6 Delta SkyMiles sweet spots worth saving up for

While SkyMiles can sometimes get a bad rap for its mileage options, inexpensive domestic award flights remain abundant and can still provide great value for some customers.

In many ways, Delta SkyMiles is a two-sided program. In terms of customer experience, Delta has made great strides in treating its Medallion members well, bending over backward to solve issues and making them feel like more than just another body in another seat. This was especially true during the pandemic, as the airline made status re-qualification easier, rolled over elite credits and extended status several times. As for how SkyMiles members earn and redeem miles, however, Delta’s loyalty program has been steadily chipping away at the value proposition flyers can expect.

Delta was one of the first airlines to pull its public award charts and move to a dynamic pricing model for award flights. Over time, that has led to the airline charging sometimes stratospheric rates for some of its flagship flights like Los Angeles (LAX) to Sydney (SYD).

To make matters worse, Delta has continually devalued its loyalty program — even during the coronavirus pandemic. In October 2020, the airline increased the price of most partner awards and even added mileage surcharges for booking at the last minute. Then the airline raised partner award prices again in February 2021.

That said, you can still get value from your SkyMiles if you know where to look. In fact, I’ve found that Delta SkyMiles can sometimes be the best miles for very specific redemptions.

In this guide, we’ll spotlight a few of our favorite ways to get outsize value by redeeming Delta SkyMiles.

Remember that Delta values each SkyMile at roughly 1 cent if used for things like seat upgrades, and TPG pegs their value at a full 1.41 cents apiece. By the end of this article, though, you should be able to get far more value from your SkyMiles in these unique ways.

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Boosting your SkyMiles balance

Of course, before you can redeem SkyMiles, you have to actually earn the SkyMiles necessary. There are various ways to earn Delta miles, from taking Delta-operated flights to booking trips on SkyTeam airlines -- as well as some non-travel options.

One of the best ways to boost your SkyMiles balance to score a few trips is by adding one of the cards below to your arsenal (terms apply). Right now, with the Delta’s cobranded credit cards you can earn welcome offers that can yield up to 100,000 SkyMiles after you meet the minimum spending requirements. Here’s a closer look:

• Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card: Earn 10,000 Bonus Miles after spending $1,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership. No annual fee (see rates and fees).
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of account opening.. $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 (see rates and fees).
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of account opening.. $250 annual fee (see rates and fees).
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of account opening. $550 annual fee (see rates and fees).
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months of card membership. $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 (see rates and fees).
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months of card membership. $250 annual fee (see rates and fees).
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months of card membership. $550 annual fee (see rates and fees).

Related: Choosing the best credit card for Delta flyers

You could also pick up one of the following American Express Membership Rewards-earning cards, as the points transfer to Delta instantly at a 1:1 ratio:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. The card also provides Sky Club access when flying Delta, along with an up-to-$200 annual airline fee statement credit and up to $200 in annual Uber Cash (for use in the U.S.), all for a $695 annual fee (see rates and fees). Enrollment required for select card benefits. Terms apply.
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card in the first three months of card membership. The card also includes Sky Club access (enrollment isrequired) and a wealth of other perks that can largely cover the $695 annual fee (see rates and fees). Terms apply.

Related: Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value

Domestic flights provide solid value

Domestic flights are my favorite way to redeem SkyMiles. Delta has been on a tear of late with SkyMiles flash sales, and many of them target domestic routes in the 500-to-1,500-mile distance range. In January of 2022, Delta had fares out of Seattle (SEA) to numerous cities starting at 5,000 SkyMiles each way. Fares out of San Francisco (SFO) and New York (JFK) hovered around 10,000 SkyMiles for a one-way flight.

But you don’t have to book during these flash sales to get a good deal. I often find domestic flights for 10,000 SkyMiles or less each way. For example, you can book flights from New York-JFK to Baltimore (BWI) for as few as 4,500 SkyMiles each way in basic economy — an incredibly low number of miles to spend on an award ticket. You can even book domestic first class on the same short flight for just 11,000 SkyMiles.

You can score solid deals on last-minute domestic flights, too. For example, you could book this Detroit (DTW) to New York (LGA) flight for just 7,500 SkyMiles one week before departure. You’ll find good last-minute pricing on plenty of other domestic routes too.

Not only is 7,500 SkyMiles easy to earn through a welcome bonus attached to a new card, but these short-haul flights can be fairly pricey when looking at cash rates -- especially on short notice. Many are frequented by business travelers during non-pandemic times, and Delta knows it. Thus, they nudge the prices up accordingly. The higher the cash price compared to the mileage price, the better the redemption value you can get.

Related: Why Delta is my go-to airline for last-minute domestic flights

Flights from the US to Canada

Delta has a large Canadian footprint and a partnership with WestJet, one of Canada’s largest airlines. This gives Delta loyalists many different options for flying to Canada now that the border has reopened for air travel between the two countries. Better yet, it offers solid award pricing on these award tickets too. For instance, Seattle (SEA) to Vancouver (YVR) prices at just 6,500 SkyMiles in for many dates in 2022. In most of March and April 2022, it costs even less.

Likewise, New York (LGA) to Toronto (YYZ) can be booked starting at just 4,500 SkyMiles for mid-week flights. This flight can get expensive when booking at the last minute, so it’s a nice backup plan if you’re planning a no-notice trip to Canada’s most populous city.

Planning a tour of Canada? You can use miles to book intra-Canada flights on WestJet, too. Unfortunately, this isn’t quite as cheap. On all the dates I searched, all Canadian domestic flights on WestJet cost 12,500 SkyMiles or more. Regardless, this is a great option to have if you want to save some cash by using SkyMiles instead.

Related: 5 small Canadian cities you can use points and miles to visit in 2021

Fly to South America with LATAM

Delta and LATAM announced a major partnership in 2019. Under this partnership, Delta purchased a large chunk of the South American carrier and LATAM left Oneworld.

Thankfully, LATAM awards are (mostly) unaffected by Delta’s recent partner devaluation, so SkyMiles members can still book LATAM award tickets at reasonable prices. For example, you can use just 25,000 SkyMiles to book a one-way, non-stop economy ticket from New York (JFK) to Sao Paulo (GRU), Brazil on LATAM. Business-class tickets are more expensive at 95,000 SkyMiles one-way, and this pricing is the same to any of LATAM’s South American destinations. It's also much harder to come by.

That said, you’ll pay a premium when booking these awards at the last minute. Try and book at least 60 days before when you have to travel — otherwise, you’ll spend as much as 35,000 miles on the same economy ticket and 105,000 miles for business class.

Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to find business-class tickets on these routes without paying higher rates. Regardless, 25,000 SkyMiles is a solid deal for an economy flight from the U.S. to South America. Consider this when you’re ready to travel abroad again. With a little flexibility in dates, you might have good luck.

Related: Delta still plans ‘gateway’ Miami hub with LATAM Airlines partnership

Fly Air France to the Caribbean

Did you know that Air France operates a Caribbean route network from the U.S.? The carrier serves Port-au-Prince, Haiti (PAP), and Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe (PTP) from Miami (MIA), but the flights to Port-au-Prince are suspended until later this year (date TBD). The airline also runs service from New York-JFK and Montreal (YUL) to Pointe-a-Pitre.

Pricing is reasonable on these fifth freedom routes, too. Miami to Pointe-a-Pitre costs 20,000 SkyMiles in economy and 35,000 in business class each way.

The same flight costs nearly $1,100 round-trip in business class this November, so the 70,000-mile round-trip ticket can be a great way to save some cash.

These flights are generally operated by an Air France A320, so don’t expect anything too special in business class. That said, it’s a great way to fly an international carrier without leaving North America.

Related: 9 amazing places to use points for a trip to the Caribbean

Head to the Middle East in business class

One of the best SkyMiles partner deals is on flights from the U.S. to the Middle East in business class. These flights cost just 85,000 SkyMiles one-way on partner airlines, even if you transit through Europe. This gives you a chance to experience Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic business-class products without spending an exorbitant amount of SkyMiles.

Here’s a sample Virgin Atlantic booking for New York-JFK to Tel Aviv (TLV) via London Heathrow (LHR). It costs the stated 85,000 SkyMiles and $63 in taxes and fees.

Or, you can fly from New York-JFK to Beirut (BEY) for 85,000 SkyMiles and $209.50 in taxes and fees on a mixture of Saudia and Middle East Airlines flights.

You’ll find the same pricing on flights from the West Coast too. You’ll pay the same 85,000 miles for a flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Tel Aviv (TLV).

This is arguably the best partner SkyMiles award, but it may not last long. Recent devaluations skyrocketed the price of most partner awards, so these tickets to the Middle East could be next on the chopping block. Book this ticket fast if you want to get in on the deal.

Related: How to get to (and stay in) Dubai using points and miles

Keep an eye out for flash sales

Delta frequently runs award sales for both domestic and international flights. In the past, we've seen flights from Seattle to beach destinations starting at 2,500 miles one way and 5,000 SkyMiles round-trip to Alaska. January 2022 saw some crazy good deals for domestic flights, and past years have had crazy deals on round-trip business class awards to Europe. However, a 2019 sale that offered round-trip tickets for 16,000 SkyMiles from San Francisco (SFO) to London (LHR) was one of the best economy award prices we’ve ever seen.

These sales are announced a few times per year, so keep an eye on Delta’s deals page for more sales. Of course, you can sign up for the TPG newsletter or follow TPG on Twitter to get notified of these deals as well. We hope to see Delta start to offer them more frequently soon.

Related: Delta now makes it even easier to earn elite status without flying — but is it worth it?

Bottom line

Delta isn’t doing you any favors by not publishing an award chart, but it’s still possible to get far more than 1 cent per point in value from your SkyMiles.

For the best redemptions, keep an eye on the airline’s award flash sales, book low-cost domestic flights and utilize the airline’s partners when it makes sense.

If you can’t get great value out of your miles for an upcoming trip, save them for next time. There’s no use in spending 200,000 SkyMiles for a New York-to-Los Angeles flight when you can redeem 85,000 SkyMiles for a business-class flight to the Middle East later down the line. Use another type of miles or pay cash when it doesn’t make sense to use your SkyMiles.

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Gold card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Blue Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business card, click here.

Additional reporting by Darren Murph and Carissa Rawson.

Feature photo by Fasttailwind/Shutterstock.com.