For the last few years, Delta Air Lines passengers who wanted to book rental cars through Turo had a small but meaningful reason to get excited: earning Delta SkyMiles just for using the car-sharing platform. That convenience is ending.

As the year wraps up, so does the collaboration of Delta and Turo, marking a notable shift for travellers who have built this service into their mileage-earning routines. If you use Turo for your rental needs or you have been taking advantage of Delta's bonus miles, now is the time to know what the split means and how it could potentially shape your travel planning going forward.

Why Delta and Turo are breaking up

All the way back in 2022, Delta Air Lines made a rather forward-thinking move when it partnered with Turo. In that deal, SkyMiles members found a new way to build out their mileage balance beyond traditional flights, hotels, and credit card spending: rent cars listed by private hosts on Turo and earn miles in the process.

But three years later, that partnership is coming to an end. December 31, 2025, marks the official expiration date of that partnership with that, the earning of Delta SkyMiles through Turo rentals.

What has not been publicly disclosed is why the partnership is terminating. Both decline to disclose details, but observers say changing loyalty strategies, shifting patterns of travel and more competition among car-rental partners are all likely to be contributing factors in the split.

For whatever reason, SkyMiles members have a countdown to consider

Important Dates: When SkyMiles Earning Stops

If you are renting on Turo with any regularity, that timeline matters-and it's arguably a bit confusing. So here's a clear breakdown to help you plan any remaining trips:

Miles earning:

• Final day to earn:

The last day rentals on Turo will qualify for Delta SkyMiles is December 31, 2025.

• Bookings made on or before July 1, 2025:

If you booked on or before that date, then it may still be possible to collect miles, as long as you finish your travel by the originally scheduled end date.

• Bookings Made After July 1, 2025:

These reservations must be completed by December 31, 2025, to qualify for SkyMiles accrual.

After that, it stops earning completely, even in the case when the trip began earlier or was planned well in advance.

This final phase-out gives travellers a shrinking window in which to take advantage of the earning structure that has been in place for almost three years.

How Many Miles You Can Still Earn until December 31

Until now, with the Delta–Turo system, SkyMiles members could earn miles in two tiers:

• 2,000 bonus miles for the first completed Turo trip
• 500 miles for each eligible trip thereafter

It was a simple, flat-earning model that made Turo one of the more appealing ways to top up SkyMiles balances without needing to change travel habits.

If you have a reservation on Turo before the partnership actually expires, be sure your accounts are linked so the system can track and deposit your miles. The linking portal between Delta and Turo will remain available through the final eligible rental period.

What is Turo, and why is it so popular?

Now that the partnership is coming to a close, it's interesting to revisit why Turo rose so quickly within the travel world.

Turo is a peer-to-peer car-sharing service. Instead of going directly with a rental agency to book in some generic category of car, travelers can browse real vehicles listed by their individual owners. This often translates into more choices, better pricing, and a far more personalized rental experience.

Key reasons travelers love Turo:

• Variety of vehicles available for rent: From economical sedans to high-class SUVs and rare classic cars, just about anything is available for rent.
• Transparent selection: You select the exact model you'll be driving; no surprise substitutions.
• Competitive pricing: Turo always has much better prices compared to traditional rental companies, especially in peak travel seasons.
• Flexible locations: The cars can be delivered to airports, hotels, neighborhoods, or even at your house.

Not every traditional rental agency can always offer this level of convenience or customization, and this is one of the major reasons Turo has been able to carve out such a large share of the rental car market.

Cost Factor: Insurance and Credit Card Coverage

While Turo's prices can at times be very appealing, there is one critical cost consideration for travelers: insurance.

Turo sells a number of optional insurance packages that can really add to the final bill. Many travelers assume their credit card rental insurance will cover a Turo vehicle, but that's rarely the case: Most premium travel credit cards-even those with strong primary rental coverage-do not extend their policies to peer-to-peer car-sharing platforms.

This makes insurance options through Turo highly necessary, although expensive at times.

For many travelers, this lack of seamless insurance is one reason they still prefer traditional rental companies despite the flexibility and selection that Turo offers. Whether that factored into Delta's decision to end the partnership isn't known, but the insurance landscape has long been a sticking point in the car-sharing industry.

How This Change Affects Delta Customers Going Forward

All told, the Delta-Turo partnership wasn't the most generous mileage-earning opportunity, though it had very easy, automatic value. If you fly Delta with any regularity and can use Turo for ground transportation, the split takes away one easy avenue of collecting bonus miles.

There are a number of ways the travelers will now have to adapt:

1. The mileage earning becomes more limited.

Unless another partner comes along, rentals via Turo will no longer contribute to Delta SkyMiles balances.

2. Travel plans may, therefore, shift to companies that do have airline partnerships.

Such highly valued customers, seeking to maximize their reward miles, may jump ship to competitors such as United Airlines, still a partner for Turo.

3. For some travelers, this also means going back to classic car rental companies, as earning loyalty points is a big influence when making their bookings.

4. Delta may announce new partnerships in car-rental or travel-adjacent spaces that best align with evolving customer behavior.

This may be nothing more than part of a broader evolution in how Delta structures partner earning opportunities, as their loyalty programme is arguably one of the most robust in the US market.

Alternatives to earning Delta SkyMiles without Turo

With Turo no longer an option starting in 2026, there are still many other ways for travelers to efficiently earn SkyMiles:

• Flying Delta or partner airlines
• Using Delta SkyMiles-earning credit cards
• Book Hotels through Delta's Partner Networks
• Shopping through the SkyMiles Shopping portal
• Dining through SkyMiles Dining
• SCHEMA: Utilization of special offers, limited-time promotions, and partnerships.

If topping up your SkyMiles balance is important to you, these alternative channels can replace the small, steady stream of bonus miles that Turo once provided.

Final Thoughts

Delta and Turo's dissolution of their partnership marks the end of an easy travel perk but also reflects how fast loyalty programmes change. The partnership offered SkyMiles members an easy, low-effort way to rack up miles simply by renting a car they were likely to need anyway.

While this departure is unfortunate news for travellers enjoying the additional benefit, it doesn't have to ruin upcoming trips, either. If you have any Turo rentals booked before December 31, 2025, make sure your Delta and Turo accounts are linked so you can continue collecting your remaining miles.

With travel loyalty programmes in constant evolution, keeping an eye on new partnerships - and keeping flexible in your booking choices - will help you maintain strong mileage-earning power long after this collaboration ends.