You should not intentionally collect Delta SkyMiles instead of other currencies. If you’re aiming for Delta elite status, there’s an argument for incidental collection of their redeemable miles. But their currency is worth so much less than others. The head of the program says this is intentional and they’re not trying to compete on delivering value to members.
One way you know this is that their partner programs – like Virgin Atlantic and Air France KLM – offer the same award seats traveling on Delta for far fewer miles than Delta charges its own members. That’s true even after Virgin’s recent devaluation.
Another way is just to look at the prices Delta considers to be a sale. Their ‘sale’ prices are higher than what other airlines start saver award pricing at.
They’re advertising a handful of markets starting at 99,000 points each way for business class.
- Amsterdam – Orlando
- Brussels – New York JFK
- Paris – Cincinnati
- Boston-Dublin
- Dublin – New York JFK
- Edinburgh – New York JFK
- Frankfurt – New York JFK
- Detroit – Frankfurt
- New York JFK – Keflavik
- Detroit – London Heathrow
- Minneapolis – London Heathrow
- Boston – London Heathrow
- Salt Lake City – London Heathrow
- Seattle – London Heathrow
- Boston – Lisbon
- New York JFK – Lisbon
- New York JFK – Madrid
- New York JFK – Zurich
However most markets are priced higher as part of this sale. For instance, they are highlighting Tokyo at 200,000 miles each way, 400,00 miles roundtrip, as part of this ‘sale’.
Here’s a sample of roundtrip ‘deals’ from my home market.
These prices are available for 3 days only, through December 19th. The good news is that Delta Amex cardholders should pay a bit less, since SkyMiles charges a premium to customers who don’t have their card. Awards booked online by cardmembers should cost 15% fewer miles.
¡Hola, amigos!
They don’t call them ‘SkyPesos’ for no reason.
It is the reason I do not use Delta, do not collect their points even though i have a high status with one of my credit cards.
Telling it like it is!
I am so happy that I burned hundreds of thousands of Delta miles and am now a free agent. Just released from the Delta State Penitentiary after being there for 25 years! SkyPesos super aggressive stance caused loyalty to other airlines!
Gary…of all people, you should know that this isn’t “theft”
Theft requires the absconded materials to be of value.
Agree with everything except the “Theft” headline.
When you voluntarily hand over something in exchange for something else, that is NOT theft, regardless of the value or lack of.
Gary, these are premium seats and command premium pricing.
You just don’t get it.
“Theft” is overexaggerating. Other US airlines are asking around $9k for that route in business class. I’m usually the first to say Delta is hilariously overpriced now. I’d say it’s a great deal, but you can get that same flight on a non-US airline for <$6k. So it's still a deal.
This is a serious “wtf” situation that genuinely make me wonder if Delta employs anyone with a working knowledge of public relations.
No one there sees the terrible optics here?
Maybe not theft, strictly speaking — but highway robbery for sure.
Delta continues to devalue the entire customer experience.
No one wants to collect Delta miles years on end only to realize their very limited value, so much for rewarding their customers.
AAdvantage miles have value. I just booked LAX-JFK in First for 64k r/t.
There are only two reasons to fly Delta: masochism or hub captive. No one else has an excuse.
I started saving skymiles when Northwest airlines transferred my miles to Delta. I had 1 goal, a Delta One roundtrip ticket SEA to CDG. Every time I got close the miles got devalued. I finally got my trip. I’m in my 70’s. I won’t live long enough for another one at this rate. Now I save AMX membership rewards to transfer to nearly any airline.
I’ll keep using my SkyMiles for 10-15k one way domestic redemptions which are a good deal
Well at least when delta robs their program members they do it without assault or weapons of any kind to their credit
Classy thieves
They are a last resort
That said someone is swallowing the bait foolishly
There is a sucker born every minute
The trend I’ve seen is DL consistently priced the premium cabin beyond absurdity, while their economy awards are usually not too ridiculous.
All it means is to know what your plans are for award travel, because hoping to save enough SkyPesos for D1 is a pipe dream for most.
Again, the devaluation that’s taken place is astounding. I was recalling recently in another post about a trip I took in 1985 on Northwest Orient (part of Delta now.) It was a round trip, first class FOR TWO from the US to Asia; it allowed two stops (we did Hong Kong and Tokyo Narita). It also included four nights in a swanky hotel a a one week car rental (both separate certificates, could spend on this trip or at another time.) Price in miles: 140,000
That’s cheap for the premium airline. Usually it’s over a million for a RT.
I switched from United to Delta for a while until I saw the exorbitant number of points needed for intl BC redemption. Now back at United and if you’re diligent, you can find decent redemptions. However, it cost me 200k each way from Denver to Tokyo for Polaris class.
I think that Mr Bastian has a unrealistic view of what his customers are willing to put up with.
Insane mile burns plus this unbundling nonsense is not going to end well – especially since the fleet is so inconsistent and the 767 business class product is simply horrible
Chasing miles is just not worth it anymore..
Delta is so ridiculous with their award pricing in J. Yesterday I booked a trip to London and Paris for my wife and myself. Booked 2 business class seats on Virgin Atlantic to LHR for 35,000 miles each and return trip from CDG on Air France business class for 50,000 miles each. With Amex and Chase transfer bonuses the VS flight took fewer MR points (50,000 total) than if I transferred it to DL and flew coach in the US to most locations. DL really has people fooled on their Skymile program which is sad so many are clueless. BTW, as you mentioned I could also use Flying Club or Flying Blue miles to book DL metal cheaper than DL wants for it.
Glad you are exposing Delta for what most flyers would not already know! From their computer meltdown to this redemption scam, Delta is no longer the classy #1 airline that it kinda once was.
Thanks again!
I credit my Delta flights to Flying Blue, which still has a decent availability for business class saver awards.
Gary – as an Amex cardholder, I can book JFK to MAD in March for 166K mikes round trip, or 83K miles each way on Delta metal. Is that a good, bad, or mediocre redemption? I would argue it is mediocre to good – American and United would seem to charge 60K to 80K at minimum, so not that much difference. It is pretty disingenuous to highlight the obvious bad deals (which no one is booking) while ignoring the actually solid deals (which many are booking, and have booked historically). I am probably booking MAD or FCO in the next day or so.
AA AUS to AMS same dates as DL AUS-BRU (close enough) AA miles 712,000 plus $102.91 and three legs. DL might just be a bargain.
Anthony, you can get JFK to MAD off peak for 34k each way on Iberia. It is always available at schedule open, and sometimes available last minute. Even Iberia peak pricing is only 50k each way. If you have Skymiles, this is a good enough deal if you want to take the trip. But the sale, at best, brings DL pricing to the general ballpark of a decent deal. United is not known for great pricing, but partner awards can be had for 88k each way all of the time to anywhere in Europe (80k if you have a United CC). That’s not just certain places and dates — that’s all of United’s partner inventory in J and some of its own metal. If you like this sale price, just collect United miles instead. You will have many more options from a superior international alliance.
Brent – a good response, but here are some issues
1) I can’t really “collect” United miles like I can Delta miles. Why? Because United doesn’t fly much out of my main airports (LGA and JFK). I collect a significant amount of miles flying Delta, and by spending on the Delta credit card for status. I don’t transfer miles to Delta – I usually transfer to hotel programs or other airlines.
2) Even so, I have access to United miles via Chase Ultimate Rewards. I would still rather transfer Chase miles to Hyatt, FlyingBlue, or to your mentioned Avios for the most part. If I collected a lot of United miles via flying, maybe the math would be a bit different as you get synergies with miles earned by flying and miles earned via credit cards.
The fact of the matter is that I fly Delta the most, so I collect their miles. When it comes to redeeming Skymiles, 83K to Europe in Delta One (on planes like the A330, or B764) with access to the Delta One lounge at JFK is among the best uses of miles. Other good uses of miles are for various domestic trips at 1.3 to 1.4 cents per mile. My issue with Gary’s post is that he ignored what are objectively solid redemptions to highlight redemptions that no one is taking. At the end of the day – millions of customers “collect” (I would say “accrue” or “earn” are better terms) SkyMiles, and many of them read Gary’s blog. Saying that this sale isn’t one of the best uses of SkyMiles is just flat out wrong – and Gary knows it!
I have seen Delta want over 200K miles for r/t in F between Detroit and New York. So absurd. I just took a r/t in biz on ANA from Chicago to Tokyo for 105K miles and $300. Delta should be ashamed but they are not.
I remember the good old days of flying LAX-BKK roundtrip in coach on NWA for free using 40k in miles. Since the miles accumulated at the actual distance, I got a free roundtrip every 2 1/2 round trips. Of course, I had to use my miles before they expired so I flew a few extra trips for vacation and to accumulate miles for the next free trip.
@Brent
Do you have to book JFK Madrid via Iberia on Iberia’s site (which is full of bugs) or can you do it on BA’s site for the same redemption rate?
@Anthony
But these aren’t great at all. I can book JAL BC to HND for 60k AA miles, 80k for FC, all one way. AA charges 300k plus. All US3 redemption rates are terrible, and that’s due to their credit cards.
I can book a D1 flight via VS for 55k miles, on Delta metal. That same flight using skypesos is 280k+. It makes zero sense.
Ed Bastian has screwed loyal Delta flyers for years.
The only explanation that Delta still has cheerleaders, is Stockholm syndrome.
That’s good, that leaves more rewards for us at the other two carriers.
No, Most fliers/ customers will not really care or flee.
If the points have no premium value, they can just be burned for domestic coach.
I view Delta points just like Southwest points. Fixed value, good for coach.
For biz/ first pay cash on international carriers or use their points.
I’m a Diamond and have been for 9 years and also a 2 million miler but I’ve gone from a Delta lover to a Delta hater over the past 2 years or so. They no longer value or treat their loyal customers like they care, I’m on about 60 or more flights a year and I’ll do anything to NOT fly on Delta anymore. They suck.
Mark – the “same flight” using Skypesos is 83K-110K in this sale, not 280K… and many people are more likely to have SkyPesos given they also fly Delta.
Not directly related, but we got DL basic. MCO-LHR-AMS-PRG. Then Prague to Poznan on the train because it was nearly the same 5 hours to fly on the connection through AMS.
Return starting out in POZ-AMS-KEF-JFK-MCO.
3 days in each Prague, Poznan and Iceland. Minimal connecting layovers.
54,800 SkyMiles all in free checked bag for each of us since 2 different SkyMiles accounts. Last week in March as high season starts right after.
Saved many miles by piecing it together myself.
@ Gary — Thank you calling Delta out for their propery-labeled behavior.
I hope the POINTSGUY reads this post for they cuddle up to ALL airlines and NEVER bring up REAL ISSUES such as this one….
This is laughable. I booked the same flight in January for 200k and $11 Delta One.
@Gennady don’t you mean “skyway robbery”?
Haha!
Gave up on sky miles a decade ago. Their awards are now a total joke. If I fly delta it is in a paid ticket.
Never ever anything for West Coast (except an occasional bone for SEA). Clearly DL does not care to compete for our business
F skypesos – this is why we don’t charge anything on our Amex DL sock drawer cards. And why DL will be compensating ST partners for all the DL flights that I credit to their programs.
@Anthony
1/22/25
ATL-LHR
VS using VS points is 40k
DL using skypesos (flying VS) is 340k skypesos.
Same flight… immensely different costs. Try again