Winter deal alert: Head to Mexico for as little as 11k Delta SkyMiles

"Whoa, Mexico, it sounds so simple, I just got to go.

The sun's so hot I forgot to go home, guess I'll have to go now."

James Taylor understood the appeal of Mexico so well, he wrote one of his best songs about the beautiful land south of the border. We bet he would be excited about this latest deal alert, which has flights to sunny Cancun for as little as 11k Delta SkyMiles. If you're looking for a destination to enjoy a nice break from winter, Cancun is perfect. It's also relatively easy to travel there. No testing is required for entry, although you should make sure to check closer to your trip for any changes.

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This sale includes a slew of U.S. cities with round-trip fares during the winter, and it includes some nonstops from Delta hubs like Atlanta, Boston, Detroit and New York City.

Thanks to Thrifty Traveler for spotting this deal, which they sent out first to their premium subscribers. That service is available for $7.99 monthly or $49.99 annually. This membership fee can easily pay for itself since you’ll get notified of cheap flights, award flight sales and business-class deals straight to your email.

We found the best availability in February and March. The fares are for Delta's Basic Economy tier. Consider upgrading to Main Cabin, which not only comes with a seat assignment but is fully refundable. For some routes, the upgrade starts at just 3k SkyMiles.

Remember, all travelers will need a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than one day prior to their return flight to the U.S.

Deal basics

Airlines: Delta
Routes: ATL/AUS/BOS/BWI/DEN/DFW/DTW/HOU/IND/JFK/LAX/MCI/ORD/PIT/STL and others to Cancun, Mexico (CUN)
Cost: Flights available starting at 11K SkyMiles
Dates: January-April 2022.

Pay with: The Platinum Card® from American Express for 5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year); the Citi Prestige® Card for 5x on airfare; the Citi Premier® Card (3x on air travel); Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel); the American Express® Gold Card for 3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for 2x on travel — which you could redeem for as little as 13,000 points.

The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Booking one of these deals is fairly easy. All you do is log in to Delta.com and enter one of the eligible departure cities (listed above) and the destination along with desired dates, and click the “Shop with Miles” box.

The next step is to select the "Price Calendar" tab to maximize the dates viewable and see how many miles it costs to book travel on which days.

This helped us find a Boston (BOS) to Cancun (CUN) itinerary for a long weekend in February that costs only 11,000 SkyMiles plus $92 in taxes/fees. We found several options at the 11k level departing from Boston in January as well.

We found great options out of Houston (IAH) as well. This itinerary in March to Cancun will also cost you just 11k, round-trip, plus the $92 in taxes/fees.

Something to note is that you can upgrade to Main Cabin for only 3k SkyMiles. Delta Main Cabin fares are fully refundable, so if you want the peace of mind that comes with being able to cancel without penalty, it's worth considering. We found the upgrade option at 3k points for some, but not all, routes in this deal.

We found nonstop flights from New York City (JFK) to Cancun in February for just 11k SkyMiles plus $86 in fees. We found great availability for outbound flights from NYC to Mexico at this great points redemption rate, but the majority of available flights were for itineraries with a layover. You'll have to dig around January and February for nonstops, but they are out there. Also, you can upgrade to Main Cabin and a fully refundable fare for just 3k SkyMiles.

Nonstop flights from Detroit (DTW) were available in February and March for only 14,000 SkyMiles, plus $86 in fees. These fares are being snapped up fast, as we only saw a few. So if you live in Detroit and are thinking about going south, start searching now before they're all gone.

Maximize your purchase

Don’t forget to use a card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases, like The Platinum Card® from American Express for 5x on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year); the Citi Prestige® Card for 5x on airfare; the Citi Premier® Card (3x on air travel); Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on air travel); the American Express® Gold Card for 3x on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for 2x on travel — which you could redeem for as little as 13,000 points.

Bottom Line

It pays to shop around and take the time to browse through each month. There are a lot of great deals to be found. And don't forget that Amex Membership Rewards are transferable to SkyMiles.