Delta domestic award space can be really crappy. But from Delta's hubs, you can take non-stop award flights to tons of enticing destinations without the trouble of finding award space.

Delta hubs in the United States:

Atlanta
Boston
Cincinnati
Detroit
Los Angeles
Minneapolis
New York
Salt Lake City
Seattle

I'm going to show you great non-stop award space from four of these hubs to intercontinental destinations around the world. Why? Because the sign-up bonus offers on the Amex Delta cards are some of the highest they've ever been.

In light of the news that American Airlines is changing to a revenue-based award earning structure, and the fact that all three major US carriers now abide by a revenue-based award earning structure, I am writing a series of posts about when and where you should diversify the award miles you earn through paying for airfare.

China Eastern flies its 777-300ER with flat beds in Business Class and a flat double bed in First Class for two people to share between several American cities and Shanghai with connections throughout Asia.

You can book Business Class for 77,500 Korean miles or 80,000 Delta miles, and you can book First Class for 100,000 Korean miles. If you book two First Class award seats, you can combine your beds into one large double bed.

For travel in July through Mid November 2016, Delta is discounting Economy awards between Atlanta and Brazil.

As far as I can tell, it only applies to travel specifically between Atlanta and Rio de Janeiro or Atlanta and São Paulo, no other North or South American cities.

Delta domestic economy and Delta Comfort+ award tickets are on sale for as little as 5,500 miles one way.

Book by June 7, 2016
Travel August 23 - November 16, 2016 (except September 1 - 8)
Fly one of 8,000 routes on sale (although only a few dozen are listed)

I searched for Columbus to Los Angeles and found the sale price widely available in economy and Comfort+;

It seems that experflyer.com is not accurately displaying Air Tahiti Nui award space that Delta agents can book. Multiple Delta representatives confirmed with me over the phone that four seats in Business Class are available on seven different Air Tahiti Nui flights, all of which show zero award seats in Business Class available on expertflyer.com.
What Air Tahiti Nui Is and Why it Matters
Air Tahiti Nui, headquartered in Papeete, Tahiti, is one of seven airlines that flies into Fa'a'ā International Airport in Tahiti.

Delta is offering discounted flat bed Business Class awards to Europe this summer on select routes. The East Coast and Midwest routes are 105,000 miles + taxes roundtrip. The West Coast routes are 115,000 miles + taxes roundtrip. The normal price is 125,000 miles roundtrip (although I am basing "normal" on the old Delta award charts.

Delta will no longer charge a $25 per passenger fee to book tickets by phone. That's excellent news since some Delta partners like Air Tahiti Nui can't be booked on delta.com.

In February 2015, American Airlines eliminated phone ticketing fees for awards flying airlines that can't be booked on aa.com.

United still has phone ticketing fees for awards--$25 per passenger.

Delta has devalued its miles with no notice (again.)

Effective immediately, awards for travel from November 1, 2016 on are going up in price from the United States to the Middle East in Business Class.
USA to Middle East
Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen

Is: 40k/70k each way in economy/Business
For Travel October 1 to October 31: 35k/70k
For Travel November 1 on: 35k/85k
Change: 5,000 fewer Delta miles each way in economy to the Middle East starting October 1, 15,000 more miles

Back in January I wrote about Delta's devaluation of awards to Australia, Asia, Africa, and South America effective October 1, 2016.

To give a two sentence summary, a few regions in economy are going down in price, and three regions in Business Class are going up in price.

Awards for travel from October 1, 2016 on are going up in price to:

North Asia in Business Class
Southwest Pacific in Business Class
Africa and South Africa in Business Class

(Did you notice that this is very different than American Airlines' devaluation where the price is determined by the day you