Delta business class award space between New York JFK and Frankfurt is reasonably available between May and December 7 at the saver level. You can book these seats right now for just 39,000 points each way. This award space was first spotted by Thrifty Traveler‘s premium airfare deal alert service.
But, what, if you go to the Delta Air Lines website and search for awards they’re asking between 180,000 and 375,000 miles each way depending on the date. That’s because Delta SkyMiles is a dumpster fire, and not the best way to book high value awards even when you want to travel on Delta.
Here’s a Delta award calendar for New York JFK – Frankfurt to show you what I mean.
Let’s look at a Virgin Atlantic award calendar for the route, these 50,000 point seats are for flying Delta.
Award space continues to be good throughout 2022. It’s not ‘available every day’ but this is Delta I’m writing about so you take what you can get.
Let’s drill down and pick a day where Delta comes out looking the best, charging ‘just’ 180,000 miles for their own flight (until mid-October this flight operates with an Airbus A330, and then changes to a Boeing 767-400).
This very same exact flight Virgin Atlantic will charge you 50,000 points for.
Availability at this price for travel on Delta (saver awards) is only available into December. Beyond that date you’ll see plenty of availability for 56,500 miles and heftier taxes, which involves connecting – $266 means an Amsterdam connection on KLM, while $267 means a Paris connection on Air France. Of course Delta prices these same flights for at least three times the miles – in fact generally 172,500 SkyMiles!
Through June 15 Chase Ultimate Rewards has a 30% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic so 39,000 Chase points yields just over 50,000 Virgin points, enough to book a one-way Delta business class award between the U.S. and Europe through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
I’m in general not a huge fan of the Virgin program but there are several other strategic sweet spots they offer as well as this one.
Why not write 39,000 ‘Chase’ points in the headline? Surely you understand as written the headline implies such awards can be had for 39,000 Skymiles?
Using miles seems to be work. Wouldn’t think to look on virgin Atlantic for the same flight. Why did you do that and how should I do that moving on.
Wow using miles seems to be work. Wouldn’t think to look on virgin Atlantic for the same flight.
Why did you do that and how should I do that moving on.
Got excited for nothing before opening the link and realizing Chase points! Have been blacklisted by them from any credit cards since last 4 years for excessive manufactured spending for a number of years lol.
Come on guys. Getting to Europe for 39k SkyPesos only works if you’re booking in 2007.
Couldn’t find any dates in September. for business class with miles.
Message was not available on those dates. But the whole month?
How did you get the monthly calendar to show for business class?
How did you get the monthly calendar to show for business class?