After its recent restructuring of SkyMiles, Delta also overhauled the program’s website. Removing the award chart spurred a slew of complaints, but Delta improved the search capabilities, added a calendar view to easily compare prices over the course of five weeks, and created a tiered award system that often allows fliers to redeem awards for reasonably higher rates when the lowest award tier isn’t available — something that’s unique to Delta.
In order to find the best way to use your SkyMiles, you only have to know where to look. Here are five of our favorite SkyMiles redemptions:
Head to Europe in Style
For years, European flights were a relative weak spot for Delta because cashing in SkyMiles often meant flying on Delta’s inferior SkyTeam partners. But SkyTeam airlines like KLM, Air France and Alitalia have gotten major upgrades in recent years, as has Delta itself. Now, SkyTeam puts out a competitive product, and loyalty members can cash in SkyMiles for a flat bed to Europe.
In some ways, Delta is the best of the legacy carriers when it comes to European business-class redemptions. Delta charges 62,500 at its lowest tier, which is between United’s 70,000 and American’s 57,500. However, American’s fuel surcharges are often so high (upwards of $400 for a one-way), it makes a questionable value.
In recent searches from Los Angeles to Paris, Amsterdam and Rome on all three legacy carriers during the peak summer months of July and August, Delta had the best availability for business class redemptions — by far. Business Class award flights were available at Delta’s lowest tier 51% of the time, compared to 28% for American and 17% for United. On those flights, Delta only charged fuel surcharges about 33% of the time (depending on which airline is operating the flight), but they were less than half of what American charged. When Delta didn’t have flights available for 62,500, it offered flights for between 80 and 117,500 through its five-tiered system. Compare that to American’s 110,000 to 130,000 and United’s 150,000 for their next levels.
Jet around Latin America on Aerolíneas Argentinas
Flying around Latin America is notoriously pricey, which can make intra-South America flights a great redemption. SkyTeam partner Aerolíneas Argentinas has dozens of destinations spanning across South America, and while those flights are often expensive when paying in cash, they’re usually only 12,500 each way when redeeming SkyMiles.
For example, the cheapest flight available on a recent search for a flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Santiago, Chile was $588. That same flight was 12,500 SkyMiles and $77 in taxes and fees. That’s a value of more than 4 cents per mile, which is a great redemption by any standards. And availability is generally excellent on Delta’s search calendar.
Tahiti’s calling
This little slice of paradise in French Polynesia is one of the most difficult destinations to reach using miles. SkyMiles have long been the ideal currency to fly to Tahiti because Delta partners with both Air France and Air Tahiti Nui — the only two major carriers that fly to the island from the U.S.
These flights will cost you at least 50,000 each way in economy, but that could be worth it. However, be aware that award space will not show up on Delta’s website. You’ll have to use Expert Flyer to check availability and then call Delta to book your flight.
Fly business class to London on Virgin Atlantic
At first glance, Delta isn’t the cheapest airline to redeem for flights from New York to London, but it might the best. Delta charges 62,500 miles + $5.60 in taxes for a fully flat business-class seat to London on Virgin Atlantic — one of the most well-regarded airlines in the industry. That same ticket costs 40,000 miles with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (a Chase Sapphire transfer partner), but with Delta you avoid paying the $419.60 in fuel surcharges and taxes that Virgin will charge you.
Similarly, American charges 57,500 miles and $441.90 in taxes and fees. United charges 70,000 miles on Lufthansa, but while Delta’s award availability was virtually wide open all summer during a recent search, United’s was nearly non existent.
Fly to Asia in the front of the plane
Seven of the 20 airlines that make up SkyTeam are based in Asia, giving fliers plenty of options and a great deal of availability for flights to Asia. Delta — which has no award chart — doesn’t seem to differentiate between different regions of Asia, charging 70,000 one-way for flights to Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. In recent searches across 10 weeks for flights to Tokyo, Beijing, Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City, Delta had availability at its lowest tier nearly every day — again by far the best availability between all three major carriers. Flights were 10,000 miles cheaper than United on flights to Southeast Asia but 10,000 more expensive than American on flights to Korea and Japan. Note that taxes and fees vary greatly on SkyMiles redemptions to Asia, ranging from $5.60 to $243.
