the proposed recipient
- The signature of the person making the request (Delta asks for a signature and the SkyMiles number on all written correspondence)
Timeline
Delta publishes no timeline for deceased-Member requests, because it publishes no deceased-Member process. Account closure is an ordinary account request handled through the SkyMiles line or the "Other SkyMiles Requests" form. A discretionary request to transfer or reinstate miles has no committed turnaround; Delta would review any such request at its discretion and may decline it.
Frequently asked questions
Not as a matter of right. The SkyMiles Membership Guide and Program Rules state 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," and that miles are forfeited when an account is closed. Delta lists "A Member is deceased" among the circumstances in which it may close an account. Delta publishes no deceased-Member transfer process — the words estate, executor, personal representative, and affidavit do not appear on the Program Rules page. An estate may still put a written request to Delta, but any transfer would be entirely at Delta's discretion.
No. The SkyMiles Program Rules state: "Miles are not the property of any Member." The same clause says miles may not be transferred by operation of law or upon death, so the program does not recognize an estate as a recipient. Any request to move a deceased Member's miles is a request to a named survivor's SkyMiles account made at Delta's discretion, not a claim the estate can assert.
Delta publishes 800-323-2323 for SkyMiles Members on its Help Center Overview, and the Program Rules describe that number as Delta's automated telephone number available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Program Rules also point account-closure requests to the "Other SkyMiles Requests" form on the SkyMiles Help page at delta.com/us/en/need-help/support-skymiles. Have the Member's SkyMiles number available. There is no dedicated estates portal or email published on delta.com, and Delta may close the account, at which point remaining miles are forfeited under the rules.
Delta publishes no estates address. The Program Rules do publish a mailing address for the SkyMiles Account Support group for sending supporting documents on SkyMiles account requests: Delta Air Lines, Inc., SkyMiles Account Support, Dept. 654, P.O. Box 20532, Atlanta, GA 30320-2532. The same rules ask that the Member's signature and SkyMiles membership number be included in all written correspondence, so a written request should carry the account number and be signed. Delta reviews any request about a deceased Member's miles at its discretion.
Medallion elite status (Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond) does not survive the account. The Program Rules state that "Medallion Status, benefits, and/or miles in the SkyMiles account will be forfeited when an account is closed," and Delta lists a Member being deceased among the circumstances in which it may close an account. Delta publishes no process for transferring status to a surviving spouse or family member.
No. Delta's Bereavement Fare Policy is a fare policy for a living SkyMiles Member who needs to travel because of the death of an immediate family member; it offers flexibility and discounted fares and is arranged by messaging Delta or calling 800-221-1212, and cannot be purchased on delta.com. It says nothing about a deceased Member's account, and it does not create a route for transferring or reinstating that Member's miles.
Because miles are forfeited at death, lifetime use is the only reliable strategy. Redeeming or sharing SkyMiles while the account holder is alive ensures their value is not lost.
Sources
Data sourced from Delta Air Lines primary sources (9 pages reviewed). How we research.
SkyMiles Member line (Delta General Sales & Services)
SkyMiles Account Support (no dedicated estate team published)
Delta Air Lines, Inc., SkyMiles Account Support, Dept. 654, P.O. Box 20532, Atlanta, GA 30320-2532
Delta publishes no timeline for deceased-Member requests, because it publishes no deceased-Member process. Account closure is an ordinary account request handled through the SkyMiles line or the "Other SkyMiles Requests" form. A discretionary request to transfer or reinstate miles has no committed turnaround; Delta would review any such request at its discretion and may decline it.
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