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Deal Alert: Domestic Delta First-Class Awards From 13,000 Miles Round-Trip

Brendan Dorsey
Articles
Brendan Dorsey is an Associate News Editor at TPG who covers nearly everything for TPG including aviation, credit cards, points, miles, ride-hailing services and more. He previously worked for TIME.
Oct. 17, 2018
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5 min read
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Deal Alert: Domestic Delta First-Class Awards From 13,000 Miles Round-Trip
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Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, and passengers usually see some of the priciest fares then, too. However, Delta has launched a fantastic sale for award flights during Thanksgiving week — even better, the sale is for first-class seats.

We're seeing nonstop flights in Delta first class starting from just 13,000 miles round-trip. Most flights aren't longer than two hours, so you'll probably find yourself on a smaller Delta regional jet with seating in a 2-1 configuration — although we did find some flights operated by Boeing 737 with a 2-2 configuration (between SFO and LAX). Unfortunately you won't get lounge access (you'll need one of these credit cards for that) on these routes but you'll enjoy a wider seat, priority boarding and free drinks.

Delta's new first class seats.

Delta has listed select routes that are eligible for the sale here, but it appears that routes outside those listed are discounted, too. You'll want to head to Delta.com and plug in your preferred departure and destination city and see if you can find cheap first-class awards.

The sale ends this Tuesday, Oct. 23 -- but some routes may still have reduced award pricing beyond this deadline.

If you’re short on miles, remember that you can instantly transfer American Express Membership Rewards points into your SkyMiles account at 1:1 ratio.

Airline: Delta
Routes: Flight between US Cities (ATL/DTW/SFO/LAX/JFK/LGA/BOS/BUF/PDX/SEA/GPT/DCA/IAD/CMH/BNA and likely more)
Cost: From 13,000 miles plus taxes/fees starting at $11 round-trip
Travel Dates: November 17 to November 24, 2018
Purchase By: October 23
Restrictions: The terms and conditions note that a three day stay is required, but this restriction isn’t being applied in practice.
Pay Taxes/Fees With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige (5x on airfare) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

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Boston (BOS) to Buffalo (BUF) for 13,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip nonstop in First Class:

Portland (PDX) to Seattle (SEA) for 15,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip nonstop in first class:

San Francisco (SFO) to Los Angeles (LAX) for 18,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip nonstop in first class:

New York (JFK/LGA) to Boston (BOS) for 18,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip nonstop in first class:

New York (JFK) to Washington DC (DCA) for 19,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip nonstop in first class:

Atlanta (ATL) to Gulfport (GPT) for 22,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip nonstop in first class:

Columbus (CMH) to Detroit (DTW) for 22,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip nonstop in first class:

Atlanta (ATL) to Nashville (BNA) for 23,000 miles + $11 in taxes and fees round-trip nonstop in first class:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases to pay the taxes and fees, such as the Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige (5x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

If you don’t have enough SkyMiles in your account, consider signing up for one of the Delta credit cards to ensure you’re able to take advantage of a deal next time one pops up. For example, the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express currently comes with a bonus of 30,000 bonus miles after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases within your first 3 months and a $50 Statement Credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. Terms Apply. And, when you aren't using your SkyMiles, this is a great card for defeating basic economy.

Featured image by Delta's new first class seats.