SkyMiles Members can now use the Fly Delta app to​​​ purchase a seat upgrade using miles instead of cash. The new app functionality comes on the heels of overwhelmingly positive customer feedback to Delta launching the post-purchase upgrade payment option on Delta.com in December.

Since launching on Delta.com, more than 60,000 Members have chosen to purchase upgrades using miles after buying their ticket.

"Our customers rave about the Fly Delta app because it's intuitive and a constant companion to manage their travel experience," said Rhonda Crawford, Vice President – Global Distribution & Digital Strategy. "Expanding the flexibility to use miles for upgrade purchases to the much-loved app experience is yet another way Delta is giving customers more options at their fingertips."

The flexible option, made possible by Delta's ongoing digital investments, gives Members traveling for business or leisure the ability to use their personal miles via the Fl​y Delta app or Delta.com to upgrade their experience whenever they fly — and miles can be used to upgrade a single leg or multiple legs of a journey. Using miles for upgrades after booking builds on the functionality Delta pioneered with post-purchase upgrades in 2017 that allows customers to buy a premium seat online using either the same or a different method of payment from the one they used to buy their ticket.

Delta's latest app release also brings the "Where's My Plane" feature to the boarding pass in Today mode, making it easier for customers to view the status and track available in-bound aircraft.

Read more:Five ways the Fly Delta app makes travel easier

​Here's how buying seat upgrades with miles works on​​​​ Fly Delta after a ticket has been purchased:

A customer can log in to the Fly Delta app or Delta.com to buy Delta Comfort+, First Class, Delta Premium Select, or Delta One as an add-on, or ancillary purchase, as available – regardless of where or how the original ticket was purchased. The customer can select a premium seat on any individual segment of their journey, or the entire trip, and use miles or a different method of payment for the transaction. Only flight segments operated by Delta are eligible for purchasing upgrades after booking a ticket, subject to availability.

Fly Delta app guide to upgrading with miles post purchase:

1. Log in to the Fly Delta App
2. Click “My Trips”
3. Select the trip you would like to upgrade your seat
4. Click “Seat Selection” to load the seat map
5. Available premium seats will show within the seat map with a price of cash or miles
6. Member can then select to confirm the seat of their choice and complete the purchase

Delta already offers customers the option to upgrade using miles or cash during the booking process, based on availability. 

With more customers than ever earning miles in everyday activities other than flying, like using their Delta SkyMiles American Express Credit Card, grabbing a Lyft or staying at an Airbnb, even Members with lower balances will find their miles more valuable as the global airline expands the ability to use them.

This latest customer offering is part of the innovative investments Delta is making in its SkyMiles program, which was recently named a Best Travel Rewards program by U.S. News & World Report. Industry-leading partnerships with brands like Lyft and Airbnb allow customers to engage with Delta by earning miles for everyday activities, while the award-winning Delta Sky Club experience continues to be a reason Members choose to fly Delta.​​