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Reduced Delta Awards to London for 45,000 Miles Round-Trip

Jan. 11, 2016
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3 min read
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Reduced Delta Awards to London for 45,000 Miles Round-Trip
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As you may have gathered from all the recent flight deals, airlines have plenty of open seats to fill on winter flights to Europe. While it's certainly a bit chillier than during peak season, winter can be a great time to cross the pond as well.

To help keep planes full while also reducing the number of outstanding miles, airlines often offer discounted award flights — American has several off-peak periods when awards cost just 40,000 miles round-trip (though there will be fewer after March 22), and United ran its own limited-time Europe award sale, with flights priced at 45,000 miles round-trip. Now, Delta is offering discounted awards of its own, with round-trip flights to Europe running just 45,000 miles — an especially good deal, considering you may struggle to find a domestic round-trip on Delta for that rate.

Delta's discounted awards to London.

To take advantage of Delta's current award sale, you must book by January 18 — one week from today — for travel between February 1 and March 24, 2016. Delta's requiring a Saturday night stay, and some blackout dates apply.

JFK to London for 45,000 miles + $187 on Delta.

Keep in mind that you'll also need to pay relatively steep taxes and fees. In the example above, a round-trip award comes along with $187 in fees.

JFK to London for $814 on Delta.

Meanwhile, a paid fare on the same flight will run you $814 round-trip, plus you'll earn 6,904 MQMs and $587 MQDs, in addition to 2,935 award miles (before elite bonuses). With these specific flights, you'll be saving $627 by redeeming 45,000 miles, giving you a value of 1.39 cents per mile. TPG values Delta miles at 1.2 cents apiece, so on the surface that's not a terrible deal, though you can get much more value out of your miles with partner redemptions. If you have a lot of miles to burn, this could be a worthwhile redemption.

Thanks to TPG reader Leigh R., who shared this news tip by emailing tpgtips@thepointsguy.com. We’ll be sending out a $200 Visa gift card as a token of our appreciation.

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Will you be taking advantage of Delta's award sale to London?

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  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.