Delta's free checked wine perk starts October 6, letting SkyMiles members bring a case of wine home from Northern California without paying a bag fee. It's aimed squarely at wine country visitors, who've long had to choose between pricey winery shipping and wrapping a few bottles in clothes and hoping for the best.
Where It Works
The perk covers Delta and Delta Connection flights within the United States that depart from five Northern California airports: San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose in the Bay Area, plus Sacramento and Sonoma County. Sonoma's airport sits right in wine country, and the other four are a drive away from Napa and Sonoma.
The Rules
You need to be at least 21 and a member of SkyMiles, Delta's free loyalty program. You don't need elite status or a Delta credit card to qualify.
The case can hold up to 12 standard 750 ml bottles and weigh up to 50 pounds. It also has to fit Delta's normal size limit for checked bags, which is 62 inches when you add the length, width and height together. Bottles need to be packed in a proper wine shipping box or travel case, and you present it at the Delta ticket counter for inspection before it's checked. At the other end, it comes out at baggage claim with everything else.
Starts October 6
Where Delta Checks Your Wine for Free
Free on Delta and Delta Connection flights within the US. Wine must be packed in a proper shipping box or travel case and inspected at the ticket counter.
Contrail
The free allowance only covers the wine. Your regular bags still cost what they normally would, and wine travels as a fragile item, so packing it well is up to you.
How It Compares
Delta isn't the first airline to do this. Alaska Airlines has run a similar free wine program from West Coast airports for years, and Southwest launched its own version in April alongside its new Sonoma County flights. For travelers who already fly Delta home, though, this removes one more reason to book another airline just to bring back a case.
