Excellent Delta Business-Class Award Availability From the US to Europe
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available – Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
Last month, Delta secretly increased business-class award rates to Europe. This came just months after the carrier rose its rates for partner flights departing after October 1, 2016 — again without any notice. Now, perhaps on the heels of Brexit and the resulting decline in business travel between the US and the UK, Delta is opening its award inventory — even on flights to other European cities — on a pretty large scale.
Before January 1, 2017, one-way Delta awards to Europe in business-class would cost 62,500 SkyMiles, but after that date, those same flights cost 70,000 miles at the saver level. Here are some examples of just how wide open business-class flights are right now from the US to Europe when you redeem SkyMiles. Unless otherwise noted, the below examples are for one-way business-class flights for five passengers traveling from various Delta hubs to London.
New York to London in June/July for five passengers:
Atlanta to London in February/March for five passengers:
San Francisco to London in July/August for four passengers:
It's worth noting that this availability seems to also apply to other cities throughout Europe. Here's an example of a flight from New York to Brussels in July/August for five passengers:
Of course, if you're looking to go elsewhere in Europe from cities in the US, there's a chance that there could be just as much availability. If you've been looking fly to Europe and have some SkyMiles handy, this could be a great time to put them to use. There's no telling how long this award availability will last, so you're better off booking sooner rather than later.
If you need to earn more Delta SkyMiles, consider applying for one of Delta's American Express options, like the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express, which comes with a bonus of 35,000 miles and 5,000 MQMs after you spend $1,000 within the first three months. You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all others. Note that the card does come with a $195 annual fee, but there no foreign transaction fees.
H/T: View From the Wing