3 ways to spend 1 million Delta SkyMiles

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Although it's generous with benefits for its Medallion elites, the Delta SkyMiles program doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to award redemptions. This is largely because the program lacks award charts, so it sometimes charges sky-high rates for mileage rates for tickets (especially those in premium cabins). SkyMiles has also been prone to unannounced devaluations that have hollowed out some of its value over the past several years.

Hoping to redeem miles for a long-haul Delta One business-class flight? Expect to spend 200,000 miles each way unless you find a good deal.

However, there still are some sweet spots in the program, such as frequent flash sales and partner redemptions — both on Delta's SkyTeam partners and on non-alliance partners like Virgin Atlantic and WestJet. So, in this edition of our "1 million miles" series, TPG's Points and Miles team will discuss how we'd each spend a million Delta SkyMiles.

Andrew Kunesh, senior reporter

I tend to use my Delta SkyMiles to book domestic award tickets, as these redemptions are generally the best way to stretch the value of SkyMiles. But if tasked with redeeming a million SkyMiles at once, I'd split my redemptions between Delta One business-class tickets and planning future domestic travel. All flights would be in business class or domestic first class and on Delta unless otherwise noted, and prices reflect round-trip itineraries.

Here's what I'd book:

• New York (LGA) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) for the holidays: 40,000 SkyMiles.
• New York-JFK to Los Angeles (LAX) to visit friends: 110,000 SkyMiles.
• New York-JFK to Prague (PRG) to visit family: 210,000 SkyMiles.
• New York-JFK to Tel Aviv (TLV) with Virgin Atlantic: 170,000 SkyMiles.
• New York-JFK to Hong Kong (HKG) with Korean Air: 300,000 SkyMiles.
• New York (LGA) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to visit friends for the Fourth of July: 43,000 SkyMiles.
• New York-JFK to San Francisco (SFO): 112,000 SkyMiles.

This would leave me with 15,000 SkyMiles left over, which I'd use for a last-minute economy award ticket. While 1 million SkyMiles don't provide as much value as a million miles with other programs, they can still get you around the world and save you a ton of money in the process. The same holds true even if you don't have a million SkyMiles in your account — check out TPG's full guide to maximizing SkyMiles for more inspiration.

Related: How 3 TPG reporters would spend 1 million United miles

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Benji Stawski, strategic travel reporter

Up until now in this series, I've focused on redeeming my million miles mostly on business- and first-class flights. However, in this case, I believe I'd get the most value from my miles by booking mostly low-cost economy flights through Delta's frequent flash sales.

First, I'd put 500,000 miles aside to use toward Delta's flash sales as they become available. The sales typically offer economy flights for 5,000 to 10,000 miles round-trip so I'd be able to book anywhere from 50 to 100 trips! However, in reality, it would likely be fewer than that since I'd plan on bringing family and friends along for some of the flights.

Luckily, Delta miles never expire so I'd be in no rush to redeem them all at once. Plus, Delta will continue to offer elite-qualifying credit on award flights next year so I'd likely be able to earn Delta Medallion status with all these trips.

Here are some past flash sales in particular that have caught my attention:

• Short-haul domestic flights from 4,000 miles round-trip.
• Flights to Mexico from 5,000 miles round-trip in economy or 20,000 miles in first class.
• Flights to Hawaii from 10,000 miles round-trip.
• Flights to Alaska from 5,000 miles round-trip.
• Flights to the Caribbean from 12,000 miles round-trip.
• Transcontinental flights from 15,000 miles round-trip.

Next, there are some partner redemptions I have my eyes on:

• LATAM economy flight from the U.S. to Brazil for 50,000 miles round-trip.
• Virgin Atlantic business-class flight to Israel for 170,000 miles round-trip.
• Saudia business-class flight to the United Arab Emirates for 170,000 miles round-trip.
• Intra-Europe economy-class flight on a mix of Air France, KLM and Air Europa for 20,000 miles round-trip.

This would leave 90,000 miles remaining, which I'd use toward last-minute mileage upgrades on Delta flights. Although upgrades only yield 1 cent in value per mile — below TPG's SkyMiles valuation of 1.41 cents apiece — as Andrew recently shared, there are some instances where Delta offers cheap upgrades close to departure and this option can make sense.

Related: 3 ways to spend a million Capital One miles traveling the world

Katie Genter, senior writer

If I wanted to redeem 1 million Delta SkyMiles quickly, I'd take advantage of the unofficial Delta partner award chart to book the following round-trip business-class flights for two between the U.S. and:

• The Middle East, such as Beirut (BEY) on Air France, for 340,000 miles.
• Southern Africa, such as Johannesburg (JNB) on Air France, KLM or Virgin Atlantic, for 460,000 miles.
• Central America, such as Guatemala City (GUA) on Aeromexico, for 140,000 miles.

I'd need to redeem a total of 940,000 miles for these three round-trip business-class flights for two. I'd have 60,000 miles left, which I'd redeem for inexpensive positioning flights and Delta flash sales. Or, since I often book last-minute travel, I might need to use these extra miles to pay Delta's unofficial close-in mileage charge.

However, if you simply gave me 1 million Delta SkyMiles and told me I could use them at my own pace, I'd likely use them over time to book inexpensive Delta-operated awards as needed. And I'd likely jump on some of the best Delta SkyMiles sweet spots, like flying one of Delta's partners one-way in business class between Japan and Australia for just 75,000 SkyMiles per person.

Related: How to redeem 1 million Amex Membership Rewards

How to earn 1 million Delta SkyMiles

There are many ways to earn Delta miles, from flying to shopping online, dining out, taking Lyft rides and beyond. However, one of the easiest ways to boost your SkyMiles balance is with a cobranded Delta credit card. Here's a look:

* Bonus value is based on TPG valuations and is not provided or reviewed by the issuer.

Related: 9 Delta SkyMiles sweet spots worth saving up for

Another easy option is to transfer American Express Membership Rewards points directly to Delta SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio, with cards such as the following:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the card in your first six months of card membership. Terms apply.
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership. Terms apply.
• American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership, though be sure to check the CardMatch tool to see if you're targeted for a 75,000-point welcome bonus (offer subject to change at any time). Terms apply.

Bottom line

Delta SkyMiles may be less esteemed than some other mileage currencies out there. However, the miles can still come in handy if you know how to maximize Delta's flash sales and partner redemption opportunities. While you might not earn a million miles overnight, you can easily top off your SkyMiles balance with credit card bonuses.

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

Additional reporting by Andrew Kunesh and Katie Genter.

Featured photo by Theodorie/Shutterstock.com.