Fly Your Entire Family to Hawaii in Delta One Lie-Flat Seats With Saver Award Tickets
Here's something you don't see often: saver level space on a coveted Delta lie-flat seat to one of the most awe-inspiring places on Earth. Oh, and something else you rarely see: enough of those seats to fly your whole family there during summer break. Presumably in an attempt to draw more attention to Delta's upcoming nonstop service between Detroit (DTW) and Honolulu (HNL), the carrier is offering as many as eight business class seats at saver level on each flight. Now "saver level" is a bit of a tricky concept when using Delta SkyMiles as they no longer have a published award chart, but it is still an important distinction when booking with partners, which is the better deal we will get to in a minute.

As a reminder, the Detroit-Honolulu route will be served with Boeing 767-300ER aircraft equipped with 25 fully lie-flat seats in Delta One, 29 seats Delta Comfort+ and 171 seats in the Main Cabin. The onboard experience includes access to Wi-Fi, free personal in-flight seatback entertainment screens and power ports at every seat. At 4,475 miles one-way, that's a whole lot of flight time to enjoy the product.

While the award search engine on Delta.com shows one-way business class pricing at anywhere between 55,000 and 102,500 SkyMiles from late June 2019 onward, there's a better way to book.

You can book Delta One seats via Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and even if you've never flown Virgin Atlantic, you can still take advantage. Simply head over to Virgin Atlantic, create a free account, and search for the date or dates that would work for you using their five-week date search. Once you've found the ideal match, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou points and Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic's program. You can even mix and match, transferring a bundle from one program and a bundle from another to reach the amount you need to book the tickets. We've created a step-by-step guide to booking Delta seats via Virgin Atlantic right here.
Note that when searching for Honolulu as a destination on the Virgin Atlantic site, it may not pop-up automatically. If that happens, click on the purple circle in the search field and select the airport manually.

Virgin Atlantic is pricing out these lie-flat seats at 37,500 miles one-way, with up to eight seats available on each flight. That's a veritable steal considering the ~10 hours you'll spend onboard, and Detroit is a pretty easy airport to reach within the Delta network. Once you're in Hawaii, take a look at our guides below to make the most of your trip.
- 14 Outrageous Experiences You Can Have in Hawaii
- Which Island and Hotel Should I Choose in Hawaii?
- 8 Incredible Honolulu Airbnbs for Every Style and Budget
- Why Travel to Hawaii is Worth it For Our Family

If you're looking to boost your available points across any of the aforementioned credit card currencies, be sure to check out our guide to the best travel rewards credit cards for families.
H/T: View from the Wing
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.


