Since Delta Air Lines discontinued its award charts in 2015, the SkyMiles program has become increasingly unpredictable and, at times, excessively costly. With long-haul business-class flights often exceeding 450,000 SkyMiles, it’s easy to feel that your SkyMiles balance has lost its worth.
However, if you possess a collection of Delta miles, don’t underestimate their value. There are still fantastic redemption opportunities, especially during the airline’s award sales.
Let’s take a look at some strategies for making the most of your Delta SkyMiles.
Related: Understanding Delta Medallion status and how to earn it
Redeeming SkyMiles on Delta Flights
You can utilize your Delta SkyMiles for booking Delta, Delta Connection, and Delta Shuttle flights. Due to Delta’s dynamic pricing model, award rates can fluctuate significantly. For instance, one-way basic economy awards from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) can range from 16,500 to 26,000 miles in July and August.
Even with summer travel trends affecting award pricing, considerable price variation is standard. Maintaining flexibility is key to maximizing your SkyMiles.
Expect to pay around $6 in taxes and fees per person on most domestic and international Delta tickets departing the U.S. However, for many awards outside the U.S., particularly those originating from Europe, Delta includes additional carrier-imposed surcharges.
Look Out for SkyMiles Promotions
One effective way to redeem Delta miles is by exploiting special SkyMiles deals, which often apply to specific routes. You may need to book positioning flights to take full advantage of these promotions.
For example, Delta has previously offered limited-time sales with round-trip flights for as low as 5,000 SkyMiles. Recently, flights from Atlanta to the Caribbean and Mexico started at 14,400 Delta SkyMiles round-trip.
If you’re not in a rush to use your SkyMiles, consider saving them for their next big promotional event. Don’t forget to frequently check Delta’s SkyMiles deals page.
Save 15% with Select Delta Credit Cards
If you have an eligible Delta credit card, you can enjoy a 15% discount on Delta-operated award flights when you redeem miles and pay taxes and fees with the card. This can be a great way to lower your costs on Delta award tickets and is an excellent reason to keep a Delta card in your wallet.
Explore more: Top Delta credit cards
Rebook When Prices Drop (Or Cancel When Plans Change)
If you book flights with Delta SkyMiles, you can reprice your flight as long as it’s cancellation-eligible. The difference in miles will be returned to your account without any fee.
Although you can cancel your basic economy award flight, it will incur a mileage fee. For domestic travel within the U.S. and Canada, Delta will deduct 9,900 miles, while international flights will deduct 19,900 miles. Remaining miles will be credited back to your SkyMiles account after this deduction.
Related: Airlines that refund you if airfare prices drop
Using Delta SkyMiles for Partner Flights
Delta is part of the SkyTeam alliance and has partnerships with eight additional non-alliance airlines. This arrangement offers you greater flexibility to redeem your SkyMiles across a variety of airlines and routes worldwide. Below is a complete list of Delta’s airline partners:
SkyTeam Partners:
- Aerolinas Argentinas
- Aeromexico
- Air Europa
- Air France
- China Airlines
- China Eastern Airlines
- Garuda Indonesia
- ITA Airways
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- Middle East Airlines
- Saudia
- Scandinavian Airlines
- TAROM
- Vietnam Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- Xiamen Airlines
Non-Alliances Partners:
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Cape Air
- China Southern Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- LATAM
- Mandarin Airlines
- Shanghai Airlines
- WestJet
As there are no online award charts, it is necessary to search route-by-route for pricing. Excellent deals can often be found for partner-operated flights that don’t involve the United States.
For instance, in September and October, flights from Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) are available daily for 40,000 SkyMiles in business class.
These flights are serviced by Vietnam Airlines via either Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) or Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) in Hanoi, with only $27 in taxes and fees, making them exceptional SkyMiles redemption options.
Utilizing Delta SkyMiles for Upgrades
SkyMiles can also be redeemed for upgrades to higher service classes. If you hold a confirmed Delta-marketed and operated flight, you have the option to pay cash or use miles to upgrade your flight through Delta’s website.
When redeeming Miles for upgrades, you can generally expect a value of around 1 cent per mile, lower than the current valuation of 1.2 cents per mile. This may be a feasible option if you have an excess of SkyMiles and lack immediate plans for them, but we generally advise prioritizing award flight redemptions instead.
You can also use Delta miles for upgrades on selected flights operated by Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, or Aeromexico, based on fare-class requirements and select routes. For more details, consult Delta’s “Upgrade with Miles” page. Make sure to check for upgrade inventory availability as well.
Redeem Delta SkyMiles for Vacation Packages
Using your SkyMiles for Delta Vacations packages generally yields a value of about 1.15 cents per mile. For instance, you could book a week-long stay at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort in Hawaii for $2,814 or redeem 244,530 SkyMiles, which gives you a redemption value of precisely 1.15 cents per mile. While this amount is slightly below the current valuation, it remains a decent redemption option.
How to Earn Delta SkyMiles
To make the most of these redemption options, you’ll need SkyMiles, and there are many ways to increase your balance. One of the easiest methods to earn Delta miles is by using Delta’s co-branded American Express cards. Here are some current welcome offers:
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in eligible purchases in the first first six months.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases in the first six months.
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on your new card in the first six months.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $8,000 within the first six months.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Earn 110,000 bonus miles after spending $12,000 in the first six months.
All of these cards come with the TakeOff 15 benefit, which grants you a 15% discount on Delta-operated award flights.
You can also transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Delta at a 1:1 ratio, allowing you to earn points via the American Express® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express. Please keep in mind that excise tax offset fees may apply.
Furthermore, Marriott Bonvoy points can be transferred to Delta SkyMiles at a 3:1 ratio.
Conclusion
Despite the decline in Delta SkyMiles value over the past few years, there are still significant deals available.
While the program seems to be trending towards a redemption value of 1 cent per mile, it’s still possible to achieve higher value, especially when taking advantage of SkyMiles deals and flights operated by partners outside the U.S.
