If you recently applied for a Delta Amex or simply have a lot of SkyMiles in your account, you may be wondering how to redeem them. Below, TPG Points & Miles Editor Sarah Silbert shares some lesser-known international routes worth considering.
To help you get started on thinking about ways to put your SkyMiles to use, I'll highlight several interesting Delta routes to consider — all of which take you abroad to awesome destinations.
1. Newark to Amsterdam (EWR-AMS)
From canals to iconic buildings to stroopwafels, what's not to love about the capital of the Netherlands? Delta flies nonstop to Amsterdam from Newark daily (in addition to its hub at JFK), making it an easy trip for New Yorkers in search of a European getaway. The carrier no longer publishes its award charts, but several searches reveal award prices as low as 85,000 miles round-trip in economy or 160,000 in Delta One for travel in August, giving you a redemption rate of about 1 cent for economy flights pricing out at $907. You'll find awards for as little as 60,000 miles round-trip in economy for dates in the fall, with out-of-pocket costs going for about $900-$1,000. Delta operates this route with its 767-300 aircraft.
2. Boston to Bermuda (BOS-BDA)
Bermuda is about a two-hour flight from Boston, and it's well worth the quick hop thanks to beautiful hotels, pristine beaches and very friendly locals. Delta flies nonstop from Logan International Airport to Hamilton, Bermuda daily on its Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
A round-trip in economy will cost you as little as 35,000 SkyMiles, so you can easily get a free flight with one of the credit card welcome bonuses mentioned above. First-class awards go for 60,000 miles and up, though considering the short duration of the journey it could be worth saving your extra miles for a longer trip in a premium cabin. Either way, redeeming miles on this route could be an especially good option in the summer, when cash rates go as high as $747 round-trip.
3. Portland, Oregon to Tokyo (PDX-NRT)
Delta offers daily nonstop service between this city in the Northwest and Tokyo's Narita airport using its Boeing 767-300 aircraft. For travel in July, round-trip economy awards start at 140,000 miles, though you'll find Delta One (business-class) tickets for as little as 160,000 miles. This works out to a redemption rate of 1.3 cents per mile for economy when airfare costs $1,804, a typical summer price. It could definitely be worth redeeming more miles for a premium cabin since it's a 10.5-hour journey.
4. Raleigh to Paris (RDU-CDG)
Travelers based in Raleigh, North Carolina will appreciate that the carrier offers daily nonstop flights to the City of Light, operated on Delta's 757-200. For summer travel, economy round-trips start at 75,000 miles and Delta One round-trips start at 142,500 (equaling an economy redemption rate of 1.8 cents per mile for $1,339 airfare), while you'll find awards as low as 60,000 miles in the main cabin and 125,000 miles in first later in the fall.
5. New Orleans to Cancun (MSY-CUN)
Delta offers once-weekly nonstop flights between New Orleans and Cancun on Saturdays on its Airbus A319 aircraft. Round-trip economy awards in the summer go for 30,000 miles, while business class will set you back at least 60,000 miles. Just make sure you check cash rates before booking with miles, since it could be worth booking some of the cheaper, sub-$400 round-trips with cash rather than miles.
What are your favorite international Delta routes?
