Issuing a SkyMiles award for another traveler: settle the passenger before ticketing

SkyMiles may be redeemed for an award in someone else's name, but an issued award is nontransferable and cannot be sold or bartered. Delta's award rule does not permit name changes after issuance. Award-pricing terms and conditions for children and infants are the same as for adults; that does not establish a child's transport arrangements or permission to travel alone.

Important unknowns

  • The source does not establish the outcome of an individual request. Confirm current instructions with the airline; the effective date of these provisions is not established.

What to do next

  1. Confirm the traveler before using the miles

    Ask the intended traveler to check the name and other passenger information against the document they plan to use. Keep that confirmation with the itinerary you intend to purchase. Distinguish the account providing the miles from the person who will take the flight, and review each passenger separately in a family reservation. For a child, identify the actual seating and accompaniment question before seeking a quote. Do not treat a loyalty account or an award price as the answer to those separate travel requirements. Ask Delta about the precise age, route and arrangement rather than adapting an adult's booking without checking.

  2. If the person or name is uncertain

    Resolve the uncertainty before issuance instead of treating the award as a placeholder for whichever traveler eventually goes. If the intended passenger changes after purchase, describe that clearly to Delta and ask about the existing ticket; do not call a different person a spelling correction. A possible same-person spelling or display issue also needs a precise description. Give the issuer the ticketed wording and the document wording for that person. This article does not establish how Delta handles every correction case, a legal name change or a cash-ticket request. It supplies no cancellation, exception or replacement-price promise.

  3. After the award is issued

    Check the passenger and flight details on the ticket confirmation against the information that was agreed. Retain the confirmation and the account transaction so an enquiry can identify the actual redemption. If something is wrong, report the specific mismatch promptly through the appropriate airline channel instead of assuming a profile edit or another person's account update has changed the ticket.

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