Delta's Discounting Business-Class Awards to Europe
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
If you have some SkyMiles to burn and you're looking to fly from the US to Europe between June 3 and October 29, 2016, you're in luck! Through next Thursday, April 21, you can book round-trip Delta One (business class) awards from several US cities to a handful of European destinations from just 105,000 miles round-trip (flights from the West Coast are 115,000 miles), plus taxes and fees.
Note that while this award typically requires 125,000 (or many more) miles, it's not uncommon for airlines to deeply discount paid (and award) business-class fares for summer travel to Europe, as business travel tends to tip during that time.
Delta offers lie-flat seats on all of its Delta One flights, and while the airline's loyalty program isn't the most rewarding, it's hard to beat the product and service. You'll also get decent in-flight meals, noise-canceling headphones and a pretty spiffy Tumi amenity kit. 105,000 SkyMiles is definitely hard to beat.
A list on Delta's promo page implies that this offer is only available on certain routes, as you can see above, but you should be able to find 105,000-mile round-trip flights between other cities as well.
Take this JFK-LHR round-trip, for example:
Or this round-trip flight between Seattle and London:
Need More Delta Miles?
If you're short a few Delta miles, you fortunately have a few options. Your first pick would probably be to transfer Amex Membership Rewards points, which should appear in your SkyMiles account instantly. Alternatively, you can transfer points from Starwood Preferred Guest (20,000 points gets you 25,000 miles) — in our experience, transfers from SPG to Delta take a bit over 24 hours to complete, which should give you enough time to receive your miles and book before April 21.
If you're looking to boost your Membership Rewards balance after a transfer, consider adding the Amex Premier Rewards Gold card, which is currently offering a bonus of 25,000 points after you spend $2,000 in the first three months (you may receive a larger offer via the CardMatch Tool). Or, if you're looking for more Starpoints, consider the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express, which will net you 25,000 points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months.
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