How to redeem your Delta SkyMiles for maximum value

Since Delta Air Traces eradicated its award charts in 2015, the SkyMiles program has grow to be notably extra unpredictable and, at instances, outrageously costly. With business-class flights on long-haul routes typically 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 far from worthless. Wonderful redemptions are nonetheless accessible, notably through the provider’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 fundamental 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.

Despite the fact that summer season journey skews award costs over these dates, vital worth volatility is regular. Flexibility is essential if you wish to maximize your SkyMiles.

Taxes and charges are typically cheap on Delta tickets. Count on to pay $6 per particular person in taxes and charges 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 a watch out for SkyMiles offers

An incredible choice for redeeming Delta miles is making the most of SkyMiles offers. These offers sometimes apply to particular metropolis pairs, so it could be essential to ebook positioning flights to totally maximize these promotions.

Delta has beforehand provided a flash sale with round-trip flights for simply 5,000 SkyMiles. The airline additionally recently offered 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 in your SkyMiles, you could be greatest off saving them for the following massive SkyMiles deal. Simply you’ll want to keep watch over Delta’s SkyMiles deals page.

Save a minimum of 15% with choose Delta bank cards

If in case you have an eligible Delta credit card, you possibly can save 15% on Delta-operated award flights if you use your miles and pay the taxes and charges with the cardboard. This could be a nice choice to cut back the value you pay on Delta award tickets — and a serious purpose to open (and hold) a Delta card in your pockets.

Learn extra: Best Delta credit 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 possibly can reprice your flight. The distinction in miles might be redeposited into your account with no price.

You’ll be able to cancel your award flight for fundamental financial system reservations, however you will need to pay an related mileage price. For these flights, Delta will deduct 9,900 miles for home journey inside the U.S. and Canada and 19,900 miles for worldwide journey. This price is deducted from the worth of your ticket, after which any remaining miles might be redeposited again into your SkyMiles account.

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Redeem Delta SkyMiles on companion flights

Delta is a member of the SkyTeam alliance and has eight nonalliance airline partners. This provides you extra flexibility to redeem your SkyMiles on numerous airways and routes throughout the globe. Right here is the entire listing 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 will need to search route by route for costs. For partner-operated flights that do not contact the US, 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 wonderful redemption choices in 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 possibly can snag this nonstop China Airways flight at simply 80,000 SkyMiles plus solely $15 in taxes and charges 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 typically prices round 42,500 miles plus round $34 in taxes and charges.

Delta can improve these charges at any time and has completed so on a number of events. To acquire the present award worth, you’ll need to contact Delta immediately or search the web site.

Whereas Delta has tried to enhance its web site to show companion awards, it could nonetheless have limitations, notably when reserving mixed-cabin itineraries. The web site typically prioritizes Delta-operated flights, which is probably not best in case you have particular flight necessities. We suggest looking for flights section by section and being ready to name Delta if the web site does not provide the specified journey choices.

Associated: The best websites for searching SkyTeam award availability

Redeem Delta SkyMiles for upgrades

It’s also possible to use your SkyMiles to upgrade to a better class of service. If in case you have a confirmed Delta-marketed and -operated flight, you possibly can 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 technique, you will typically get a worth of round 1 cent per mile, which is decrease than our February 2025 valuation of 1.2 cents per mile. This might be a viable choice in case you have a surplus of SkyMiles and no fast plans to make use of them. Nevertheless, we typically suggest prioritizing award flight redemptions.

It’s also possible to 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 obtainable solely on choose routes every companion operates. Please seek advice from Delta’s “Upgrade with Miles” web page for extra particulars.

You will additionally need to be sure that there’s improve stock accessible.

Associated: All the tips and tricks you need to use Delta upgrade 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 Vacations bundle.

For instance, you possibly can ebook a seven-day lodging on the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Seaside 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 foul redemption.

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How you can earn Delta SkyMiles

You will have to have SkyMiles to make the most of the redemptions talked about above. Thankfully, 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 provides accessible for these playing cards:

• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases inside the first six months of card membership.
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express 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 Express Card: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases in your first six months of card membership.
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express 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 Business American Express Card: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $8,000 within the first six months of card membership.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express 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 benefit, which is able to prevent 15% on Delta-operated award flights.

It’s also possible to switch American Express Membership Rewards factors to Delta at a 1:1 ratio. You’ll be able to earn these transferable rewards on the American Express® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express. Nevertheless, you will be topic to an excise tax offset fee.

Moreover, Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to Delta SkyMiles at a 3:1 ratio.