Delta Starbucks earning drops to 1X, now flight-active only.
Starting August 5, 2026, Delta and Starbucks simplify SkyMiles earning to a flat 1 mile per dollar at the register, replacing the reload-based brackets that paid up to 2X for $100+ top-ups. The real change: you must have flown a Delta-marketed flight in the past 12 months to earn at all. Lapsed flyers get a grace period through October 5, 2026; newly linked members earn for their first 12 months without a flight. Your Starbucks Stars and existing SkyMiles are untouched, but if you were reloading $50+ or don't fly Delta, this is a de facto cut.
the play
Link your Delta and Starbucks accounts before August 5, and if you haven't flown Delta in the past year, take a qualifying DL-marketed flight before October 5 to keep earning SkyMiles on coffee.