Delta, National Park Foundation partner on conservation push

<div class="key-facts"><h2>What travelers need to know</h2><ul> <li><strong>What happened:</strong> Delta Air Lines announced a new partnership with the National Park Foundation (NPF) aimed at giving customers and employees ways to support conservation of national parks.</li> <li><strong>Who's affected:</strong> Delta SkyMiles members, Delta customers and employees, and the National Park Foundation's conservation programs.</li> <li><strong>Where:</strong> U.S. national parks, including Grand Teton, Glacier, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Great Smoky Mountains, many within a three-hour drive of a Delta-served airport.</li> <li><strong>When:</strong> Mileage donations opened <time datetime="2026-09-23">September 23, 2026</time>; airport experiences are planned for later.</li> <li><strong>What to do:</strong> SkyMiles members can donate miles to the National Park Foundation now through Delta's SkyWish platform.</li> </ul></div> <p>Delta Air Lines said Wednesday it is partnering with the National Park Foundation to create new avenues for customers and employees to help protect the parks that draw them to travel in the first place. The airline framed the deal as a way to link its flight network directly to conservation work at some of the country's best-known outdoor destinations.</p> <p>Delta pointed out that many of the most visited national parks — Grand Teton, Glacier, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Great Smoky Mountains among them — sit within roughly a three-hour drive of an airport the carrier serves. The airline says that proximity positions it as a natural gateway for the more than 323 million visits national parks draw each year nationwide. Delta Vacations will also promote park-focused trip planning as part of the effort.</p> <h2>Mileage donations launch first, airport features to follow</h2> <p>The first concrete piece of the partnership is live now: Delta SkyMiles members can donate miles to support park conservation through the airline's SkyWish donation platform. The National Park Foundation says it will direct those contributions toward its broader mission of keeping parks protected and accessible. Delta said additional features are coming, including airport experiences and other engagement opportunities for travelers before, during and after their trips, though it has not detailed timing or specifics beyond describing them as forthcoming.</p> <p>Amelia DeLuca, Delta's chief sustainability officer, cast the arrangement as consistent with the airline's identity. "National parks are places that bring people together, spark a sense of wonder and create lasting connections to the earth around us," she said. "That spirit of connection is at the heart of Delta, and it's why this partnership feels so natural. We're proud to support the National Park Foundation and help ensure that sense of awe and wonder remains part of the experience for generations to come."</p> <h2>Foundation frames stewardship as a shared responsibility</h2> <p>Dawn Rodney, the National Park Foundation's chief external affairs officer, said the partnership is meant to turn visits into longer-term support. "National parks belong to all of us, and protecting them for the future requires all of us to play a role," Rodney said. "Our partnership with Delta creates an exciting opportunity to connect people with national parks through unforgettable experiences, inspiring park support and building a lasting sense of stewardship that ensures these places are cared for today and far into the future."</p> <p>For now, the tangible action available to travelers is the mileage donation option on SkyWish, open to any SkyMiles member who wants to redirect miles toward park conservation rather than travel rewards. Delta has not said how it will measure the partnership's impact or whether it plans a donation-matching program. Travelers curious about the promised airport experiences and other perks will need to watch for updates from Delta as the airline rolls out the next phase of the collaboration.</p>