After a tsunami of changes to the Delta SkyMiles program, the spotlight has never been brighter on airline loyalty programs. Both American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have shifted to a loyalty program that relies solely on how much money you spend with the airline and its partners or on its co-branded credit cards.

But, Delta made changes in 2023 that ruffled the feathers of many of its loyal members. One month later, Delta finally walked back some SkyMiles changes after its CEO Ed Bastian acknowledged the original plan went too far. Still, the changes may not be enough for every Delta flyer.

To find the right one that meets your needs, you'll want to do a little comparison shopping. Of course, the right program varies for each person because it is based on where you live, where you travel to most often and the type of trips you like to redeem with miles.

When comparing American AAdvantage versus Delta SkyMiles though, there is a clear winner for those who do want to maximize their rewards with a lower spend. Here’s what you need to know to make the right decision for you.

Earning redeemable miles

Both carriers have a similar earning structure offering general members 5x miles per dollar spent on all fares, except for basic economy (more on that below). Elite status travelers earn at a ratio of 7x, 8x, 9x and 11x in ascending order based on the four tiers.

Earning miles with American

American offers a variety of other ways to accrue miles through spending: booking rental cars, hotels or vacation packages through the airline, shopping through the online portal or spending on American Airlines co-branded credit cards.

Unlike Delta, AAdvantage members do earn miles on basic economy fares, but at the measly rate of 2 miles per $1. Members with elite status will also get a bonus on the 2x miles.

Earning miles with Delta

Delta offers similar mileage-earning opportunities but tacks on some innovative partnerships like earning miles when shopping via Instacart, Starbucks, Lyft, and Airbnb, among others. It also has a suite of co-branded Delta credit cards. SkyMiles members do not earn miles on basic economy tickets.

Winner: Tie

Earning status

Things get a bit more interesting here because it's much easier to earn status with American and its Loyalty Points system than with Delta and its Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs).

Both airlines use different metrics, but the chart below outlines the different tier qualifications for 2025 elite status. American and Delta have also created online calculators to help you determine your specific situation.

Earning status through credit cards

It is possible to achieve elite status without flying by spending on the airlines' credit cards. American gives cardholders one Loyalty Point per $1 spent on its co-branded credit cards. Meanwhile, Delta co-branded credit cards earn one MDQ per $10 or $20 spent (depending on the card).

but $50,000 for

There is one small concession for Delta cardholders, though. Delta will now give anyone with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card or Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card an automatic 2,500 MQD bonus each year starting on Feb. 1, 2024. This should provide a little boost toward elite status without any extra spending.

If you were only relying on credit card spending, it would cost $40,000 in a program year to achieve Gold status on American. To get the equivalent entry-level status on Delta when using the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, which earns 1 MQD per $10 spent, would require spending $47,500. With the the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (1 MQD per $20 spent), you'd have to spend $97,500. This boxes out a lot of people that don’t spend that much on a credit card. Terms apply.

Earning status through flying

American Airlines also lets elite members earn Loyalty Points at a higher ratio. For example, an AAdvantage Executive Platinum member earns 11x Loyalty Points per dollar spent on flights, compared to just 5x for general members. On Delta, a general non-status member and a Diamond Medallion earn 1 MQD per dollar spent, so the ascent to top status (or requalification) is much harder with Delta than on American.

Delta made some accommodations for its most frequent flyers to make the transition to the new system, but the changes only really apply to Medallion members in 2023, who have the option of using their rollover Medallion Qualification Miles, or MQMs (which are being phased out in 2024), to extend their status. They'll get an additional year of their current status level for every 100,000 MQMs in their account.

Winner: American Airlines

Redeeming miles

The whole point (forgive the pun) in earning miles is to redeem them for travel to the places you want to go. This means that the number of redemption partners for an airline program is key, and the ability to know how many miles you would need is helpful. Both airlines have moved to dynamic pricing, which means knowing how many miles you will need for a redemption is hard.

More American sweet spots

It is common to find American awards in economy as low as 5,000 or 7,500 miles for a short, one-way redemption. Longer flights and those in the premium cabin can cost more, but you can usually find good deals if you are flexible.

That doesn’t mean there are not some crazy high redemptions like one-way business class flights to Sydney for 450,000 miles. But across the board, there are many more sweet spots.

Discounts on Delta award flights

Aside from the occasional SkyMiles flash sale where the carrier makes many awards quite affordable, its cheapest standard redemption using SkyMiles usually prices into basic economy. This means you have fewer benefits and won’t be able to use the Sky Club, even with an annual membership. If you redeem your SkyMiles for a business class seat, the pricing can be astronomical, sometimes as much as 400,000 to 500,000 miles for a one-way ticket.