There isn't much good news out there in the loyalty program world, so it's important to stop and take note. Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeromexico and LATAM are three Latin American airline partners that Delta Air Lines quietly raised the earning rates for SkyMiles on their flights. The changes go into effect September 10, 2026 and for frequent fliers on the carriers, the impact is enough to factor into your business travel routing decisions and airline program choice.

It's not a complete revamp of Delta SkyMiles overall: Earnings on Delta's own flights stay the same, and the upgrades don't apply to all SkyTeam flying partners. However, when you're someone who frequently flies to Argentina, Mexico or anywhere else in South America that has a LATAM connection, here are some enhancements to understand.

Aerolineas Argentinas Improvements across the Board

Aerolíneas Argentinas is a member of SkyTeam and the enhancements to the earning of SkyMiles through the airline's flights are the most extensive of the three. All main cabin classes are raised on flights from and from September 10, 2026.

Fare class J, C, D and I business travelers will get 125% of miles they fly, up from 100% before. The previous economy airfare classes (W and S) were between 50% to 100% of the airfare, but the new economy airfare class is now 125% and it is higher than some passengers were able to get in the old days. The economy class improvements apply to the lower end of the booking ladder, growing from a 50–75% range to a flat 100% discount, while the more significant reductions on the lower end of the range see less dramatic but still positive improvements.

This is a true win for premium cabin passengers of Aerolíneas Argentinas who in particular now have the opportunity to save money. The 125% rate for business class puts the earning of SkyMiles on this partner ahead of some other programs in earning on similar flights.

Aeromexico: The Structural Change that needs to be Understood

The update from Aeromexico is not just about the rates, it's also about a considerable structural change the way earning is calculated has changed. In the past, SkyMiles accrued on Aeromexico flights were based upon ticket price, meaning that fewer miles were awarded for a cheaper ticket, irrespective of distance traveled. That system has since been superseded by a "distance" system, in which the miles logged are a percentage of the miles flown.

This is especially welcome news for those traveling with Aeromexico at the lower end of their travel budget. With the old revenue model, one might have gotten a very small number of SkyMiles even if the ticket was a very low fare, on a long flight. The new distance-based structure still considers fare class but the miles earned are based on what you actually traveled.

The new Aeromexico earning rates, by fare class:

• Business (J): 40% Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) are earned for 200% of miles flown
• Discounted business (C, D, I): 200% of miles flown, 30% MQDs
• Full economy (W, Y): 125% of miles flown, 20% MQDs
• Economy (B, M, U and H, K): 100% of miles flown, 15% and 10% MQDs respectively
• Economy (Q, L, T): 100% of miles flown, 10% MQds
• Economy (E, N, R): 55% of miles flown, 5% MQDs
• Deeply discounted economy (V): 25% of miles flown, 5% MQDs

The Medallion Mileage Bonuses are applicable to Aeromexico's fare classes; this is significant for those who qualify for Medallion elite status, and receive earning multipliers on top of base rates. Those on Delta stock (those with prefix "006") before September 10 will continue to accrue benefits as if they were flying on Delta.

LATAM: Modest yet Real Improvement

Delta has a 10 percent stake in LATAM Airlines, South America's biggest airline, and the two airlines are involved in a joint venture. Unlike other major airlines, LATAM has no affiliation with SkyTeam or other major alliances, and its biggest ties to U.S. frequent flyer programs come from the Delta partnership.

The LATAM change is more surgical compared to the other two carriers. Three fare classes (D, I and Z) have been reclassified from “discounted business” to “business” where the earning rate has been changed from 150% of miles flown to 200%. Those flights also count towards 30% of MQDs and towards Delta elite status for Medallion Mileage Bonuses.

If you're a traveler who oftentimes books LATAM business class in those designated fare classes, the bump from 150% to 200% is really more of a 33% bump in miles for every flight booked. This can mount up pretty fast over the year as you travel around South America.

Why This Matters for Your Loyalty Strategy

Enhancing partner earning rates is an exercise that warrants a review of partner assignment, which program to book your LAT flights to and which booking classes to look for when booking.

The switch to the new earn-by-distance model eliminates the incentive to pay more, in order to earn more miles, specifically for Aeromexico flights. Since the changes, if you were just looking for better in Sky Miles, that's no longer the case the new model factors in distance, not fare class, with the exception of the very deepest economy tiers.

With the enhancement of business class and premium economy fares, Aerolineas Argentinas' SkyMiles is a more attractive option compared to other programs you may be able to assign those flights to. It's always a good idea to make comparisons to other alliance programs or SkyTeam partners earning rates, and the new SkyTeam 125% business class rate is a great standard to use.

Once you've Earned These Miles, How do you use them?

The value of SkyMiles accumulations depends on what you can do with the miles. Over the years, the program has been greatly changed: Delta's redemption value now fluctuates wildly based on route, date, and availability, with dynamic award pricing. Delta's Pay With Miles option assures a minimum value of one cent per mile for any Delta ticket to any leisure traveler with a flexible itinerary. Alternate options such as carrier partners like Air France, KLM, Korean Air and Virgin Atlantic offer travelers who are willing to keep looking for the best redemption opportunities a more worthwhile per-mile redemption value, especially for those seeking to fly in higher cabins on competitive routes.

The changes in partner earning rates for Latin American carriers makes it more efficient to earn SkyMiles through them and thus more attainable for regular flyers of Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeromexico and LATAM to make their aspirations a reality.

The Bottom Line

As of September 10, 2026, Delta SkyMiles' earning rates have been enhanced for paid travel on three Latin American partners. Aerolíneas Argentinas' earnings are up in all categories with business and premium earning 125% of miles flown. Aeromexico will change its revenue-based to distance-based earning policy, favoring all travelers, especially those who travel on economy fares, which tended to generate few miles on long-haul flights. 

The change for LATAM is narrower and three business fare classes are moved from 150% earning to 200% earning. Combined, these changes create a more impactful SkyMiles program for frequent flyers to and within Latin America and should be considered in how you credit flights with these three airlines from now on.