Delta's new Cape Air partnership offers cheap mileage fares on expensive routes
Last week, Delta announced a new partnership with Cape Air that gives Delta customers access to Cape Air's 11 routes out of Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). Not only do SkyMiles members get a bigger route network, but they are now also able to earn and redeem miles on Cape Air flights.
As an added incentive, Delta is offering 500 bonus SkyMiles on all Cape Air flights flown by Aug. 31, 2021. This bonus is pretty substantial, considering some Cape Air flights can be booked for as little as 5,000 SkyMiles each way.
Cape Air mostly serves smaller airports catering to leisure travelers. The timing of the announcement is perfect, considering we're a few weeks away from the busy summer travel season. Depending on where you're traveling, you may get three or more cents per mile in value from redemptions on one of these routes.
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Cape Air routes
Cape Air is currently operating 11 flights out of Boston:
- Augusta, Maine (AUG)
- Bar Harbor, Maine (BHB)
- Hyannis, Massachussetts (HYA)
- Lebanon, N.H. (LEB)
- Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. (MVY)
- Nantucket, Massachusetts (ACK)
- Portland, Maine (PWM)
- Provincetown, Massachusetts (PVC)
- Rockland, Maine (RKD)
- Rutland, Vt. (RUT)
- Saranac Lake, N.Y. (SLK)
Booking Cape Air flights with Delta SkyMiles
Cape Air flights can be booked for as little as 5,000 SkyMiles, even during the busy summer travel season. The key to booking these low fares is to be flexible. Use the calendar function on Delta.com for a monthly overview and if you're able to, plan your trip around the lowest fares.
Keep in mind that Delta utilizes dynamic pricing, so redemption rates change based on demand. To give you an idea of what you can expect in terms of redemptions, let's look at the Boston (BOS) - Martha's Vineyard (MVY) route. A one-way ticket on this Cape Air route in early June starts $179 per person.
The same flight starts at 5,000 SkyMiles and $12 in taxes and fees. TPG values SkyMiles at 1.1 cents each. On a booking like this, you would get almost four cents in value out of each SkyMile. That just goes to show that you don't always have to travel in premium cabins to get maximum value out of your miles.
It's worthwhile to compare Delta's award rates against Cape Air competitors. For example, the BOS-MVY route is also operated by JetBlue. Using the airline's Best Fare Finder, you can see the lowest rates in June are 6,900 TrueBlue points each way. Taxes are just $5.60.
While Delta's lowest redemption rate is less than JetBlue's, you may want to redeem TrueBlue points on dates when Delta's Cape Air fares skyrocket to 100,000 miles each way.
Bottom line
Delta's partnership with Cape Air opens up more routes where SkyMiles members can earn and redeem miles. With fares starting at just 5,000 SkyMiles each way, Delta beats out competitors like JetBlue on some of these routes. With a very small number of airlines offering service to Cape Air destinations like Martha's Vineyard, it's nice to have another airline to earn and redeem miles with.
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023
Rewards Rate
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023