Delta is running a sale on coach awards between the U.S. 48 Continental states and the Caribbean and Central America. They say prices start at 16,000 miles but awards are available for less.
They promote,
Now you can use your miles to soak up the sun for less. Escape to the warm weather and hot flavors of destinations from Belize to Bermuda.
However you cannot ‘escape to the warm weather’ from the current cold with this sale. You have to book by January 10 for travel April 8 through June 1 (Saturday night stay required) to get awards ‘starting at’ 16,000 miles roundtrip… when it’s not so cold in most of the U.S. anymore.
Blackout dates:
- Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (PLS): May 21 – June 1, 2018
- Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (PLS) to Atlanta, GA (ATL): May 25 – June 1, 2018
Let’s take the Providenciales route. We find that prices are actually lower than advertised. Go figure.
While they list ‘featured markets’ as Turks & Caicos; Bermuda; Belize; Kingston, Jamaica; Freeport, Bahamas; and North Eleuthera, Bahamas the terms and conditions actually cover discounts for awards to: Antigua; Aruba; Bermuda; Bonaire; North Eleuthera; Freeport; Georgetown; Grenada; Kingston; Montego Bay; Nassau; Providenciales; Punta Cana; San Juan; St. Kitts; St. Thomas; St. Croix; St. Maarten; and St. Lucia in the Caribbean and Belize City; Guatemala City; Managua; Panama City; Roatán, Honduras; San Salvadore; San Pedro Sula; and Tegucigalpa in Central America.
8000 + $98 on some days. But then the cash tickets are around $270 anyway so you’re getting barely 2c/mile. But then that’s probably about twice the value of Delta mile nowadays so probably a good redemption…
P/S: 8000 + $98 roundtrips, not one ways, and from/to NYC.
Wait, no doom and gloom here? The SkyMiles are falling, the SkyMiles are falling!
@Gary
Is there a link to see all of these, or do you have to look up each one individually?
Link is here https://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/shop/deals-and-offers/north-america/thematic-award.html but they don’t really give more info than I’ve given
Does DL have anything like the AA Award Map that would give someone a fighting chance to find availability under this sale?
FWIW, I did a few searches, and the discount awards do exist, but they’re extremely limited to very off-peak days. Most days are 3 and 4x this price. Some great deals for super-flexible (like retired) travelers.
Wasnt Bonaire basically destroyed by the hurricane?
Not too useful there.
Hmm, prices keep changing on me. I found several cities with dates you have to be flexible on starting at 14k miles with some decent long weekends at 19k miles. Narrowing down where we should go, I go back in there and everything starts around 28k miles and my long weekends that were there 20 minutes ago are 50k miles. I tried a different browser and even different computer but no luck. Will try again tomorrow.
^^ This. In the time it took to research whether I actually wanted to go, prices doubled. Had been 14k r/t from West Coast, too, with a ton of availability.
Delta gonna Delta.
@Boraxo – Barbuda was destroyed by the hurricane. Bonaire (along with Aruba and Curacao) don’t get hurricanes. Have fun in Bonaire 🙂
Is there some trick to getting emails about flash sales? I’m signed up for notifications from Delta but did not get anything about this.
@Scott Jackson – I don’t get emails about them, but I’ve set a ‘change detection’ on the page where they post the sales
Fares from ATL doesnt seem to be below 28K miles. Am I missing something?
Is this dead?