Boarding a flight may not be as easy as it sounds. You can’t just receive your boarding pass, reach your airplane, and get on it. There are several passengers other than you in the line waiting to board their aircraft. Hence, you need to wait until it’s your turn. Just like every other airline, there are Delta Airlines Boarding zones that divide this passenger traffic for smooth mounting.
This quick read will give you an overview of the different boarding zones, how they function, and how you can gain access to priority boarding.
The Hierarchy Of Boarding On Delta Airlines Flight
The following table comprehensively shows how the Delta Airlines boarding zones function. Look for the criteria given in the table and see which zone you are qualified for.
| Delta Airlines Boarding Zones | Eligible Passengers |
| Pre-Boarding | Passengers needing special assistance or enough time to board Active U.S. Military officers holding ID Delta 360° members |
| Zone 1 | Delta One and First class passengers |
| Zone 2 | Diamond Medallion members Delta Premium Select members |
| Early Access | Passengers carrying strollers or car seats |
| Zone 3 | Delta Comfort + members |
| Zone 4 | Platinum Medallion members Gold Medallion members Flying Blue Platinum and Gold members Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members LATAM Pass Black Signature, Black, and Platinum Elite members Sky Team Elite Plus members WestJet Rewards Platinum and Gold Elite members |
| Zone 5 | Silver Medallion Members Passengers Holding Cards: Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card Flying Blue Silver members Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Silver members LATAM Pass Gold+ Elite members Sky Team Elite members WestJet Rewards Silver Elite members |
| Zone 6 | Main Cabin passengers |
| Zone 7 | Main Cabin passengers |
| Zone 8 | Basic economy passengers |
Become The First To Board Your Delta Flight
Did you find yourself standing at the bottom of the hierarchy? You can turn your situation upside down with the help of some useful tricks. You may not reach up the pre-boarding zone unless you somehow show yourself as a special case. However, you can acquire some levels up the grid by using the following methods.
Tip 1: Own A Delta Credit
Are you a member of Delta’s SkyMiles loyalty program?
Do you own any of the following credit cards:
- Delta Gold and Gold Business Card
- Delta Platinum and Platinum Business Card
- Delta Reserve and Reserve Business Card
Congrats! You have unlocked the Zone 5 priority boarding.
Tip 2: Become An Elite Passenger
As you have heard, there is no shortcut to anything you want. If you want priority boarding, you have to earn it.
You can get an idea from the table you observed at the beginning of this manual about what qualifies you for boarding first with Delta Airlines. As you can see, Zone 2 is accessible to the Diamond Medallion and Delta Premium Select members. You can also reach this level and unlock the higher zones by joining the Delta SkyMiles loyalty program, traveling often with the airlines, and collecting points.
| Name of the Tier | Dollars needed to qualify for the tier |
| Silver Medallion | 6,000 USD |
| Gold Medallion | 12,000 USD |
| Platinum Medallion | 18,000 USD |
| Diamond Medallion | 35,000 USD |
Quick Facts About Delta Boarding Process
Time to gather some interesting information about the Delta Airlines boarding process and how it has changed over time.
- Delta Airlines used to have branded boarding. It recently updated the process in May 2024, transitioning to zone-based boarding that consists of 8 zones.
- Delta 360 members now board their flights even before the most premium cabin members.
This wraps up the Delta Airlines Boarding zones guide. Now that you understand how Delta Airlines boarding functions, you can patiently go through the process. Hopefully, you got useful insights and updates on the airline’s boarding process. You are ready to get on your flight.
Passenger’s Doubts
You have to spend $35,000 on your flight that qualifies for the Diamond Medallion tier to unlock this level.
There are 8 zones in the Delta boarding process.
Passengers flying in First class or those with Delta One membership board their Delta flight through Zone 1.
Owning Delta Gold, Platinum, Reserved, and Business credit cards or earning an elite status can get you priority boarding with Delta Airlines.
Yes, the previous boarding process of Delta Airlines was based on elite status. The new boarding process is divided into 8 boarding zones.
Becoming a Delta Comfort + member will unlock the Delta Boarding Zone 3 for you.
The Delta SkyMiles program has 4 tiers: Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion, and Diamond Medallion.
Passengers traveling in Basic economy class board last on their Delta Airlines flight.
