Where Delta SkyMiles Really Shine

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While some have criticized the Delta SkyMiles program for its less-than-great mileage options, they do offer some inexpensive domestic award flights that make using this program worthwhile. On top of that, Delta is a member of SkyTeam Alliance, meaning you can redeem your SkyMiles with any SkyTeam Alliance member. These airlines include:

Aerolíneas Argentinas	ITA Airways
Aeromexico	Kenya Airways
Air Europa	KLM
Air France	Korea Air
China Airlines	Middle East Airlines
China Eastern	Saudia
Czech Airlines	TAROM
Delta Air Lines	Vietnam Airlines
Garuda Indonesia	XiamenAir

Unfortunately, Delta was one of the first airlines to get rid of its public award chart and change to a dynamic pricing system for award flights. This change has led to a massive devaluation of Delta SkyMiles over time, resulting in absurd redemption prices for some of their most popular flights. 

On top of that, they also raised the price of most of their partner award flights in 2020 (in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic) and then raised them again in 2021, making the option to redeem SkyMiles with other SkyTeam Alliance members less lucrative. They also added on mileage surcharges for booking award flights too close to your flight date. 

Still, there are definitely some sweet spots in the Delta SkyMiles program that can offer great value if you know where to look. And, in some cases, SkyMiles can actually be the best reward currency for certain routes. 

In this article, we’ll look at how to boost your SkyMiles balance quickly and the best ways to get the most value redeeming Delta SkyMiles. 

How to Boost Your SkyMiles Balance

If you want to purchase award flights with SkyMiles, the first thing you’ll need to do is actually earn SkyMiles. Of course, the most obvious way to earn SkyMiles is by taking Delta-operated flights or by flying on any SkyTeam Alliance airline. 

However, you can also quickly accrue SkyMiles by using one of Delta’s co-branded credit cards. These include: 

• Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card 
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card 
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card 

On top of that, you can transfer Membership Rewards points that you earn with cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express to Delta 1:1. Keep in mind that you will have to pay a small excise tax of $0.0006 per mile, but it is capped at $99.

Most of these cards also offer welcome bonuses that allow you to rack up SkyMiles very quickly. Now, let’s look at some of the best places to spend those SkyMiles. 

Short-Haul Domestic Flights

While Delta is no longer using a fixed award chart, which means that their award prices vary, there are still some good deals on short-haul flights within the program. Many of these shorter flights can be purchased for as little as 4,500 or 5,000 SkyMiles.

For example, on certain dates in the upcoming months, you can fly one-way from New York (JFK) to Boston (BOS) for 4,500 SkyMiles or round-trip for 9,000 SkyMiles plus fees and taxes. If you have to fly this route often to see family or friends, this is a great way to make the trip inexpensively. 

There are many other great offers for short-haul domestic flights through the Delta SkyMiles program. I saw an offer for a one-way flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Denver (DEN) for 5,000 SkyMiles plus fees and taxes. I also saw an offer for a round-trip flight from Atlanta (ATL) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) for 11,000 SkyMiles plus fees and taxes.

Flights from the U.S. to Canada

Delta has a large network in Canada and is also partnered with WestJet, one of the largest airlines in Canada. This gives SkyMiles spenders many different options for crossing the border from the U.S. to Canada, many of them well priced. 

Flights from the east coast to Montreal and Toronto are often rather affordable. For instance, you can fly one-way from New York (JFK) to Toronto (YYZ) for as little as 6,500 SkyMiles plus fees and taxes or round-trip for 13,000 SkyMiles plus fees and taxes.

These flight redemption options can be especially helpful if you have to plan a last-minute trip from New York to Toronto, as these flights can get really expensive if you vbook them close to the departure date. 

Another redemption option with good value is flying from Denver (DEN) to Vancouver (YVR), which you can find for as little as 11,000 SkyMiles one-way. 

If you’re planning on visiting multiple cities in Canada once you get there, you can also use your SkyMiles to book WestJet flights within Canada. These flights usually aren’t as cheap and you probably won’t be able to find a WestJet flight for under 12,500 SkyMiles; however, they can be a good option if you want to save some cash by using SkyMiles instead.

Flights from the U.S. to South America With LATAM

Delta has an extensive network of flights going from the U.S. to South America, many of which you can find at great prices. 

Also, back in 2019, Delta purchased a major stake in LATAM, meaning that you can purchase LATAM award flights with SkyMiles. And, for the most part, LATAM flights have been unaffected by Delta’s recent partner devaluation. That means that SkyMiles members can still buy LATAM award flights at reasonable prices. 

Between Delta- and LATAM-operated flights, you should have no trouble finding award flights from the U.S. to South America that offer great value. For example, you can find a one-way flight from New York (JFK) to Bogota (BOG) for as little as 14,000 SkyMiles or a round-trip flight for 28,000 SkyMiles. 

You can also fly one-way from New York (JFK) to Quito (UIO) for 14,000 SkyMiles or round-trip for 28,000 SkyMiles.

If you want to fly further south on the continent, you can find one-way flights from New York (JFK) to Santiago (SCL), for as little as 30,000 SkyMiles, which is an outstanding value for a flight of that length.

Unfortunately, with these LATAM flights, you probably won’t be able to find any business class seats for the same price as an economy class seat. However, if you’re willing to fly economy, you can find some great deals for flights to South America from the U.S. through LATAM.

Flights from the U.S. to Guadeloupe with Air France

Oddly enough, Air France (a SkyTeam Alliance member) operates a Caribbean route network out of the U.S. and some cities in Canada. Normally, they operate flights to both Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe; however, the flights to Haiti have been suspended. But, if you’d like to take a trip to the beautiful nation of Guadeloupe, you can find some award flights through Air France that offer outstanding value. 

For example, you can fly one-way from Miami (MIA) to Pointe a Pitre (PTP) for just 20,000 SkyMiles or round-trip for 40,000 SkyMiles.

On top of that, Air France will be reopening its route from Montreal (YUL) to Pointe a Pitre (PTP) starting October 22, 2022. You can fly on this route one-way for as little as 20,000 SkyMiles.

If you want to upgrade to business class, you can do so for 15,000 more SkyMiles on a one-way flight. However, most of these flights are operated by an Air France A320, which has pretty lackluster business class amenities. Personally, I’d save the SkyMiles and fly economy class.

Flights from U.S. to the Middle East in Business Class

If you’re interested in more than just getting to your destination for the cheapest price possible, flying from the U.S. to the Middle East with SkyMiles gives you the opportunity to experience business class products from KLM, Air France, Virgin Atlantic, Middle East Airlines and other SkyTeam Alliance members without having to spend a ton of money. However, these business class seats sell out extremely quickly, so you need to book them far in advance.

For example, you can find a business class seat on a flight from New York (JFK) to Beirut (BEY) for 130,000 SkyMiles. The two legs of this trip are operated by Saudia and Middle East Airlines, giving you the opportunity to experience the business class products of both airlines.

Certain economy tickets from the U.S. to the Middle East also provide incredible value. For example, you can find Air France-operated flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Tel Aviv (TLV) for as little as 37,500 SkyMiles one-way or 75,000 SkyMiles round-trip.

Unfortunately, these trips usually involve very long layovers. But, if you have unlimited time and you just want to get to your destination for the cheapest price possible, these flight redemptions are a great option.

Flash Sales

A few times per year, Delta will announce flash sales via the “Deals & Offers” page on their website. So, if you have some vacation time coming up and you don’t know where you want to go yet, it’s worth checking to see if Delta is offering any lucrative flash sales. 

Back in 2021, Delta was offering one-way flights from Seattle (SEA) to Cancun (CUN), Puerto Vallarta (PVR), Kona (KOA), Maui (OGG), Honolulu (HNL) and other beach destinations for just 2,500  SkyMiles. 

Alos, in 2019, Delta offered round-trip flights from either San Francisco (SFO) or Los Angeles (LAX) to London (LHR) for just 16,000 points, which is an unbelievable deal. 

So, if you have some SkyMiles in your account, make sure that you’re checking Delta’s website regularly throughout the year for flash sales. You can also opt in for email updates from Delta that will alert you to any new offers. 

The Bottom Line

Due to the fact that Delta recently devalued its partner awards and is no longer publishing an award chart, more and more people are writing off SkyMiles as a worthy frequent flyer currency. However, with a bit of searching, you can still find sweet spots where SkyMiles are worth far more than 1 cent per mile. 

To find the best offers, keep an eye out for flash sales, look for high-value short-haul domestic flight offers and look for good deals through other SkyTeam Alliance members.