Delta Offers More (and Better) Miles for Dining

When is a dining-for-miles promotion blog-worthy?

We routinely see offers for double dining miles—pretty good since most frequent flyer program members normally earn five miles per $1 spent. Upping that to 10 miles, for doing something you’d do anyway, is a solid deal. But because such offers are relatively common, they don’t typically merit special mention. Today’s featured deal does.

Members of the [[Delta Air Lines | Delta]] SkyMiles Dining program who spend at least $200 at participating restaurants by December 15 will earn 1,000 bonus miles. (To qualify, you must register and agree to receive marketing emails.)

So far, that’s an extra five miles per $1, double the normal earning rate. Good, but not exceptional. What makes this offer noteworthy is the type of miles earned: They’re [[Elite Programs | elite-qualifying miles]] (EQMs).

EQMs are generally awarded only for actually flying—they’re reserved for the best customers of the airline itself. Occasionally, EQMs are offered by airline-affiliated [[Credit Cards for Frequent Flyers | credit cards]]. But such non-airline offers are few and far between. And this is the first time I can remember seeing a dining promotion that featured EQMs.

Of course, EQMs only have real value to those who have a realistic chance of reaching elite status. So if you’re not on track to earn 25,000 EQMs by the end of the year—the threshold for earning elite status—this offer amounts to double miles for spending $200.

Either way, this is an offer worth considering.