delta travel awards

• Credit cards
• View all credit cards
• Banking guide
• Loans guide
• Insurance guide
• Personal finance
• View all personal finance
• Small business
• Small business guide
• View all taxes

You’re our first priority. Every time.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward — and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners .

The Guide to Booking Award Flights on Delta Air Lines

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Delta is one of the increasing number of airlines that no longer publishes an award chart. That means there is no baseline for how many miles you’ll need to book a certain flight. In essence, award travel is based on demand. If you need to know how many miles are required to get to your dream destination, you’ll just have to search and expect that miles required could change at any time.

Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks to figuring out Delta’s award system. We’ll help you figure it out with this guide:

» Learn more: Delta SkyMiles program: The complete guide

How does Delta Air Lines price out award tickets?

Delta Air Lines roughly bases their award travel on the cash price of a ticket, which is evident when you look at prices and award calendars (below). As you can see, the more expensive tickets tend to require more miles.

Flight costs in dollars from LAX to JFK in economy.

Flight costs in miles from LAX to JFK in economy.

Unfortunately, award flights can and will be priced all over the place. The higher the demand for a flight (during peak travel dates and holidays, for example), the more expensive it will be and the more miles you’ll need to redeem. That makes it hard to determine precisely how many miles you’ll actually need when planning travel.

That said, make sure you're comparing cash and award prices to make sure you're getting a decent deal.

NerdWallet values Delta miles at 1.2 cents each. This is a baseline value, drawn from real-world data on hundreds of economy routes, not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 1.2 cents or more in value from your Delta miles.

Since there are no blackout dates for award travel on Delta-operated flights, you may have a better chance of finding award tickets during peak travel times than on some other airlines. Delta does still implement some capacity controls, so keep that in mind.

Miles + Cash awards

Don’t have enough miles for an award ticket? Delta offers Miles + Cash awards. These awards allow you to use a combination of miles and cash to book your travel. Keep in mind, however, that Miles + Cash flights do not accrue miles. Be sure to compare Miles + Cash awards with cash fares as well as award flights to make sure you're getting the best deal.

» Learn more: Baffled by points and miles? Let the 80/20 rule guide you

Finding better deals on award travel

There are a few ways to locate better deals when it comes to booking award travel with Delta. The first is to have flexible travel plans. Since prices for award travel can fluctuate thousands of miles from one day to another, staying flexible with your travel dates is key to spending less.

Take this price chart showing flights from Seattle to Orlando, for example. If you’re able to fly during a select couple of days, you could save up to 39,000 miles each way.

Another way to save is to use SkyMiles Deals . It’s a page full of frequently updated flights that are available for fewer miles than usual. It includes fares for domestic and international travel, with current deals starting at 11,500 miles for a round-trip flight.

Travel periods for these flights are restricted, so you still have to be flexible (or lucky) to take advantage of these deals.

Earn miles with Delta credit cards

If you’re short on miles for the trip you want, you might consider applying for one of Delta’s SkyMiles credit cards, assuming it's more than a few months out. There are seven options to choose from:

The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card has an annual fee of $0 , but also offers a lower welcome offer: Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. Terms Apply.

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card has an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $150 , and a welcome offer of: Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card has an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $150 , and a welcome offer of: Earn 55,000 Bonus Miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card takes it all a step further and offers stronger benefits. For example, Card Members are eligible to receive either one $100 statement credit every 4 years for the application fee for Global Entry or one $85 statement credit every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck (even though TSA PreCheck now only costs $78 ). The card has an annual fee of $350 and the current welcome offer is: Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

Similar to the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card , the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card offers many of the same perks. The annual fee is $350 and the current welcome offer is: Earn 65,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card does have an annual fee of $650 but it also confers free Delta Sky Club access. The current welcome offer is: Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card offers many of the same benefits as the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card . The current welcome offer is: Earn 75,000 Bonus Miles after spending $10,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

All of these cards with the exception of the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card include a free checked bag and will get you 15% off award bookings with Delta. Each of the cards include category specific bonuses and extra miles per dollar on Delta purchases. Terms apply.

» Learn more: Which Delta Air Lines credit card should you get?

There are airline credit cards out there with bigger welcome offers, but for those who fly Delta, the perks these cards offer may be worth it.

The bottom line

While there’s almost no way to know and plan for award travel on Delta Air Lines since they did away with their award chart, there are still a few ways to make the most of it. Keep an eye out for deals, stay flexible and avoid traveling during peak times to make your miles go further.

To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card , see this page . To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card , see this page . To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card , see this page . To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card , see this page . To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card , see this page . To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card , see this page . To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card , see this page .

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Planning a trip? Check out these articles for more inspiration and advice: Find the best travel credit card for you Benefits of Delta Air Lines credit cards Delta adds economy class perks for international flyers

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money .

How to find hidden value in the Delta award chart (or lack thereof)

Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money .

Delta officially says they don’t have an award chart. For their own flights, they tend to base the award price on the cash price — or, perhaps more accurately, demand. Searching peak dates can return truly offensive award prices.

However, flying on Delta’s partners in the SkyTeam alliance, award prices are mostly a different story. After performing tons of searches, there are definite consistencies between the majority of award “regions.” If you’ve recently earned a welcome bonus from the best Delta credit cards , don’t worry. There are still a handful of decent uses for your miles.

In short, while their international and partner awards have moderate pricing consistency, all their North American flights vary a lot from place to place.

The international Delta SkyMiles SkyTeam “award chart”

Delta has severely devalued its loyalty program TWICE since October 2020. That is genuinely pathetic and really putting people off (including us) from collecting their increasingly worthless miles. For instance:

• Business class flights between the U.S. and North Asia cost 35,000 miles more than just five months ago.
• Business class flights between the U.S. and Europe cost as much as 45,000 miles more than just five months ago

If you know where to look, however, there are still some quality deals alive on partner airlines. For example:

• Fly to Southern Africa for 115,000 Delta miles
• Fly to the Middle East for 85,000 Delta miles
• Fly to Central America for 35,000 Delta miles

Honestly, pretty much all the other regions have increased. Expect to pay:

• 165,000 miles to Southeast Asia in business class
• 120,000 miles to Northern Africa in business class
• 120,000 miles to India in business class

All these represent a sizable increase over the last few months.

How to navigate the Delta award chart that isn’t there

An official Delta award chart exists only in theory. Getting a good price is a combination of:

• Being flexible with your dates
• Looking closely at the options
• Trying a couple of tricks to get an award to price lower
• Getting lucky

Delta prices its flights roughly based on cash price (especially for domestic U.S. flights)

Say, for example, you’re in Indianapolis and want to visit Orange County around November. How many Delta miles do you need for a one-way coach flight? That should be an easy question, but…

That’s not very helpful. 10,500 miles, 12,000 miles, 14,500 miles, 18,500 miles 21,000 miles, 24,500 miles, 28,000 miles. It’s totally random… Or is it? Check this out.

Here’s the exact same calendar with cash prices instead of miles. As you can see:

• On the dates the cash price is $158, the award price is 10,500 miles
• On the dates the cash price is $179, the award price is 12,000 miles
• On the dates the cash price is $199, the award price is 14,500 miles

In most cases, Delta makes sure you won’t get a value much greater than 1.5 cents for your points. They adjust their awards accordingly.

Add a partner flight to get a lower price

Say you’re in Chicago and want to travel to Seoul. How many miles do you need?

Another mixed bag. However, while Delta prices its own flights roughly based on the cash cost, that isn’t true with partners. Based on this search, the clue that we’re looking at partner flights is the ~$26 tax charge instead of Delta’s usual ~$6 fee.

Remember, you can always click “Price Calendar” to get five weeks of pricing.

Delta partner awards always price at the lowest tier. Based on this, we know Delta wants at least 50,000 Delta miles for a one-way coach trip from Chicago to Seoul (though there are exceptions, like when there’s a flash sale). These awards are not based on the cash price.

In this case, each Delta mile is worth just over 2.1 cents ($1118 – $26 in taxes/50,000 miles).

The above 50,000-mile flights are a combination of Delta and Korean Air. So long as a partner flight is used even in part on the itinerary, your flights should price lower.

So what’s the lesson here? Try to look for partner awards — or add a partner flight to your Delta award to drop the price.

Anomalies abound

With Delta, nothing’s hard and fast. You simply have to play around with it until you find something you like.

Tricks like filtering for partner flights don’t always produce results. At times, there’s no logic whatsoever.

And booking with a partner, in the example above from Chicago to Seoul, lowers the price for the coach award, but may actually raise the business-class price. So you’re better off flying the partner to save on the coach seat, but flying Delta airplanes can save you a lot of miles for the premium cabin (I have a feeling the routing is a factor here.)

What does it all mean? How many miles do you need for an award flight?

Based on these patterns, we can deduce:

• Domestic Delta award seats are usually tied to the cash cost of the ticket
• International Delta coach award seats are loosely tied to the cash cost of the ticket – but not always
• International Delta premium-class seats have semi-set prices and are usually a better deal
• Partner awards at the lowest levels are usually a good deal

This means if you want to fly Delta domestically, you get ~1.25 cents of value per Delta mile, while for international awards, you’ll usually do better flying a partner airline (or at least adding a non-Delta segment to the award).

I recommend running test searches spread out over a few months, and using the 5-week calendar view, to check the average lowest prices for a given route. That requires having a travel goal in mind before you start saving your miles.

For example, I ran searches from Memphis to Maui round-trip in coach across a span from January to April to get a sense of the pricing. Based on this, I know I’ll pay anywhere from 28,500 and 90,000 Delta miles (LOL). If I wanted to travel several months from now and book an award in a month or two, I still have to remember the price could be higher or lower when I’m ready to book.

Bottom line

In the absence of an award chart, Delta flyers have to make their best guesstimate for how many miles are required for an award ticket on Delta flights and they have ways to figure out the best price for a seat with Delta’s airline partners.

It’s easy to run searches on Delta’s website — and select international partner awards still represent huge value and savings with Delta miles when traveling to the Middle East, Central America, and a couple of other choice locations. Even adding a partner segment to your award can drop the price, but not always, as there are plenty of anomalies.

Ultimately, the best approach to Delta miles is to set a goal, then collect the miles you need – not the other way around. With some searching, there are still values to unlock, though they’re becoming harder to find a solution Delta marches toward revenue-based rewards where your miles are worth 1 cent each — not to mention their continual devaluation of partner awards.

Do your best and keep poking around until you find what you’re looking for.

Drew Macomber

Contributor

Drew founded the points and miles site Travelisfree.com in 2011 and has also worked with The Points Guy. He and his wife spent years traveling nomadically until they sold Travel is Free in 2019.

More Topics

Travel is Free

Join the Discussion!

You May Also Like

BonusTracker: Best credit card bonus offers

June 14, 2021 4

Best Hilton credit cards: Improved weekend night certificates, earning rates and more

June 12, 2021 2

Our Favorite Partner Cards

Popular posts.

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

Get Closer to Earning Delta Status When You Book a Hotel or Rental Car for a Limited Time

Score 1 Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) per $1 spent plus miles when you book hotels, vacation rentals, and car rentals.

benedek/Getty Images

Having elite status can get you the finer things in life, and Delta’s latest promotion may just put you in reach.

“For a limited time, earn $1 Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) per $1 spent plus miles when you book hotels, vacation rentals, and car rentals with Delta through June 24, 2024," the airline shared .

To score the rewards, travelers can log on to the Delta Travel Extras portal with their Delta SkyMiles number to book hotels, vacation homes, and rental cars. As every dollar spent accrues one Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD), fliers can quickly earn their way to Delta elite status in other ways besides flying.

Delta’s Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) are different from SkyMiles, the latter of which are redeemable for free flights. The following MQD thresholds are required to qualify for Delta Medallion status:

• Silver Medallion - $6,000 MQDs
• Gold Medallion - $12,000 MQDs
• Platinum Medallion - $18,000 MQDs
• Diamond Medallion - $35,000 MQDs

Travelers typically earn 1 MQD per $1 spent on flights operated by Delta or partner airlines. Once a certain threshold is achieved, elite status will be granted to the member for the remainder of the year — and the entire year thereafter. 

Spending $35,000 on Delta flights to earn top-tier Diamond status might be out of reach for most travelers. However, the opportunity to earn elite points from hotels and rental cars for a limited time may help them reach that next tier of elite status. 

Earning MQDs from a few of Delta’s personal and business credit cards, which come with a $2,500 MQD headstart for the qualification year, is also possible. Delta Platinum cardholders can earn 1 MQD per $20 spent on purchases, while Delta Reserve cardholders can earn 1 MQD per $10 spent. 

The top-tier Delta Reserve has an exclusive card design right now made out of the airline’s retired Boeing 747 aircraft. Travelers who want their hands on a piece of history — and rack up a ton of MQDs — should consider adding this limited-edition card to their wallet. 

Related Articles

Delta Award Travel: 5 tricks to Delta’s improved award search calendar

by Dan Miller | Nov 17, 2014 | airlines , delta | 8 comments

The award chart still isn’t great (not a ton of decent redemptions), but one-way awards are coming as part of the Delta Skymiles 2015 changes , and yesterday, Delta rolled out changes (improvements?) to their award search calendar.  I first read about it on View from the Wing ,

This is great news for me since I live in a city (Cincinnati – CVG) that USED to be a Delta hub, which means I have all of the negatives of a hub (few routes from other airlines, higher overall prices due to lack of competition) but without any of the benefits (lots of flights!)  Delta does still offer a fair number of direct flights, including our only European non-stop (to Paris / CDG)

Here are 5 tricks to help you search the Delta Award Travel booking engine

Flexible Dates – 5 day view and Flexible Calendar

When you go to Delta.com , you can search for award availability through their homepage widget

One of the options that it lets you pick is to search by “Flexible Days” (pictured), which will give you a 5×5 matrix of departure and return days

That is somewhat useful, but even more useful is the “5 Weeks” option (pictured below)

Choosing that will give you the following display results

IMO, it’s much easier to see at a glance what kind of availability there is (very similar to ITA Matrix ).  Note that if you are choosing a roundtrip Delta award travel, it will only select departure and arrival dates based on the number of days in your ORIGINAL request.  So in my example, I chose 8 days between departure and return, so my flexible date search will only choose 8 day searches.

One-way awards

I find the Delta award travel flexible date search most useful when doing a one-way search.  That way you can build out the actual flights that you want to take.  Keep in mind that you still can not BOOK a one-way award flight (until 2015).

LET ME REPEAT: YOU CAN NOT BOOK A ONE-WAY AWARD ON DELTA UNTIL 2015 (so all prices will be displayed as the roundtrip price).

Anecdotally, I’ve still noticed some timing out

Filtering by Non-stop flights

You can also filter by non-stop flights.  Again, this is most useful when you are trying to piece together a more complex itinerary.  I was having trouble with the booking engine just crapping out on me, so this is another reason to try and find availability one segment at a time.

For example, if I do the same CVG-SLC search but only showing non-stops

Instead of multiple days of availability, we only have 2 dates (Feb 23 and Mar 9).  Again, this is based on an 8-day roundtrip cycle (so in order to show a 25,000 mile price BOTH the departure and the return must have saver availability.  If I change it to a one-way search, I get much better availability

This is useful because it lets me plan my trip based on when there is availability.  If I’m more flexible on my dates, I can save on price (HELLO Traveler’s Triangle !)

(READ: The truth of the traveler’s triangle: The relationship between Time, Price and Location )

View available seats for Delta award travel

Another thing that is useful is being able to see what seats are available on the flight.  I don’t think this shows how many seats are eligible for an award flight, but it can give you a basic idea.

Once you pick your dates and then your flights, select View Seats.  Here’s an example from Delta’s partner Virgin Australia’s LAX-SYD (one of the best redemptions for Delta miles, at 50,000 one-way in economy or 80,000 in Business)

After you click on View Seats, you get a popup which shows you the available seats (in white)

This does seem to map up mostly (but not completely) with SeatGuru.com.  Of course, this doesn’t actually tell you how many of those open seats are available at the Saver level of award space, but it still can give a basic idea.

Viewing partner inventory

There is also a toggle on the main screen to be able to choose Delta availability or Delta + Partner availability.  I’m not sure why you would want to limit it to Delta only, but you do have that option.  Delta’s website claims that if you choose partner availability, the search may be “slower” but I did not notice any appreciable slowdowns.

It claims to show “all” partner availability, but there have not been any updates to which partner availability is shown – so airlines like China Eastern, Kenya Airways and Air Tahiti Nui are still not displayed.

Does this help navigate some of the recent changes?  Leave your best tips in the comments!

Newsletter Signup

Join the PWaC newsletter filled with credit card and travel tips

You have Successfully Subscribed!

User Generated Content Disclosure: Points With a Crew encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.

Sharing is Caring!

More from points with a crew.

Wow! Great research!!! I’ve been playing around with the Delta award search engine as well and this post helped a lot!

SKyteam members like Aerolineas Argentinas is not available in the search.

Yeah it looks like only certain partners are (still) available for search on delta.com

This is insane! The Delta awards site is slower than molasses in January. What gives? I did finally log out and try from the home page. Better, but how can I make it all faster. This is worse than dial-up.

Wow, so glad I happened upon all your recent Delta posts as I’ve been wondering what to do with my stash of Delta miles for an upcoming trip. Am so thrilled to hear their award search calendar was upgraded as their last one was such garbage. I’m going to go check out the new system now but it looks promising from your preview.

I’m trying to get from Santiago Chile (one way only) to Auckland NZ in late February for the least skymiles as possible. So I’m thinking it’ll be better for me to wait until Jan 2015 to book since they’ll finally honor one-way redemption then. Would you agree with this strategy?

Yes if you want to do a one-way ticket I’d wait till Jan 2015. Also, take a look at my post on the complete list of award chart changes – business class from Southern South America to the Southwest Pacific is actually going DOWN in price (from 95,000 to 90,000 miles) starting in January.

Don’t forget to follow me or sign up for the daily email if you want to make sure to keep seeing deals and posts like this!

I found that some airports like tsn which are serviced by Korean air are not in the delta master table so the query will fail with a message about that airport code is not available online, but I found a work-around. you search for a real airport first and get the listing of flights. then choose advanced options and change the airport code to what you really want and press search. you will get error message displayed. now hit the back button on browser and the other search will refill probably with the airport code you desire. It takes a little playing with the system bu findFlights.action will eventually show the flights and right pricing if it exists.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Follow Points with a Crew

Recent posts.

• Save Up to 25% With IHG’s Summer Sale! (Book By Tuesday)
• Kickstarter – ChargeMax丨Ultra-slim Power Bank
• Are You Eligible For The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card?
• Should you buy Choice points with a 30% discount? (Deal Ends Friday)
• 5 reasons I keep recommending the Chase Sapphire Preferred for people starting out (75K welcome offer)

Recent Comments

• C J on Are You Eligible For The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card?
• Mudd on Should you buy Choice points with a 30% discount? (Deal Ends Friday)
• Dee on How To Take Bus 351 From Paris to CDG Airport (But Maybe You Don’t Want To)
• Dan Miller on Air France Airbus A350-900 Review Paris – Newark (CDG-EWR)
• VC on Air France Airbus A350-900 Review Paris – Newark (CDG-EWR)

Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market.  See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our  credit card rating methodology .

Delta SkyMiles Flash Sales: How To Find the Best Deals

Katie Seemann

Senior Content Contributor and News Editor

344 Published Articles 53 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 28 U.S. States Visited: 29

Jessica Merritt

Editor & Content Contributor

88 Published Articles 499 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 4 U.S. States Visited: 23

Stella Shon

News Managing Editor

92 Published Articles 648 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 25 U.S. States Visited: 22

Table of Contents

What are delta skymiles flash sales, how to find delta skymiles deals, previous delta skymiles deals, how to earn more delta skymiles, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

The Delta SkyMiles program gets its fair share of criticism from the points and miles community. Switching to dynamic pricing has led to inconsistent and sometimes incredibly inflated prices. However, it’s not all doom and gloom.

Before you assume your SkyMiles are worthless, you’ll want to pay attention to Delta SkyMiles flash Sales . These somewhat random, limited-time sales pop up from time to time, offering huge discounts on award flights. If you watch for these deals, you may get a ton of value from your SkyMiles.

This post discusses Delta SkyMiles flash sales and how to find them. Plus, we show you some additional ways to save on your Delta award tickets.

Delta SkyMiles flash sales, also known as Delta SkyMiles Deals, Delta SkyMiles specials, or simply Delta SkyMiles sales, are limited-time deals offering great prices when using Delta SkyMiles.

How To Get Great Value From Delta SkyMiles

While the Delta SkyMiles program is often the punch line in jokes about bad redemption value, there are still great opportunities to get excellent value from your miles.

It’s true that award prices on Delta flights can often be out of control. We’d take a hard pass on 200,000+ miles for a one-way flight in Delta One. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any good Delta redemptions anymore.

Take a look at this example that we randomly chose. While the cost of a Delta One award ticket is astronomical, a basic economy round-trip flight between JFK and LHR is only 44,000 miles. That’s not the cheapest we’ve seen, but it’s not a bad price for a budget-conscious traveler who wants to use Delta SkyMiles to book award tickets .

Even though Delta has a reputation for having unpredictable award prices, getting good value from your Delta SkyMiles is still possible. You just need to watch for Delta flash sales and have some flexibility in your travel plans to schedule your trip around the best possible award prices.

Delta SkyMiles deals can be hard to find because they aren’t always announced, so you need to have some luck or know where to look.

Current SkyMiles Deals Page

You’ll find current Delta sales on the SkyMiles Deals page. Head to Delta’s website and click on SkyMiles>SkyMiles Award Deals or use the direct link .

This can be an incredibly useful page because the deals can be sorted by departure airport, so you can easily narrow down the options to ones from your home airport.

One of the great things about this SkyMiles Deals page, in addition to its ease of use, is that many smaller airports are included. So, even if you don’t live near a Delta hub, you can still find great deals from your airport.

Sale prices usually hover between 12,000 to 15,000 miles for a round-trip domestic economy ticket , but we’ve seen prices as low as 4,500 miles one-way.

Most of the deals listed here are for round-trip domestic flights, but some international destinations are also sprinkled in. We’ve even seen flights to the Caribbean for as few as 12,000 Delta SkyMiles round-trip in economy .

The Delta SkyMiles Deals page easily finds current sale prices on flights from your home airport.

Delta Flash Sales

Occasionally, Delta will run flash sales. These sales are often unannounced, so they can be hard to find. However, we’ve got you covered. Our team digs up these deals and will share them with our readers when we find a great sale.

Be sure to sign up for the UP Pulse newsletter to stay on top of Delta SkyMiles flash sales and other points and miles news.

Save an Additional 15% on Award Prices

You can save 15% on Delta SkyMiles award tickets by having a Delta credit card in your wallet. This perk, called “TakeOff 15,” is available on most Delta personal and business credit cards (excluding the Delta SkyMiles ® Blue American Express Card ).

This 15% discount applies to Delta SkyMiles flash sale and regular prices.

Here’s a look at previous Delta SkyMiles deals so you can get a feel for the types of sales to look out for:

• Round-trip to London in economy for 40,000 Delta SkyMiles
• Round-trip to Australia in economy for 70,000 Delta SkyMiles
• Round-trip to the Caribbean in economy for 12,000 Delta SkyMiles
• Round-trip to Columbia in economy for 20,000 Delta SkyMiles

There are many ways to earn Delta SkyMiles , but the quickest method is through Delta co-branded credit cards. Earning the welcome bonus on 1 or more of these cards is a great way to get a lot of Delta SkyMiles quickly.

This card provides bonus SkyMiles on all purchases, along with a free checked bag, priority boarding, and discounted award flights.

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with  no credit score impact.

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Frequent Delta flyers will love the Delta SkyMiles ® Gold American Express Card . The card offers great benefits that will help save you money, effectively mimics low-level elite status with Delta SkyMiles, and helps you earn miles even faster, all for a low annual fee. Let’s dive into the benefits to see if the Delta Gold card is a good fit for your needs.

• $100 Delta Stays Credit: You can earn up to $100 back annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com .
• Receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel after you spend $10,000 in purchases in a year.
• Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• Moderate annual fee
• Earn rate for Delta flights is relatively low compared to other travel cards
• Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Enjoy a $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $150.
• Delta SkyMiles ® Gold American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• $200 Delta Flight Credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases in a year, you can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel.
• Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
• You can check your first bag free on Delta flights, saving up to $60 on a round-trip Delta flight per person. For a family of four that’s a potential savings of up to $240 per round-trip flight.
• Receive Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
• $100 Delta Stays Credit: Delta SkyMiles ® Gold American Express Card Members can earn up to $100 back annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com.
• Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
• Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases after using your Card.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• With Send & Split ® , you can send money and split your Card purchases with any other Venmo or PayPal user, directly from the Amex App. Enroll today.
• Terms Apply.
• APR: 20.99%-29.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Delta SkyMiles Frequent Flyer Program

Receive 2x SkyMiles on Delta purchases, priority boarding, a free checked bag, and discounted award flights.

If Delta Air Lines is your first choice for business travel, and you’re always looking for more ways to earn Delta SkyMiles, this could be a great card option.

Being able to board the plane early and check your bag for free makes all the difference for a smooth flight. Plus, getting discounts on inflight purchases keeps money in your pocket and your small business.

It’s for those reasons and more that you choose to make purchases with the Delta SkyMiles ® Gold Business American Express Card .

• Save 15% On Award Travel With TakeOff 15. Not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• 2x SkyMiles per $1 on purchases made directly with Delta and at restaurants
• 2x SkyMiles per $1 on U.S. purchases for advertising in select media and on U.S. shipping purchases on up to $50,000 in eligible purchases per category, per year.
• Doesn’t earn transferable rewards
• Welcome Offer: Earn 55,000 Bonus Miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
• Card Members save 15% when booking Award Travel with miles on Delta flights when using delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• Additionally, you can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel after you spend $10,000 in purchases in a year.
• Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases at U.S. Shipping providers and at U.S. providers for Advertising in select media on up to $50,000 of purchases per category, per year.
• Earn 2 Miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on every eligible dollar spent at restaurants.
• Earn 1 Mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases.
• Check and stow your bag with ease: First Checked Bag Free on Delta Flights + Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding.
• Elevate your travel experience with an annual statement credit of up to $150 after using your Delta Gold American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.
• Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel overseas.
• Terms and limitations apply.
• APR: 20.99% - 29.99% Variable

Frequent Delta travelers will enjoy this card's bonus categories, benefits, and ability to reach higher levels of elite status.

The Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum American Express Card can be a great option for those seeking additional ways to obtain a higher level of status — or to maintain their current status — with the airline.

A key feature of this card is the ability to earn bonus Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) that are essential for earning Delta status. This could help you get closer to earning a handful of valuable benefits with the airline.

• 3x SkyMiles per $1 spent on Delta purchases
• 3x SkyMiles per $1 spent on purchases made directly with hotels
• 2x SkyMiles per $1 spent at restaurants (including takeout and delivery) and U.S. supermarkets
• $350 annual fee ( rates & fees )
• Does not earn transferable rewards
• Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Receive a Companion Certificate on Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
• Receive $2,500 Medallion ® Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.
• Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• Earn $1 Medallion ® Qualification Dollar for each $20 of purchases made on your Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum American Express Card in a calendar year and get a boost toward achieving Medallion Status for next Medallion Year.
• Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
• Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
• $120 Resy Credit: With the Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum American Express Card Resy Credit, earn up to $10 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases using your enrolled Card.
• $120 Rideshare Credit: You can earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers after you pay with your Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum American Express Card. Enrollment Required.
• Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck ® : Receive $100 back for Global Entry or up to $85 back for TSA PreCheck ® after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members.
• $350 Annual Fee.

Delta Air Lines SkyMiles

Between great perks and the potential to earn plenty of SkyMiles, this card is a must-have for frequent Delta travelers.

As a small business owner and frequent Delta flyer, the Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum Business American Express Card is your go-to credit card.

You like knowing you’re earning 3x SkyMiles per dollar for purchases with Delta; benefits like no foreign transaction fees, priority boarding, and a free checked bag for each flight only sweeten the deal ( rates & fees ).

Plus, you can redeem your SkyMiles for travel on Delta and its partner airlines, saving you money. It’s a no-brainer!

• 3x SkyMiles per $1 spent on Delta and hotel purchases
• 1.5x SkyMiles per $1 spent on purchases of $5,000 or more, up to 50,000 additional SkyMiles per calendar year
• Welcome Offer: Earn 65,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Enjoy a Companion Certificate each year after renewal of your Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum Business American Express Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
• Earn 1.5X miles* on eligible transit and U.S. shipping purchases, plus single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more. Terms and miles cap apply. *If your purchase qualifies for a category that has a higher mileage accelerator, only the higher accelerator will apply.
• Get closer to elevated Status next Medallion ® Year with MQD Headstart and MQD Boost: receive $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $20 of purchases with your Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum Business American Express Card.
• Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum Business American Express Card Members save 15% when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• With the $120 Resy Credit, earn up to $10 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases using your enrolled Card.
• Earn up to $10 back each month after using your enrolled Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum Business American Express Card for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers.
• Not a Medallion Member? Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members. Ticket must be purchased on or after February 1, 2024 to be eligible to receive a complimentary upgrade.
• Elevate your travel experience with an annual statement credit of up to $200 after using your Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum Business American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.

Delta Air Lines SkyMiles Frequent Flyer Program

Delta loyalists will love the fast track to Delta elite status, lounge access, baggage benefits, and upgrade priority with the Delta Reserve card.

The Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve American Express Card is a stellar option for frequent travelers who always fly with Delta thanks to its MQD Headstart towards status boost, lounge access, annual companion certificate, and many other great benefits.

Here is a full look at everything the Delta Reserve card can offer to you to help you decide whether the card deserves a place in your wallet.

• 3x SkyMiles per $1 on Delta purchases
• 1x SkyMile per $1 on all other eligible purchases
• Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights.
• $650 annual fee ( rates & fees )
• No bonus categories other than Delta purchases
• Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Reserve your piece of history with the new limited edition Boeing 747 Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve American Express Card design.
• Enjoy complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club ® and bring up to two guests or immediate family members at a rate of $50 per person per visit when flying Delta. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
• Receive four Delta Sky Club ® One-Time Guest Passes each year when you fly together on Delta. After that, you may bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 per person, per location.
• Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion ® Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
• Earn $1 Medallion ® Qualification Dollar for each $10 of purchases made on your Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve American Express Card in a calendar year and get a boost toward achieving elevated Medallion Status for next Medallion Year.
• Receive a Companion Certificate on First Class, Delta Comfort+ ® , or Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
• $240 Resy Credit: With the Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve American Express Card Resy Credit, earn up to $20 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases using your enrolled Card.
• $120 Rideshare Credit: You can earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers after you pay with your Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve American Express Card. Enrollment Required.
• Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• With your Card receive upgrade priority over other Medallion Members within the same Medallion level and fare class.
• Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members.
• Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
• $650 Annual Fee.

Delta SkyMiles Airline Loyalty Program

Receive priority boarding, complimentary access to Delta Sky Club and Centurion Lounges, concierge support, and an annual companion certificate.

The Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve Business American Express Card is a premium card option for small business owners who are both frequent travelers and Delta loyalists.

While the annual fee may be steep, the card comes loaded with perks and benefits that all frequent Delta flyers are sure to love. Let’s take a look at what makes the card unique, and why it may be a great fit for your wallet.

• 3x miles per dollar on Delta purchases
• 1.5x miles per dollar on eligible transit, U.S. shipping and office supply stores, plus all eligible purchases after you spend $150,000 in a year
• High annual fee
• Does not earn many miles for purchases outside of Delta spend
• Welcome Offer: Earn 75,000 Bonus Miles after spending $10,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Reserve your piece of history with the new limited edition Boeing 747 Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve Business American Express Card design.
• Enter Delta Sky Club ® at no cost. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
• Earn 3 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases.
• Get closer to elevated Status next Medallion ® Year with MQD Headstart and MQD Boost: receive $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 on purchases with your Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve Business American Express Card.
• With the $240 Resy Credit, earn up to $20 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases using your enrolled Card.
• Earn up to $10 back each month after using your enrolled Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve Business American Express Card for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers.
• Save 15% when booking Award Travel on Delta flights. Not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• Not a Medallion Member? Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members.
• As a benefit of Card Membership, you can check your first bag free on Delta flights, saving up to $60 on a round-trip Delta flight per person. For a family of four that’s a potential savings of up to $240 per round-trip flight.
• When you purchase a Delta flight with your Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve Business Card, you will receive complimentary access to The Centurion ® Lounge or Escape Lounge – The Centurion ® Studio Partner.
• Elevate your travel experience with an annual statement credit of up to $250  after using your Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve Business American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.

You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards to Delta if you just need to top off your account for a specific redemption. However, that’s not the best way to use your Amex points since you’ll have to pay an excise tax offset fee based on the number of miles you transfer. Because of that, limiting your transfers of Amex points to Delta to just small amounts when needed is best.

Who doesn’t love a good sale? Delta Air Lines definitely has a reputation for inflated award ticket pricing, but all hope is not lost — there are still good Delta redemptions out there. Using the Delta SkyMiles Deals page and looking for Delta flash sales are 2 ways to find excellent award ticket prices. You’ll save even more (15%, to be exact) on top of the sale prices when you hold select Delta credit cards.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles ® Blue American Express Card, click here . For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles ® Gold American Express Card, click here . For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles ® Gold Business American Express Card, click here . For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum American Express Card, click here . For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum Business American Express Card, click here . For rates and fees of Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve American Express Card, click here . For rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve Business American Express Card, click here .

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i get alerts for delta flash sales.

Delta doesn’t usually send out alerts for flash sales. However, we’re always on the lookout and will post about great Delta sales when we see them. Be sure to join the UP Pulse newsletter to have new articles, including deal alerts, delivered to your inbox weekly.

Do Delta prices go down on Tuesdays?

They could, but it’s not a sure thing. The idea that airline ticket prices are cheapest on Tuesdays is a common misconception. In reality, there’s little rhyme or reason to airline prices, and there’s no pattern for when prices change.

When are the Delta flash sales?

You can find current Delta award deals on the SkyMiles Deals page on Delta’s website. However, Delta flash sales aren’t generally announced ahead of time. You’re in the right place because we post great Delta deals on UpgradedPoints.com .

Do Delta flights ever go on sale?

Yes! Delta flights do go on sale from time to time. You’ll find current sales on the Delta SkyMiles Award Deals page .

Was this page helpful?

About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE ™

Get the  latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's  privacy policy   and  terms of service   apply.

UP's Bonus Valuation

This bonus value is an estimated valuation  calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.

• American AAdvantage
• United MileagePlus
• Delta SkyMiles
• British Airways Executive Club
• Southwest Rapid Rewards
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Alaska Mileage Plan
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Hilton Honors
• IHG One Rewards
• World of Hyatt
• Accor Live Limitless
• Radisson Rewards
• Amex Membership Rewards
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Rewards
• Capital One Rewards
• Brex Rewards
• Bank Rewards Cards
• Airline Cards
• Hotel Cards
• Business Cards
• Cashback Cards
• 0% APR & Balance Transfer Cards
• Best Cards for Everyday Spending
• Best Cards for Dining
• Best Cards for Groceries
• Best Cards for Gas
• Best Cards for Travel
• Best Cards for Purchase Protection
• Best Cards for Elite Status
• Best Cards for Lounge Access
• How a Signup Bonus Works
• Types of Card Benefits
• Credit Card Application Rules
• Managing Your Credit Score
• Meeting Spending Requirements
• Buy Points and Miles Promotions
• Types of Reward Points
• Airline Partners & Alliances
• Which Flights Are Bookable With Miles
• Finding Award Availability
• Miles Needed for a Free Flight
• Track Your Points
• Mile Transfer Times
• Merchant Lookup Tool
• Reverse Merchant Lookup
• Credit Card Spend Analysis
• Transaction Analyzer
• Travel Trends
• Advertiser Disclosure

The Unofficial Delta SkyMiles Award Chart for Flights from the U.S.

AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. Terms Apply to the offers listed on this page. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers .

The Delta SkyMiles loyalty program can be frustrating at times. The absence of a defined award chart, sometimes astronomical award pricing, and all too frequent devaluations are cringe-worthy — such as the massive change to the program announced in September . Knowing which awards present great (or even fair) value is a challenge — even for those who regularly pay attention to the program.

To alleviate some of the award price unclarity, we've tracked tens of thousands of Delta award prices since the beginning of 2023. Below, you'll find the cheapest and average prices that we've seen this year.

Here's a look into the new unofficial Delta award chart and an overview of the state of the SkyMiles program.

Why Delta Removed Its Award Charts

Airlines like Delta Air Lines have done away with award charts to move toward dynamic award pricing models. Rather than defining how many miles it costs to fly from city A to city B, most airlines now adjust the price of awards based on a ticket's demand. Without an award chart, award rates are unpredictable — as is often the case with Delta.

Generally speaking, eliminating an award chart is better for the airline than the consumer. Airlines can more effectively capture revenue by altering award prices to meet demand instead of fixing them to a chart. With sky-high demand for air travel and travelers with tons of miles to use, it's unsurprising that dynamic pricing models are becoming an industry-wide trend.

Getting outsized value out of points like SkyMiles is more challenging when pricing is dynamic instead of fixed. And that's part of the goal for airlines.

Dynamic pricing doesn't mean the end of points and miles but encourages us to help keep the airline transparent. The unofficial award chart will show the minimum number of SkyMiles required to book flights sold and operated by Delta. These saver-level awards do not show partner awards, whose pricing is more or less at parity with Delta's own flights.

Delta SkyMiles Award Chart for Flights From the U.S.

Here's the minimum number of SkyMiles you can expect to pay for Delta award flights originating from the United States.

Finding the bare minimum award can be challenging at times. So, as a better point of reference, we've also included the average SkyMiles award price for the same destinations. Here's the average number of SkyMiles you can expect to pay for Delta award flights from the United States:

From what we've seen, the maximum SkyMiles award pricing is generally 495,000 SkyMiles each way. In some cases, this extraordinarily high rate is even charged for one-way economy awards.

Delta SkyMiles Award Price Updates

We've done our best to track Delta's award pricing updates over the years. Unfortunately, many changes may have gone unnoticed as saver-level award prices were slightly increased.

Below, you can see the significant changes we've caught when they were adjusted. Thankfully, Delta hasn't made any large-scale devaluations in quite some time, instead focusing on making gradual tweaks to partner award pricing.

• October 2016: Delta jacked up the award rates on business class awards to India by 40%
• August 2017: Delta increases prices on partner Premium cabin awards to Europe/Asia booked within 21 days of departure
• March 2018: Delta lowers the cost of partner award fares to North Asia, dropping business-class redemptions from 95K to 85K and dropping economy pricing from 40K to 35K
• April 2018: Delta lowers the cost of partner award fares to Europe, dropping business-class redemptions from 85K to 75K and dropping economy pricing from 35K to 32.5K
• April 2018: Increased Southern South America economy class prices from 30k to 35k. The date that the increase occurred is unknown.
• June 2018: Delta-operated flights to Europe increased from 70k to 82k for one-way bookings in Delta One (business class)
• March 2019: Delta-operated flights to Europe increase to 105K one-way in Delta One. The lowest partner awards remain at 75K, although most are now 86K.
• October 2020: Delta devalues partner awards to Europe and Asia without notice
• February 2021: Delta SkyMiles further devalues partner awards to Europe and Asia
• September 2023:  A previous sweet spot for business-class awards included starting in Mexico before flying to Australia or Europe for cheaper pricing, but Delta has removed this.

Best Credit Cards to Earn Delta SkyMiles

Even though they can be somewhat of a challenge to redeem for true value, Delta still makes it incredibly easy to earn SkyMiles. This is due in large part to its expansive co-branded credit card lineup.

You can earn SkyMiles via any of Delta's seven co-branded American Express cards:

• Delta SkyMiles ® Blue American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles ® Gold American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles ® Gold Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles ® Platinum Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve Business American Express Card

Given how frustrating the Delta SkyMiles program can be, you might find more value in earning transferable points with your credit card swipes instead of SkyMiles. For example, Membership Rewards points transfer to Delta at a 1:1 ratio. You can transfer points to Delta if you find a Delta flight you want to book. Otherwise, American Express has a long list of other Amex transfer partners where you can maximize your Membership Rewards.

Cards that earn Membership Rewards include:

• The Platinum Card ® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express
• American Express ® Gold Card
• American Express ® Business Gold Card

The TakeOff15 Benefit

In early 2023, Delta added a perk to its American Express co-branded credit card lineup, letting cardholders save 15% on select SkyMiles awards tickets booked through Delta. Depending on the route, this perk could provide decent value, such as on short-haul economy awards and saver business awards — should you find one.

For example, you could snag a flight between Raleigh-Durham (RDU) and Orlando (MCO) for as little as 3,800 SkyMiles plus $6 — if you were a Delta SkyMiles American Express cardholder.

Delta's award price hikes could quickly negate the benefit offered by this perk, so booking an award ticket at or around the minimum saver-level price would provide the most value.

Unfortunately, the Delta SkyMiles ® Blue American Express Card doesn't qualify for the benefit.

Delta SkyMiles Partner Award Pricing

Like award flights on its metal, Delta doesn't publish an award chart for partner airlines. The absence of partner award charts is also frustrating, given that partner awards used to be a sweet spot for SkyMiles usage — as we noted when we first drafted an unofficial Delta award chart two short years ago.

When comparing partner award prices to Delta award prices nowadays, you'll likely notice that the fares are similar — a function of dynamic pricing.

Here's an example of a one-way flight between Atlanta (ATL) and Amsterdam (AMS) later this year. For illustrative purposes, we looked at November 13, 2023 — one of the “cheapest” days of the month to fly between the two airports using SkyMiles.

Air France and Delta economy class fares are almost identical — separated by only a couple thousand SkyMiles.

These award prices are (comparatively) extremely high.

When looking at another SkyTeam loyalty program, such as Flying Blue, there's value to be found by flying Delta (or a SkyTeam partner) to Amsterdam on November 13, but not when booked with SkyMiles.

Unfortunately, booking partner flights with Delta isn't the value haven it used to be.

SkyMiles Partner Awards More on Flights Less Than 60 Days Away

Travelers should note that the price of partner awards increases closer to the departure date. For those seeking greater flexibility — and to extract greater value from their SkyMiles — booking awards more than 60 days out is critical.

For example, if you were trying to book a flight on Virgin Atlantic between Los Angeles (LAX) and London (LHR), you'll find greater value in booking for later in the year than next week. A few months apart, here's a price comparison on the same route.

For September 6, 2023:

And for December 6, 2023:

If you plan on booking a partner award flight, you'll want to ensure it's far enough out that you're paying a reasonable amount for the ticket. It could mean the difference between paying 109% more for the same award.

The Bottom Line

Maximizing Delta SkyMiles has become more difficult since the airline eliminated its award chart in 2015. Frequent program devaluations over the past few have complicated matters even more. To alleviate some of the unclarity with Delta's award pricing, we've revamped our unofficial award chart for Delta flights from the United States.

Knowing the minimum and average number of SkyMiles required to book a Delta-operated flight sets a helpful baseline as you book your next award.

Delta's consistent devaluation of the SkyMiles program is also a reminder to consider taking advantage of flexible rewards programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy. Transferable point programs take the stress out of managing expectations with a program such as Delta SkyMiles. Instead, you can move points to partner airlines to book award flights that provide the best value for your points.

The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail Notify me of followup posts via e-mail

Does anyone smart know why Delta flight awards are not available to Nairobi from some cities in the U.S. like AUS or MCO? Maybe due to SkyTeam partners flying direct to Europe from those cities?

I need to up-date my address and phone number in order to use my awards.

I tried on the web but it would not allow me to change.

I’m afraid that we at AwardWallet are unable to help you. Please contact Delta representatives directly.

Can I use miles for flights from the same alliance? Have the chart for South American flights?

The “SkyMiles Partner” columns should be the minimum price for flights on SkyTeam partners.

Thanks! We earned a bunch of Delta miles a while back (flying China Airlines) as Delta had the most generous expiration policy. However, being Delta newbies, I wasn’t able to figure out what we could do with the miles we earned. Very helpful article!

I hope that the partner availability will be the same for quite a long time.

This is a great resource and the hard work is appreciated, but this chart isn’t even remotely accurate for US-Japan Award Tickets. Delta Economy awards are consistently between 100,000-150000 miles depending on the airport and Delta One is something ridiculous like 600000. This is a route I fly very often so monitor it closely. I don’t waste my time with Delta when it comes to award redemptions on that route.

It used to be fun to keep up with all these changes, but now it’s becoming an anxiety filled full-time job!

Thank you very much for this! I had no idea the default miles cost was higher for flying a partner, or that it made a difference if the first international leg was delta or a partner. I’m now wishing I’d paid closer attention to this on my last award flight :/

It makes me sad that this is a necessity of life with Delta. They have such Great service otherwise =/

This is super helpful. Many thanks for your tireless research.

Thanks for the info. Feels like getting harder to use delta mileages though.

seems like skypesos are better utilized on partner awards.

Interesting to note that the Partner awards from US to Europe and Africa require less points than Delta awards. And the amount in business class to South Africa is 320,000 points less!

Thanks for this helpful information. Great for planning purposes.

Is there a chart for AA e UA?

AA has a published award chart. Now that United is headed for dynamic pricing, we’ll have to work on making one for them.

Incredibly helpful. As someone who travels with kids, the variability in pricing is that much worse because I’m often looking for 4 tickets — so a 5-10K difference multiplied times 4 can be hard to plan for.

Hey Leslie, one quick tip: If you travel with two adults, you might try booking two separate reservation to save on miles.

For example, if you search for 2 passengers, you might find 25k for a round trip. Then if you search for 2 more, the price may be 35k for a round trip. So you could end up with 120K total. But if you just search for 4 travelers, you’ll pay 35K x 4 or 140K total.

If for some reason you can’t book the second set of tickets, you can always cancel within 24 hours.

Can you tell me the trick and routing to go SEA-MNL and SGN-SEA teh cheapest mile award in Jan-Feb 2020?

Unfortunately, the answer often just requires a bit of searching. If you can’t find something, we work with several excellent booking services that can do the heavy lifting.

thanks for the comprehensive guide!!!

This chart is fantastic and super convenient! Thank you for this post!

Thanks for this. We’ve got some Delta miles to use!

This is helpful to understand their award pricing. I sometimes struggle to find good award pricing on the website, but have also found that Delta has some really great promotions. If you can book your flight as soon as the promotion is announced, you can get some great deals!

I found this chart to be very helpful. I wish it would remain static.

Great guide though as we have seen with Delta this may change at literally any second.

This is a great planning guide for Delta miles. I hope AA doesnt follow suite.

Sorry I have become skeptical of all point schemes since the race to the bottom started…..

Difficult to know how many Delta Miles to save when the dynamic pricing is involved. Cash is so much more versatile.

There is no such thing as a “best” card to earn Skypesos. They are all crap, befitting a crappy program

weak chart to asia from US, there are better redemptions out there

(particularly for F & J)

Well it seems after reading this that the best strategy is to redeem Delta SkyMiles early and as often as possible, because they will likely be worth far less in the future. .

It is funny how most DL awards are chart based but DL does not admit it.

I wish they kept things simple like before with an award chart. They are decent airlines though.

To me it is quite interesting that Delta charges less Skypesos to travel on a partner airline than on Delta itself! But then numerous foreign carriers require you to pay to reserve a seat. Any thoughts on the Skypesos differential?

Thanks! This is helpful. I wish it wasn’t necessary.

Thanks for posting this. As mentioned, sometimes you do just need to get lucky, but it is good to know what to expect.

We should have periodic updates on the unofficial award charts.

Thanks a lot. As a cheepskate (or seeker of the best value, to be specific, finding the lowest mile redemption is exactly what I am looking for. This is useful in comparing how many miles a destination will take with other mileage plans also.

The future of miles. Gradually worth less and less…

I think the easiest way to avoid partner award pricing is to credit the miles to those partners from the get-go. I credit Delta miles to Virgin Atlantic or Korean Skypass, American Airlines to Etihad and United to Avianca or Turkish and I don’t have those issues. The only domestic airline I credit to and maintain status with is Alaska.

I used to maintain status on the other ones as well and was a Global at United but found the value of that having become too diluted.

I remember once looking for a mileage ticket with Delta from DCA to LGA and they quoted 68,000 miles. Hahahaha.

It frightens me when I think that people involved in the administration of these programs could run for public office and start devaluating the pension trust fund, our currency or treasuries the way they manage their own programs. That would be an unparalleled national disaster.

“out of touch”….yeah a bit =/

Flying to hawaii using korean miles is a nice option but can be challenging to execute at times.

The good part about SkyMiles is that they never expire. The bad part about SkyMiles is everything else, pretty much.

It seems extraordinary that Delta still won’t provide accurate details to it’s loyalty members… Very telling as to their appreciation of their loyal customers.

Great post! Looks much better that the click-bait articles from bloggers about DL “charging 135k to Europe”, like that was now the new minimum redemption threshold.

Thanks for putting this together! I live in a Delta hub, so I’ve been looking to get another Delta card and take advantage of some of these routes.

I wonder why it’s cheaper for economy to Europe on partners (25 k) instead of on Delta metal (30 k). At least according to the award chart above.

I have though exactly the same thing! A big mystery.

Delta skymiles are good, but definitely need to know how to use them. At least there is no expiration date, so i dont feel so bad leaving them dormant between redemptions!

Yes, kudos to having no expiration date. However, and it’s a big however, you’ll see from many comments here that you’re still not safe from devaluations. That’s why many of us try to earn and redeem points as soon as possible to protect ourselves as best we can.

I’ve a lot of Delta miles ad I think i’s time to burn them. 10 years ago I was much happier with rewards programs

This is nice information, it helped me in analyzing

very handy stuff. Can we see a similar chart for domestic/Delta, and maybe UAL?

Great suggestion. We’ll put something in the queue 🙂

skypesos at work. With AA and United copying delta with “dynamic” pricing, i guess its only a matter of time before their award charts tries to beat this one

seriously skypesos, the legacy big 3 are racing to have the most worthless miles

Thank you. This will be very handy.

This is very helpful on understanding the current reality of Delta Skymiles. In November I am flying from Boston to London on Delta in Delta One. I used Flying Blue miles.

The reality is grim 🙁

I’m currently waiting for a Delta flight right now. The article is a great reminder that I need to find a good redemption to enjoy my Delta points before they devalue again.

Thanks for the effort with this!

This is great – even unofficially, this is a really helpful planning resource.

There should be more of these charts.

Soaring toward a more sustainable future of travel in Seattle

Delta’s commitment to sustainability is more than a statement – it’s a long-term path to secure a more sustainable future for travel.

This commitment has been on full display in Delta’s Seattle hub, with the Port of Seattle recently recognizing Delta through its Sustainable Century Awards program as having the highest percentage of fuel-efficient aircraft in use at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) in 2023.  

The Sustainable Century Awards recognize the Port of Seattle’s customers and partners for a “demonstrated commitment to exceptional sustainability and equity leadership in operations and/or involvement with the Port and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.”

“The Port of Seattle is known for setting ambitious environmental goals for all Port operations and collaborating closely with nearby communities on aviation noise. We know that, while we are a national leader in many of these respects, we still have work to do to reduce our impacts and be the best neighbor possible,” said Port of Seattle Commission President Hamdi Mohamed. “The Commission prioritizes working with our Port partners to innovate and take on programs that move the Port and our region forward on climate action and noise abatement strategies. We’re excited to recognize the work our partners are doing to amplify our Century Agenda goals and Fly Quiet program.”

“It’s important to recognize these early adopters of environmental stewardships measures that also advance competitive economic advantages for our region,” said Fred Felleman, Port of Seattle Commissioner. “Innovative leaders like those being recognized today set an example for how businesses can create collaborations that result in lessoning impacts on the environment and near-port communities, to advance a sustainable economy.”

Driving fuel savings and updating older aircraft with more modern, fuel-efficient fleet additions are two vital levers that can produce an immediate impact on fuel usage and its associated carbon emissions. Delta continues to invest in and modernize its fleet with state-of-the-art, next generation aircraft. Across its domestic and global network, Delta took delivery of 43 new aircraft in 2023 that were on average 28% more fuel-efficient per seat mile than aircraft retired since 2019.

"Delta’s commitment to sustainability is a commitment to our future of connecting the world while making an impact in the communities we serve,” said Joan Wang, Managing Director – Pacific Northwest for Delta Air Lines. “Continuing to develop a fuel-efficient fleet is vital for the future of sustainable aviation in Washington and across the globe. We are honored to serve as a recipient of the Port of Seattle’s Sustainable Century Award and are grateful for their partnership as we work toward net zero emissions by 2050.”

Delta’s global sustainability strategy is presented through short-, medium- and long-term goals, which focus on what we fly, how we fly, and the fuel we use. For Delta, a commitment to sustainability is a commitment to the business.

Delta takes pride in its position as Seattle’s largest premium global airline. SEA serves as a crucial coastal hub for Delta, operating over 150 peak-day departures from SEA to more than 50 destinations worldwide.

Delta flies to more international destinations than any other carrier at SEA, including to popular cities such as Amsterdam, Cancun, Cabo, Paris and London, as well as multiple domestic destinations in Alaska and Hawaii. Seattle also serves as a key gateway for the airline’s operations across the Pacific, which features four non-stop trans-Pacific destinations, inclusive of existing routes to Incheon (ICN), Tokyo (HND), Taipei (TPE) (starting June 7) and Shanghai (PVG).

Delta marked its 90th anniversary in Seattle in December 2023, a history dating back to the start of operations by Northwest Airways (later Northwest Airlines) in 1933. Delta flights began on June 1, 1980, with nonstop service between SEA and Atlanta (ATL), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Portland (PDX).

• Awards , Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

Delta, Southwest get top marks for customer satisfaction in J.D. Power airline survey

Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines received top marks in J.D. Power’s North American airlines customer satisfaction survey for 2024.

The firm’s results, announced Wednesday, noted that airlines investing in their staff are seeing more satisfied customers despite higher airfares compared to a year ago.

“There are many aspects to the overall air travel experience that airlines cannot control, but one area in which they can profoundly influence is the positive effect that airline staff has on passengers,” Michael Taylor, J.D. Power’s senior managing director of travel, hospitality, retail and customer service, said in a statement. “The big takeaway from this year’s study is the power of people to positively influence the overall flight experience. Airlines that are investing in staff training and recruitment are finding ways to overcome the negative effects of crowded gates and planes simply by being nice to their customers.”

According to the survey, passengers’ main priorities are getting to their destinations easily and safely. That outweighs even ticket price in determining a traveler’s satisfaction with their chosen carrier. 

J.D. Power conducted its survey between March 2023 and March 2024, polling 9,582 passengers who traveled on a major North American airline during that period. Here’s how the carriers broke down.

Delta Air Lines gets top marks in premium cabins

• Delta Air Lines scored highest in both the first/business class and premium economy segments in J.D. Power’s survey, earning 743 points in the former and 716 points in the latter out of a possible 1,000. Delta’s strategy has emphasized premium service in recent years, and that position seems to be paying off.
• JetBlue came in second in the first/business class category with 736 points, and the segment average was 701. Air Canada scored lowest for its most premium cabins, earning 629 points.
• In premium economy, Alaska Airlines took the second spot with 687 points, beating the segment average of 675. 
• Air Canada again scored lowest in the premium economy sector, with 628 points.

Southwest Airlines is a flyer favorite for economy

• Southwest Airlines kept its position as the preferred economy carrier for the third year in a row, earning 685 points. The airline recently announced it is considering changes to its cabin layout and boarding process, which could upend one of the key differentiators between it and other airlines.
• Delta Air Lines was second-favorite among economy travelers with 651 points, beating the segment average of 613.
• Frontier Airlines scored the lowest in customer satisfaction, earning 472 points for its economy offering.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].

6 Delta SkyMiles sweet spots worth saving up for

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

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 1.2 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.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter .

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 75,000 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. $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (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. $350 annual fee (see rates and fees).
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months. $650 annual fee (see rates and fees).
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card : Earn 55,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (see rates and fees).
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card : Earn 65,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership. $350 annual fee (see rates and fees).
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Earn 75,000 Bonus miles after spending $10,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership. $650 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 $8,000 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 is required) 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.

• Travel Planning Center
• Ticket Changes & Refunds
• Airline Partners
• Check-in & Security
• Delta Sky Club®
• Airport Maps & Locations
• Flight Deals
• Flight Schedules
• Destinations
• Onboard Experience
• Delta Cruises
• Delta Vacations
• Delta Car Rentals
• Delta Stays
• Onboard Wi-Fi
• Delta Trip Protection
• How to Earn Miles
• Ways to Redeem Miles
• Buy or Transfer Miles
• Travel with Miles
• SkyMiles Partners & Offers
• SkyMiles Award Deals
• SkyMiles Credit Cards
• SkyMiles Airline Partners
• SkyMiles Program Overview​
• How to Get Medallion Status​
• Benefits at Each Tier
• News & Updates
• Help Center
• Travel Planning FAQs
• Certificates & eCredits
• Accessible Travel Services
• Child & Infant Travel
• Special Circumstances
• SkyMiles Help

TakeOff 15: Delta SkyMiles® American Express Card Member Benefit

TakeOff 15 is an exciting Card benefit exclusively for Delta SkyMiles Gold, Gold Business, Platinum, Platinum Business, Reserve and Reserve Business American Express Card Members. Card Members save 15% when booking Award Travel with miles on Delta flights when using delta.com or the Fly Delta app.* Anytime. Terms apply , Go to footer note .

*Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.

In-page Links

• Current Delta SkyMiles® American Express Card Members , Go to footer note
• Not a Delta SkyMiles® American Express Cardholder? , Go to footer note
• Need to Make a Change to Your Award Travel Ticket? , Go to footer note

Current Card Members 

Eligible Delta SkyMiles® Amex Card Members can enjoy 15% off Award Travel.* Anytime. Here’s how to take advantage of this Card benefit and travel more to the places you love. Terms apply , Go to footer note .

How To Get This Benefit:

• Search for Award Travel by selecting “Shop with Miles” in the search criteria on delta.com or in the Fly Delta app. Be sure to log into your SkyMiles account before searching for best results.
• Select an eligible flight. When you get to check out, you will see the miles savings applied for your itinerary. 
• Use your Delta SkyMiles® American Express Card to earn miles with your Card on any taxes and fees for your itinerary. 

 *Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.

Beach Getaway: 33,000 28,000 Miles + taxes & fees = 5,000 Miles saved with TakeOff 15.

**For example purposes only. Actual flight prices vary.

Not A Delta SkyMiles® American Express Card Member?

Become a Delta SkyMiles® American Express Card Member and start enjoying the TakeOff 15 Card Member benefit in addition to other benefits designed to elevate the way you travel.

Take 15% off when booking Award Travel with miles on Delta flights with your Delta SkyMiles® Gold, Gold Business, Platinum, Platinum Business, Reserve or Reserve Business American Express Card.*

View Terms , Go to footer note

While shopping for Award Travel on delta.com or in the Fly Delta app*:

• Before completing your purchase, you will see a personalized offer for the Delta SkyMiles® American Express Card.
• Apply for a Delta SkyMiles® American Express Card. Upon approval, use your new Card to pay applicable taxes and fees for your booking and start enjoying all your Card benefits. TakeOff 15 benefit will automatically be applied at check out for qualifying Award Travel.

Or, explore our New Card Member offers and choose the Card that’s right for you. Learn More , opens in a new window

*Terms apply.  Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.

Need to Make a Change to Your Award Travel Ticket?

Take advantage of this 15% savings when changing your Award Travel ticket with miles on Delta flights using delta.com or the Fly Delta app*. 

• Log into your SkyMiles account and select your itinerary within My Trips. Select Modify Flights and proceed to search for alternative flights on delta.com or in the Fly Delta app. 
• If your new flight qualifies for the TakeOff 15 benefit mileage savings*, you will see the savings automatically applied.
• Use your eligible Delta SkyMiles® American Express Card to pay for applicable taxes and fees for your booking.

*Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees

Terms and Conditions

Eligibility: Basic Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum and Reserve American Express Card Members, as well as Basic Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum and Reserve Business American Express Card Members (each, an “Eligible Card”), can get at least a fifteen percent (15%) discount off the mileage portion of an Award Ticket (the “TakeOff 15” benefit). Additional Card Members are not eligible. 

Available only if entire itinerary is on Delta and Delta Connection® carrier-operated and ticketed flights booked at delta.com or the FlyDelta app. Not available on flights operated by other carriers. Not available for Pay with Miles, Miles + Cash, seat upgrades purchased after the initial flight booking, or other Delta products or services. Discount only applies to the mileage portion of the Award Ticket fare and does not apply to applicable taxes and fees which must be paid using the Eligible Card. Card Member must be logged-in to a SkyMiles account linked to an Eligible Card to receive the TakeOff 15 benefit discount.  Mileage discount will be greater than or equal to 15% of the overall miles portion for the Award Ticket. An Award Ticket is a ticket issued by Delta pursuant to the SkyMiles Program Rules, by which SkyMiles members may redeem miles and pay applicable government-imposed taxes and fees in exchange for air transportation. All Award Ticket rules apply, as set forth on delta.com and in the specific terms incorporated into your Award Ticket. Award Travel is defined as travel using an Award Ticket. Award Travel seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or in all markets.

SkyMiles account balance must have sufficient miles for the entire Award Ticket(s) being purchased. TakeOff 15 benefit is not combinable with certificates, Delta eCredits, Delta Gift Cards, vouchers, or with any other discounts or promotional offers.

Award Ticket Taxes/Fees:  Award Ticket taxes and fees include only U.S. excise and departure/arrival taxes, airport charges, segment fees, the September 11th Security Fee, and international taxes and fees normally included in the Award Ticket.

Award Ticket Cancellations and Changes: In the event of a voluntary cancellation of the Award Ticket to which the TakeOff 15 benefit was applied, redeemed miles will be redeposited into the Card Member’s SkyMiles account, except for Basic Economy tickets. Current Award Ticket redeposit fees apply. Basic Economy cancellations will result in cancellation charge assessed in miles, as outlined in fare rules. Remaining miles after deduction of the cancellation charge will be redeposited to Card Member’s SkyMiles account. There is no discount applicable to the cancellation charge.    

If changing an Award Ticket after ticketing, discount is applied to the new Award Ticket (if eligible), and the difference in miles will be deducted from the Card Member’s SkyMiles account (if the new Award Ticket mileage amount is higher) or redeposited into the Card Member’s SkyMiles account (if the new Award Ticket mileage amount is lower).  Basic Economy tickets are not eligible for voluntary changes. SkyMiles Member must be an active Basic Delta SkyMiles, Gold, Platinum or Reserve American Express Card Member or Basic Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum or Reserve Business American Express Card Member at time that the Award Ticket is changed to be eligible for the TakeOff 15 benefit on the changed Award Ticket.

Miscellaneous: All SkyMiles Program rules apply to SkyMiles Program membership, miles, offers, mile accrual, mile redemption, and travel benefits. To review the rules, please visit Program Rules. SkyMiles Program and offers are void where prohibited by law, and terms are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions apply.

• Investor Relations
• Business Travel
• Travel Agents
• Comment/Complaint
• Browser Compatibility
• Accessibility
• Booking Information
• Customer Commitment
• Tarmac Delay Plan
• Sustainability
• Contract of Carriage
• Cookies, Privacy & Security
• Human Trafficking Statement (PDF)