Delta Air Lines supported veterans, active service members and their families by matching customer-donated miles in November to Fisher House Foundation’s Hero Miles program and Luke’s Wings. For the third consecutive year, the airline matched mileage donations up to 10 million miles.
SkyWish, the charitable arm of Delta’s SkyMiles program, enables Delta customers and SkyMiles members to donate miles to 30 vetted charitable organizations worldwide, helping connect people and resources where they are most needed.
“Delta is proud to partner with our customers to give back to the men and women who have sacrificed so much for others,” said Tad Hutcheson, managing director, community affairs, Delta Air Lines. “Through this partnership, we are able to aid in the healing process, reuniting injured veterans and service members with their loved ones.”
Fisher House Foundation’s Hero Miles program and Luke’s Wings use donated miles to provide air travel for wounded, injured, or ill service members and veterans, as well as their families. These miles make it possible for military members undergoing treatment to be reunited with loved ones for support during recovery.
In 2015, Delta collected 27.5 million donated miles—nearly 6 million more than the previous year. Of that total, Fisher House Foundation received 20.6 million miles and Luke’s Wings received 6.9 million.
Fisher House offers free lodging so families can stay close to loved ones receiving treatment at military or VA medical centers. Luke’s Wings uses donated miles to cover travel costs for families during hospital stays, booking many flights to connect relatives with patients. Since 2008, Luke’s Wings has used donated miles for roughly one-third of its flights, supporting quick-turnaround travel for emergency procedures, routine travel between medical centers, international and domestic flights, and travel for families of wounded warriors and veterans in hospice care.
By matching miles through SkyWish, Delta and its customers help reduce the financial and logistical burdens faced by military families during medical crises, ensuring veterans and service members receive essential emotional support from those who care about them.