Delta and Starbucks have just launched a loyalty collaboration. While it’s unlikely to be life changing for anyone, it’s cool to see this kind of partnership.
In this post:
Delta & Starbucks partnership details
As of October 12, 2022, Delta and Starbucks have launched a partnership. This gives enrolled Delta SkyMiles and Starbucks Rewards members the opportunity to earn a one-time bonus for linking their accounts, and then further rewards for their coffee and travel purchases. Let’s go over the details.
Link your Delta & Starbucks accounts and earn a reward
Members of Delta SkyMiles and Starbucks Rewards can link their accounts at either deltastarbucks.com or starbucksdelta.com. Those who do so by December 31, 2022 can earn the following after making a qualifying purchase with Starbucks:
- 500 bonus Delta SkyMiles
- 150 bonus Starbucks Stars
Earn Delta SkyMiles for Starbucks spending
US customers who are enrolled in both Delta SkyMiles and Starbucks Rewards can earn one mile with Delta SkyMiles per eligible dollar spent on Starbucks purchases. This excludes alcohol, taxes, and gratuity, and there’s no limit on how many bonus miles you can earn this way.
Personally I value Delta SkyMiles at a little over a cent each, so think of it as an incremental 1% return on your Starbucks spending, give or take.
Earn more Starbucks Rewards Stars when flying
US customers who are enrolled in both Delta SkyMiles and Starbucks Rewards can earn double Starbucks Rewards Stars when making purchases with Starbucks on the same day where they have a Delta flight scheduled.
Starbucks Rewards members ordinarily earn 2x Stars when using a prepaid digital Starbucks Card, or 1x Stars otherwise. That’s before this additional bonus. Personally I value Starbucks Stars at 4-5 cents each, so think of it as a minimum of an incremental 4-5% return on Starbucks spending.
Select Starbucks Stars as a Medallion Choice Benefit
Delta Diamond Medallion and Platinum Medallion members can select Choice Benefits. In addition to the new Choice Benefits recently announced, it will be possible to select Starbucks Stars as a Choice Benefit as of 2024.
Specifically, you’ll be able to select 4,000 Stars as one of the perks. Based on my valuation of 4-5 cents per Star, that’s like a $160-200 value. That definitely wouldn’t be the benefit I select, given the other options.
Bottom line
Delta and Starbucks have launched a new partnership, offering an enrollment bonus for linking accounts, one mile with Delta SkyMiles per dollar spent with Starbucks, and double Stars with Starbucks Rewards when visiting the retailer the same day you fly Delta.
This is a cool collaboration and is better than nothing, though I don’t think this will do all that much to shift consumer behavior. I essentially view this as an incremental 1%(ish) return on my Starbucks spending. The upfront bonus is nice, too.
What do you make of this new Delta and Starbucks partnership?
Link? How do you sign up for this?
Thanks.
Cannot combine, why?
Pretty excited about this, given a latte each day and Delta redemption rates I imagine by 2087 I will have a free economy ticket to Des Moines.
The website has been overwhelmed! Says come back later to link accounts!!!!
Won't shift consumer behavior?
I don't think you're getting it, Lucky. This is about sharing the location data.
And, just to be sure, that data will be used to modify consumer behavior for sure.
@ John -- Obviously sharing data is a major motivation for a lot of these partnerships, though honestly I'm not sure I see the value here? What is Delta going to do with data on which Miami Starbucks locations I visit, and what is Starbucks going to do with data on which Delta flights I take?
Delta is going to learn about your travel patterns even when not flying Delta. This allows them to more accurately estimate things such as your share of wallet, one of the most important metrics within the loyalty industry. That in turns helps them to target you better. Think targeted Skymiles promos, targeted ads, targeted upsell offers at check-in etc.
Starbucks also benefits from data (they probably do not have customer data as rich as DL...
Delta is going to learn about your travel patterns even when not flying Delta. This allows them to more accurately estimate things such as your share of wallet, one of the most important metrics within the loyalty industry. That in turns helps them to target you better. Think targeted Skymiles promos, targeted ads, targeted upsell offers at check-in etc.
Starbucks also benefits from data (they probably do not have customer data as rich as DL as, e.g., they do not have access to co-branded CC data). Should help them with product and market development.
Starbucks is also a third-tier loyalty Programme. (Airlines are considered top-tier; hotel loyalty and a few others are second tier.) For them, it's much harder to engage people through their loyalty programme. They are probably interested in getting some additional business from super engaged Skymiles members (which tend to be fairly active with Skymiles partners).
@Lucky
It builds a more accurate picture of your profile. A one that will cost them less and generate more revenue.
A millennial spending $30 for coffee maybe more likely to pay $200 to pay to upgrade so he can have an avocado toast. And the next time you land in Miami, Starbucks will have a special Biscoff add-on for $5.
If you visit Starbucks everyday at 9am, Delta Vacation would have a special flight+hotel...
@Lucky
It builds a more accurate picture of your profile. A one that will cost them less and generate more revenue.
A millennial spending $30 for coffee maybe more likely to pay $200 to pay to upgrade so he can have an avocado toast. And the next time you land in Miami, Starbucks will have a special Biscoff add-on for $5.
If you visit Starbucks everyday at 9am, Delta Vacation would have a special flight+hotel that happens to be 2 mins away from a Starbucks. Add that to Hertz, now your whole package is shown in 1 easy price with a little discount (and big commission for Delta) but you have to act now.
And surely if you and many of their customers can afford a $5000 plane ticket, maybe raising the price of a coffee by $1 wouldn't hurt as bad for anyone. The same could be said that paying $5 for Starbucks instead of $1 generic coffee means that the $5000 ticket could still sell at $5200.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, applying big data is limitless. Soon you will actually know if you'll really be eaten by a Bronteroc.
Just because most people can't connect the dots in their head doesn't mean it's useless. Starbucks and Delta would have to spend millions each to figure out what this partnership data can provide, and even more for much less cost.
To Ben and Miami dwellers the Peet's coffee tastes so much better than S Bux and is found at the Cap Cafes in Brickell and Lincoln Road Miami Beach.
No matter which website I try - deltastarbucks.com or starbucks.delta.com - I get Access Denied. Does anyone have a link to link our Starbucks and Delta accounts that works?
Same
The site now says to come back later to link as the response has been overwhelming.
I have my frequent flyer programs that I use, and any time another business offers points (or better status points) I will sign up if I might ever use their services, it's free money. I'm not a Delta member, not in the US and Starbucks is not worth patronising in my country (is what they sell even coffee?) so this is a 'no' for me. But if it works for you, do it!
It's not free money. You sold your soul to their big data machine for a cup of coffee.
If you had already signed up to either program and thereby sold your soul, as many have, it is free money.
Good for you, next time don't forget to sell your credit card number, it is free money.
But if you're not a cheap panderer.
Delta would never know what kind and how much coffee you consume. How much you spend for coffee and where, etc.
Starbucks would never know how often you fly, to where, for how much, your party size, where you sit, etc.
You do realize that by having a cell phone, using a browser or worse not using a browser and using an app instead, commenting on articles, you have already sold your soul on a daily basis. Now if you know what you're doing like me you'll know how to flood bad data into your accounts thereby when one does a Google search of oneself he/she is no longer in the first 100k pages of result or even better incorrect info.
There is a difference between selling your soul to the same and different devils.
While I don't know what you mean by bad data, data is data and with enough data, there are methods to filter them out. You're probably doing the best you can, but it's likely not enough. You can't keep up with the processing power that keeps getting better. Don't forget it's the biggest devil named Google we're talking about here.
However,...
There is a difference between selling your soul to the same and different devils.
While I don't know what you mean by bad data, data is data and with enough data, there are methods to filter them out. You're probably doing the best you can, but it's likely not enough. You can't keep up with the processing power that keeps getting better. Don't forget it's the biggest devil named Google we're talking about here.
However, and don't get too carried away with your success in not being in the first 100k pages (if the results displayed even goes that far, or you didn't exaggerate and crazy enough to go that far to verify). You already have a head start by being called Bob. You probably will never find yourself on a Google search if your happen to share last names with other well known Bob. i.e. Dylan, Marley, Brown, Barker, Ross, Fett etc.
Weird Starbucks isn’t patterning with Alaska for this being Seattle based. But then again, Starbucks has recently turned into nothing like it’s former self.
Well, Starbucks and Delta both discourage their employees from unionizing. They have that in common.
Delta serves Starbucks coffee on board and on all Sky Clubs. They have a partnership even before this agreement
Alaska GCs had been a prize in a few of Starbucks quarterly promotional games. It would be nice to see some Delta awards pop up as major prizes in the Christmas game.
I am getting "The information you provided does not match our records." when trying to register...
Figured it out. If you have middle initial on your Skymiles account you have to enter it in first name field on the registration page...
Sign up for me was very wonky.
Several error messages, but after repeated tries I finally got it to work.
Mrs. Doubt bailed after getting the same error messages. “SkyMiles aren’t worth the trouble”.
Starbucks does not sell real coffee. Whatever they call coffee there is horrible.
It would be nice if I could earn Stars from flying not just day of travel.
Have the same take on the promo. Super easy to link and the miles posted immediately. Wonder if re-loading a Starbucks card on a travel day will earn the additional bonus.
Reloading doesn't earn any stars -- so double stars of zero is still zero.
How did you link accounts? on www.deltastarbucks.com, the buttons are either to join delta skymiles or join starbucks assuming you are new. Where's the actual link if you currently are members of both delta and starbucks?