You Can Now Redeem Your Delta SkyMiles to Fly by Private Jet
Do you have a couple million spare Delta SkyMiles? Well, if you do, you could have a new redemption option from the Atlanta-based carrier — flying with its private jet division. As of today, SkyMiles members can transfer a minimum of 2.5 million miles for a $25,000 Delta Private Jet Card.
Jet cards like Delta's are essentially pre-loaded accounts that are deducted from when you fly. Once you load the card with money (or miles if you choose to transfer your SkyMiles to the balance of the card), each private jet flight will deduct the amount of money or miles from your account. By being a private jet cardholder with Delta, you're guaranteed you choice of jet size on every flight, jet availability and you'll also have four private jet categories to choose from.
So how much will the 2.5 million SkyMiles get you? It's pretty simple math, as Delta Private Jets charges based on how long the flight is. The hourly rate for a light jet with Delta Private Jets is approximately $5,500, so for the $25,000 value on your card, you're getting a little less than five hours of private flying. Based on his most recent valuations, TPG values Delta SkyMiles at 1.2 cents apiece, meaning the 2.5 million you'd be transferring are worth about $30,000 — $5,000 less than what you're getting to use on your private jet redemptions.
Conversely, if you do choose to redeem your SkyMiles for a private jet card, which you can do on Delta's Private Jet website, you're getting a significantly reduced minimum for how much you need to initially put on the card. The normal minimum needed to load on a card is $100,000 — you can also choose to load $250,000 or $500,000. So by loading just $25,000 worth of SkyMiles, you're putting down 25% of what is normally required. You can also load more than 2.5 million miles, as there's no limit to the number of miles you can redeem — if you have 15 million miles, you'll get $150,000 worth of jet travel.
Whether or not this is a deal worth splurging on is completely up to you and the number of SkyMiles in your account. If you have a surplus of miles sitting around that you don't know what to do with, this could be a neat opportunity. Note, however, that you won't be getting the best possible value out of your SkyMiles if you choose to redeem them for a Delta Private Jet Card. Keep in mind that if you're really intrigued by this offer but don't yet have quite enough SkyMiles, you can also transfer SPG Starpoints and American Express Membership Rewards to Delta — both at a 1:1 ratio.
H/T: Forbes.com
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