Find out how to redeem your Delta SkyMiles for max worth

Since Delta Air Traces eradicated its award charts in 2015, the SkyMiles program has grow to be 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 when you have a stockpile of Delta miles, they’re removed from nugatory. Wonderful redemptions are nonetheless accessible, notably throughout 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 need to use your Delta SkyMiles to e-book Delta, Delta Connection and Delta Shuttle flights. Since Delta makes use of dynamic pricing, award charges can fluctuate considerably. For instance, one-way primary economic 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.

Although summer season journey skews award costs over these dates, important value volatility is regular. Flexibility is necessary if you wish to maximize your SkyMiles.

Taxes and charges are typically cheap on Delta tickets. Count on to pay $6 per individual in taxes and charges on most home and worldwide tickets departing the U.S. Nevertheless, Delta provides carrier-imposed surcharges on many awards outdoors the U.S., most notably these originating in Europe.

Preserve a watch out for SkyMiles offers

An incredible choice for redeeming Delta miles is profiting from SkyMiles offers. These offers sometimes apply to particular metropolis pairs, so it could be essential to e-book 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 lately provided flights from Atlanta to the Caribbean and Mexico beginning at 14,400 Delta SkyMiles round-trip.

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When you have no instant use on your SkyMiles, you might be finest off saving them for the subsequent large SkyMiles deal. Simply remember to control Delta’s SkyMiles offers web page.

Save at the least 15% with choose Delta bank cards

When you have an eligible Delta bank card, you’ll be able to save 15% on Delta-operated award flights while you use your miles and pay the taxes and charges with the cardboard. This generally is a nice choice to scale back the worth you pay on Delta award tickets — and a serious purpose to open (and preserve) a Delta card in your pockets.

Learn extra: Finest 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’ll be able to reprice your flight. The distinction in miles will likely be redeposited into your account with no payment.

You may cancel your award flight for primary economic system reservations, however you could pay an related mileage payment. 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 payment is deducted from the worth of your ticket, after which any remaining miles will likely be redeposited again into your SkyMiles account.

Associated: Airways that give you a credit score if the worth of airfare drops

Redeem Delta SkyMiles on associate flights

Delta is a member of the SkyTeam alliance and has eight nonalliance airline companions. This provides you extra flexibility to redeem your SkyMiles on numerous airways and routes throughout the globe. Right here is the whole listing of Delta’s airline companions:

SkyTeam companions

• Aerolinas Argentinas
• Aeromexico
• Air Europa
• Air France
• China Airways
• China Jap 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 could search route by route for costs. For partner-operated flights that do not contact america, 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 on your SkyMiles.

For those who’re flying from Asia to Europe, particularly Taiwan Taoyuan Worldwide Airport (TPE) to Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG), you may 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 performed so on a number of events. To acquire the present award value, you have to to contact Delta straight or search the web site.

Whereas Delta has tried to enhance its web site to show associate awards, it could nonetheless have limitations, notably when reserving mixed-cabin itineraries. The web site usually prioritizes Delta-operated flights, which will not be perfect when you have particular flight necessities. We advocate trying to find flights phase by phase and being ready to name Delta if the web site would not supply the specified journey choices.

Associated: The very best web sites for looking out SkyTeam award availability

Redeem Delta SkyMiles for upgrades

You too can use your SkyMiles to improve to the next class of service. When you have a confirmed Delta-marketed and -operated flight, you’ll be able to pay money or use miles to improve your flight straight on Delta’s web site.

For those who redeem your miles for an improve utilizing this methodology, you may typically get a price 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 when you have a surplus of SkyMiles and no instant plans to make use of them. Nevertheless, we typically advocate prioritizing award flight redemptions.

You too can 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 out there solely on choose routes every associate operates. Please confer with Delta’s “Improve with Miles” web page for extra particulars.

You will additionally wish to make sure that there’s improve stock accessible.

Associated: All the ideas and tips it’s good to use Delta improve certificates

Redeem Delta SkyMiles for Delta Holidays

You will normally get hold of a price of 1.15 cents per mile while you use your miles to cowl a Delta Holidays package deal.

For instance, you may e-book 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 foul redemption.

Associated: Finest lodges in Honolulu

Find out how to earn Delta SkyMiles

You will must have SkyMiles to benefit from 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 by utilizing Delta’s cobranded American Specific playing cards. Listed here are among the present welcome provides accessible for these playing cards:

• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Specific 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 Specific 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 Specific 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 Specific 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 Specific Card: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $8,000 within the first six months of card membership.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Enterprise American Specific Card: Earn 110,000 bonus miles after spending $12,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership.

Keep in mind that all of those playing cards embody entry to the TakeOff 15 profit, which is able to prevent 15% on Delta-operated award flights.

You too can switch American Specific Membership Rewards factors to Delta at a 1:1 ratio. You may earn these transferable rewards on the American Specific® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Specific. Nevertheless, you may be topic to an excise tax offset payment.

Moreover, Marriott Bonvoy factors switch to Delta SkyMiles at a 3:1 ratio.