Delta Flash Sale: Japan From 54,000 SkyMiles Round-Trip
Quick summary
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
For anyone with a stash of Delta SkyMiles, the last few weeks haven't been too bad. Delta's been running deals on award flights including itineraries to Europe for just 22,000 SkyMiles round-trip. The airline has now added Tokyo as another discounted destination. There are only a handful of routes advertised by Delta, but it appears to cover many more departure cities than just the one's listed:
Although Delta doesn't publish an award chart, it's highly unlikely to see rates to Japan for lower than 70,000 miles round-trip. So while Los Angeles (LAX) is truly the only discounted city, all other cities have wide open availability (including non-stop flights) at the 70,000 mile rate. Some routes allow travelers to fly aboard Delta's new flagship aircraft, the Airbus A350, which features a 3-3-3 layout in economy.
These awards book into Main Cabin, not basic economy. So, you'll be able to check up to a 50 pound bag each way for free.
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: US Cities (ATL/JFK/LAX/SFO/SEA/MSP/BOS/DTW/PDX and likely others) to Tokyo (HND/NRT)
Cost: 54,000+ SkyMiles and $46+ round-trip in economy
Dates: August 30 - December 9, 2018
Purchase By: August 29
Booking Link: Directly with Delta
Pay Taxes/Fees With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare), Citi Premier® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo Haneda (HND) for 54,000 miles + $46 in taxes and fees round-trip nonstop:
New York (JFK) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) for 70,000 miles + $51 in taxes and fees round-trip:
Detroit (DTW) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) for 70,000 miles + $46 in taxes and fees round-trip nonstop:
San Francisco (SFO) to Tokyo Haneda (HND) for 70,000 miles + $51 in taxes and fees round-trip:
Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo (NRT) for 70,000 miles + $51 in taxes and fees round-trip:
Minneapolis (MSP) to Tokyo (NRT/HND) for 70,000 miles + $46 in taxes and fees round-trip:
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, 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.