Since Delta Air Traces eradicated its award charts in 2015, the SkyMiles program has turn into notably extra unpredictable and, at occasions, outrageously costly. With business-class flights on long-haul routes usually priced at over 450,000 SkyMiles, it is comprehensible to really feel like your SkyMiles stability holds little worth.
However you probably have a stockpile of Delta miles, they’re removed from nugatory. Wonderful redemptions are nonetheless obtainable, notably through the service’s award gross sales.
So let’s discover some methods for maximizing the worth of your Delta SkyMiles.
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Redeem SkyMiles on Delta flights
You should use your Delta SkyMiles to e book Delta, Delta Connection and Delta Shuttle flights. Since Delta makes use of dynamic pricing, award charges can fluctuate considerably. For instance, one-way fundamental economic system award charges from Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL) vary between 16,500 and 26,000 miles in July and August.
Regardless that summer season journey skews award costs over these dates, important value volatility is regular. Flexibility is necessary if you wish to maximize your SkyMiles.
Taxes and charges are usually cheap on Delta tickets. Count on to pay $6 per particular person in taxes and charges on most home and worldwide tickets departing the U.S. Nonetheless, Delta provides carrier-imposed surcharges on many awards outdoors the U.S., most notably these originating in Europe.
Preserve a watch out for SkyMiles offers
An excellent possibility for redeeming Delta miles is profiting from SkyMiles offers. These offers usually apply to particular metropolis pairs, so it might be essential to e book positioning flights to totally maximize these promotions.
Delta has beforehand supplied a flash sale with round-trip flights for simply 5,000 SkyMiles. The airline additionally lately supplied flights from Atlanta to the Caribbean and Mexico beginning at 14,400 Delta SkyMiles round-trip.
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You probably have no quick use to your SkyMiles, chances are you’ll be finest off saving them for the following huge SkyMiles deal. Simply you should definitely keep watch over Delta’s SkyMiles offers web page.
Save not less than 15% with choose Delta bank cards
You probably have an eligible Delta bank card, it can save you 15% on Delta-operated award flights if you use your miles and pay the taxes and charges with the cardboard. This is usually a nice possibility to cut back the worth you pay on Delta award tickets — and a serious motive to open (and maintain) a Delta card in your pockets.
Learn extra: Finest Delta bank cards
Rebook when costs drop (or cancel when your plans change)
For flights booked with Delta SkyMiles, so long as your flight is cancellation-eligible, you’ll be able to reprice your flight. The distinction in miles can be redeposited into your account with no payment.
You possibly can cancel your award flight for fundamental economic system reservations, however you could pay an related mileage payment. For these flights, Delta will deduct 9,900 miles for home journey inside the U.S. and Canada and 19,900 miles for worldwide journey. This payment is deducted from the worth of your ticket, after which any remaining miles can be redeposited again into your SkyMiles account.
Associated: Airways that give you a credit score if the worth of airfare drops
Redeem Delta SkyMiles on accomplice flights
Delta is a member of the SkyTeam alliance and has eight nonalliance airline companions. This provides you extra flexibility to redeem your SkyMiles on numerous airways and routes throughout the globe. Right here is the entire record of Delta’s airline companions:
SkyTeam companions
- Aerolinas Argentinas
- Aeromexico
- Air Europa
- Air France
- China Airways
- China Japanese Airways
- Garuda Indonesia
- ITA Airways
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- Center East Airways
- Saudia
- Scandinavian Airways
- TAROM
- Vietnam Airways
- Virgin Atlantic
- Xiamen Airways
Nonalliance companions
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Cape Air
- China Southern Airways
- Hawaiian Airways
- LATAM
- Mandarin Airways
- Shanghai Airways
- WestJet
No on-line award charts exist, so you could search route by route for costs. For partner-operated flights that do not contact the US, nice offers will be discovered.
For instance, in September and October, flights from Tokyo’s Narita Worldwide Airport (NRT) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) can be found every day for 40,000 SkyMiles in enterprise class.
These are operated by Vietnam Airways through Ho Chi Minh Metropolis’s Tan Son Nhat Worldwide Airport (SGN) or Noi Bai Worldwide Airport (HAN) in Hanoi, and with solely $27 in charges and taxes payable, are glorious redemption choices to your SkyMiles.
In case you’re flying from Asia to Europe, particularly Taiwan Taoyuan Worldwide Airport (TPE) to Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG), you may snag this nonstop China Airways flight at simply 80,000 SkyMiles plus solely $15 in taxes and charges for round 15 hours in long-haul enterprise class.
Alternatively, flying from Dubai Worldwide Airport (DXB) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in enterprise class on Air France usually prices round 42,500 miles plus round $34 in taxes and charges.
Delta can improve these charges at any time and has performed so on a number of events. To acquire the present award value, you have to to contact Delta straight or search the web site.
Whereas Delta has tried to enhance its web site to show accomplice awards, it might nonetheless have limitations, notably when reserving mixed-cabin itineraries. The web site usually prioritizes Delta-operated flights, which will not be superb you probably have particular flight necessities. We suggest trying to find flights section by section and being ready to name Delta if the web site would not provide the specified journey choices.
Associated: One of the best web sites for looking SkyTeam award availability
Redeem Delta SkyMiles for upgrades
In case you redeem your miles for an improve utilizing this methodology, you will usually get a worth of round 1 cent per mile, which is decrease than our February 2025 valuation of 1.2 cents per mile. This may very well be a viable possibility you probably have a surplus of SkyMiles and no quick plans to make use of them. Nonetheless, we usually suggest prioritizing award flight redemptions.
You may as well use Delta miles to improve particular flights operated by Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic or Aeromexico. This selection is topic to fare-class necessities and is out there solely on choose routes every accomplice operates. Please check with Delta’s “Improve with Miles” web page for extra particulars.
You may additionally wish to be sure there’s improve stock obtainable.
Associated: All the ideas and tips it’s worthwhile to use Delta improve certificates
Redeem Delta SkyMiles for Delta Holidays
You may often receive a worth of 1.15 cents per mile if you use your miles to cowl a Delta Holidays bundle.
For instance, you may e book a seven-day lodging on the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Seaside Resort in Hawaii for $2,814 or redeem 244,530 SkyMiles, a redemption worth of precisely 1.15 cents per mile. That is barely lower than our February 2025 valuation, however it isn’t a foul redemption.
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How one can earn Delta SkyMiles
You may must have SkyMiles to make the most of the redemptions talked about above. Thankfully, there are a number of methods to extend your stability. One of many easiest methods to earn Delta miles is by utilizing Delta’s cobranded American Specific playing cards. Listed here are a number of the present welcome presents obtainable for these playing cards:
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Specific Card: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases inside the first six months of card membership.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Specific Card: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Specific Card: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership.
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold Enterprise American Specific Card: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in your new card within the first six months of card membership.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Enterprise American Specific Card: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $8,000 within the first six months of card membership.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Enterprise American Specific Card: Earn 110,000 bonus miles after spending $12,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership.
Keep in mind that all of those playing cards embrace entry to the TakeOff 15 profit, which is able to prevent 15% on Delta-operated award flights.
You may as well switch American Specific Membership Rewards factors to Delta at a 1:1 ratio. You possibly can earn these transferable rewards on the American Specific® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Specific. Nonetheless, you will be topic to an excise tax offset payment.
Moreover, Marriott Bonvoy factors switch to Delta SkyMiles at a 3:1 ratio.
Backside line
Though the worth of Delta SkyMiles has decreased in recent times, there are nonetheless glorious offers to be discovered.
Whereas this system has been transferring towards a redemption worth of 1 cent per mile, you’ll be able to nonetheless surpass that, particularly with SkyMiles offers and partner-operated flights outdoors the US.
