Since Delta Air Traces eradicated its award charts in 2015, the SkyMiles program has turn into notably extra unpredictable and, at occasions, outrageously costly. With business-class flights on long-haul routes usually priced at over 450,000 SkyMiles, it is comprehensible to really feel like your SkyMiles steadiness holds little worth.
However in case you have a stockpile of Delta miles, they’re removed from nugatory. Wonderful redemptions are nonetheless obtainable, notably throughout the service’s award gross sales.
So let’s discover some methods for maximizing the worth of your Delta SkyMiles.
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Redeem SkyMiles on Delta flights
You should utilize your Delta SkyMiles to ebook Delta, Delta Connection and Delta Shuttle flights. Since Delta makes use of dynamic pricing, award charges can range considerably. For instance, one-way primary financial system award charges from Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL) vary between 16,500 and 26,000 miles in July and August.
Regardless that summer time journey skews award costs over these dates, vital value volatility is regular. Flexibility is vital if you wish to maximize your SkyMiles.
Taxes and costs are usually affordable on Delta tickets. Count on to pay $6 per individual in taxes and costs on most home and worldwide tickets departing the U.S. Nevertheless, Delta provides carrier-imposed surcharges on many awards exterior the U.S., most notably these originating in Europe.
Hold an eye fixed out for SkyMiles offers
An amazing possibility for redeeming Delta miles is benefiting from SkyMiles offers. These offers usually apply to particular metropolis pairs, so it might be essential to ebook positioning flights to totally maximize these promotions.
Delta has beforehand supplied a flash sale with round-trip flights for simply 5,000 SkyMiles. The airline additionally lately supplied flights from Atlanta to the Caribbean and Mexico beginning at 14,400 Delta SkyMiles round-trip.
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If in case you have no fast use to your SkyMiles, you could be greatest off saving them for the subsequent huge SkyMiles deal. Simply make sure to control Delta’s SkyMiles offers web page.
Save at the very least 15% with choose Delta bank cards
If in case you have an eligible Delta bank card, you may save 15% on Delta-operated award flights if you use your miles and pay the taxes and costs with the cardboard. This is usually a nice possibility to cut back the value you pay on Delta award tickets — and a significant cause to open (and maintain) a Delta card in your pockets.
Learn extra: Greatest Delta bank cards
Rebook when costs drop (or cancel when your plans change)
For flights booked with Delta SkyMiles, so long as your flight is cancellation-eligible, you may reprice your flight. The distinction in miles will likely be redeposited into your account with no payment.
You’ll be able to cancel your award flight for primary financial system reservations, however you need to pay an related mileage payment. For these flights, Delta will deduct 9,900 miles for home journey throughout the U.S. and Canada and 19,900 miles for worldwide journey. This payment is deducted from the worth of your ticket, after which any remaining miles will likely be redeposited again into your SkyMiles account.
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Redeem Delta SkyMiles on associate flights
Delta is a member of the SkyTeam alliance and has eight nonalliance airline companions. This offers you extra flexibility to redeem your SkyMiles on numerous airways and routes throughout the globe. Right here is the whole record of Delta’s airline companions:
SkyTeam companions
- Aerolinas Argentinas
- Aeromexico
- Air Europa
- Air France
- China Airways
- China Japanese Airways
- Garuda Indonesia
- ITA Airways
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- Center East Airways
- Saudia
- Scandinavian Airways
- TAROM
- Vietnam Airways
- Virgin Atlantic
- Xiamen Airways
Nonalliance companions
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Cape Air
- China Southern Airways
- Hawaiian Airways
- LATAM
- Mandarin Airways
- Shanghai Airways
- WestJet
No on-line award charts exist, so you need to search route by route for costs. For partner-operated flights that do not contact the USA, nice offers might be discovered.
For instance, in September and October, flights from Tokyo’s Narita Worldwide Airport (NRT) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) can be found each day for 40,000 SkyMiles in enterprise class.
These are operated by Vietnam Airways through Ho Chi Minh Metropolis’s Tan Son Nhat Worldwide Airport (SGN) or Noi Bai Worldwide Airport (HAN) in Hanoi, and with solely $27 in charges and taxes payable, are glorious redemption choices to your SkyMiles.
In the event you’re flying from Asia to Europe, particularly Taiwan Taoyuan Worldwide Airport (TPE) to Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG), you might snag this nonstop China Airways flight at simply 80,000 SkyMiles plus solely $15 in taxes and costs for round 15 hours in long-haul enterprise class.
Alternatively, flying from Dubai Worldwide Airport (DXB) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in enterprise class on Air France usually prices round 42,500 miles plus round $34 in taxes and costs.
Delta can improve these charges at any time and has carried out so on a number of events. To acquire the present award value, you will have to contact Delta immediately or search the web site.
Whereas Delta has tried to enhance its web site to show associate awards, it might nonetheless have limitations, notably when reserving mixed-cabin itineraries. The web site usually prioritizes Delta-operated flights, which will not be very best in case you have particular flight necessities. We suggest trying to find flights section by section and being ready to name Delta if the web site does not supply the specified journey choices.
Associated: One of the best web sites for looking SkyTeam award availability
Redeem Delta SkyMiles for upgrades
You can too use your SkyMiles to improve to a better class of service. If in case you have a confirmed Delta-marketed and -operated flight, you may pay money or use miles to improve your flight immediately on Delta’s web site.
In the event you redeem your miles for an improve utilizing this methodology, you may usually get a worth of round 1 cent per mile, which is decrease than our February 2025 valuation of 1.2 cents per mile. This could possibly be a viable possibility in case you have a surplus of SkyMiles and no fast plans to make use of them. Nevertheless, we usually suggest prioritizing award flight redemptions.
You can too use Delta miles to improve particular flights operated by Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic or Aeromexico. This selection is topic to fare-class necessities and is on the market solely on choose routes every associate operates. Please consult with Delta’s “Improve with Miles” web page for extra particulars.
You will additionally wish to make certain there’s improve stock obtainable.
Associated: All the information and methods you have to use Delta improve certificates
Redeem Delta SkyMiles for Delta Holidays
You will often get hold of a worth of 1.15 cents per mile if you use your miles to cowl a Delta Holidays bundle.
For instance, you might ebook a seven-day lodging on the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Seashore Resort in Hawaii for $2,814 or redeem 244,530 SkyMiles, a redemption worth of precisely 1.15 cents per mile. That is barely lower than our February 2025 valuation, however it isn’t a nasty redemption.
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Methods to earn Delta SkyMiles
You will must have SkyMiles to make the most of the redemptions talked about above. Fortuitously, there are a number of methods to extend your steadiness. One of many easiest methods to earn Delta miles is through the use of Delta’s cobranded American Categorical playing cards. Listed here are among the present welcome affords obtainable for these playing cards:
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Categorical Card: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases throughout the first six months of card membership.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Categorical Card: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Categorical Card: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership.
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold Enterprise American Categorical Card: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in your new card within the first six months of card membership.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Enterprise American Categorical Card: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $8,000 within the first six months of card membership.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Enterprise American Categorical Card: Earn 110,000 bonus miles after spending $12,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership.
Do not forget that all of those playing cards embrace entry to the TakeOff 15 profit, which is able to prevent 15% on Delta-operated award flights.
You can too switch American Categorical Membership Rewards factors to Delta at a 1:1 ratio. You’ll be able to earn these transferable rewards on the American Categorical® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Categorical. Nevertheless, you may be topic to an excise tax offset payment.
Moreover, Marriott Bonvoy factors switch to Delta SkyMiles at a 3:1 ratio.
Backside line
Though the worth of Delta SkyMiles has decreased lately, there are nonetheless glorious offers to be discovered.
Whereas this system has been shifting towards a redemption worth of 1 cent per mile, you may nonetheless surpass that, particularly with SkyMiles offers and partner-operated flights exterior the USA.