Loyalty points are a currency with a moving target on value. It often takes a good amount of hunting and pecking to find a redemption you like, and even when you do, how do you figure out if it’s a good deal? On Delta, it can be an even harder proposition because the redemption amounts can vary wildly based on the fare type and demand.
Here, we walk through a couple of scenarios showing what you can do with your points. As far as valuing how much they’re worth, we have a few tips for that too.
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How to determine the value of a point based on the flight cost
Delta uses dynamic pricing to determine the number of points needed for a mileage redemption. The number of points needed isn’t directly tied to the cost of the fare, but it can be pretty close. The best way to determine value is to keep an eye on the flights and dates you want, starting from when the flights open 331 days in advance. If you see a price you like — grab the seats.
Specific detail about how Delta manages its inventory is closely guarded, so there’s not really a way to say when is the best time, or what rate compared to a cash price is the best. Some folks value Delta SkyMiles at roughly 1.1 cents each, so that’s a good guidepost to follow.
Another thing to keep in mind is that mileage bookings are generally used by leisure travelers. Airlines like to restrict the number of mileage bookings on each flight to protect the flight’s profitability, and they tend to put those restrictions on flights popular with leisure travelers. Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday mornings to vacation destinations are typically the most popular flights for leisure travelers, while Sunday afternoons are the most popular returns. So those flights typically come at a premium for redemptions. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, not so much.
The value of Delta miles when booking Delta flights
In some super competitive markets, we’ve seen basic economy redemptions for 5,000 miles round trip. In high-demand international markets, we’ve seen Delta One or SkyTeam business redemptions start as high as 400,000 points one way.
A good maxim is if the cash price isn’t palatable, but the points price is, redeem the points. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to hoard airline miles because they can devalue at any moment. Take the opportunity to redeem them when you find a value you like because there’s no guarantee they won’t devalue the next time you go shopping to use them.
The value of Delta miles when booking partner flights
Delta has some good redemptions on their SkyTeam and other partners, but inventory is usually limited. Delta partners tend to be a bit stingy with seat availability (Korean Air, for example, blacks out a six-week period in early summer for mileage redemptions from the Americas). This is especially true in markets where Delta operates.
Air France and KLM redemptions across the Atlantic don’t always have great availability for SkyTeam partners, but in intra-European markets where Delta doesn’t operate, there typically seems to be a better range of options.
The best use of your Delta miles
- Short-haul domestic flights with one-way redemptions starting from 2,500 Miles for basic economy.
- Flash sales, which are posted on Delta’s Sky Miles Deals page.
- Partner redemptions in markets Delta doesn’t serve, like intra-Europe or Asia, or between Europe and Asia.
The worst use of your Delta miles
- Anything that’s not a flight. Like many other programs, Delta’s other award redemption offers are not a great value, including for:
- SkyMiles Marketplace
- Transferring miles (the fees involved destroy most of the value of the miles)
Frequently asked questions about Delta miles
How much are 10,000 Delta miles worth?
Delta has been criticized for the poor redemption value of SkyMiles, but there are a number of short-haul round trip flights sometimes available for 10,000 SkyMiles, including Seattle/Tacoma (SEA) to San Francisco (SFO), Boston (BOS) to Philadelphia (PHL), or Los Angeles (LAX) to Las Vegas (LAS).
Short-haul SkyTeam partner flights are also available, including round-trip flights between Seoul and Busan on Korean Air or one-way flights between Hawaiian islands on Hawaiian Airlines.
How much are 25,000 Delta miles worth?
25,000 SkyMiles will get you a round-trip flight within Europe. Examples include flights between Amsterdam and Berlin on KLM or between Rome and Oslo on SAS. Domestically, we found round trips between Houston Intercontinental (IAH) and Boston (BOS) or between Raleigh/Durham and Denver. We also found basic economy flights from Seattle/Tacoma to Honolulu.
You can also redeem for partners like Aeromexico between Las Vegas and Mexico City or between Tokyo (Haneda) and Seoul on Korean Air.
How much are 50,000 Delta miles worth?
The 50,000-mile threshold will get you from Seattle (SEA) to Honolulu (HNL) in Delta premium economy or from Portland (PDX) to Los Angeles (LAX) in first class. Basic economy tickets across the Atlantic, such as from New York (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR) or Boston (BOS) to Paris (CDG), also start under 50,000 miles.
How much are 100,000 Delta miles worth?
For 100,000 miles, you could travel round trip in first class between Los Angeles (LAX) and Anchorage (ANC) or book main cabin flights between Tucson (TUS) and Honolulu (HNL) or between Chicago (ORD) and Cancun (CUN) in premium economy.
100,000 miles will also get you a roundtrip across the Pacific, such as between Los Angeles (LAX) and Tokyo (HND) in economy on Delta. Within the Pacific region, you can fly roundtrip on KLM between Singapore (SIN) and Bali (DPS) in business class. To Africa, it’s enough for a round-trip economy class ticket from London (LHR) to Johannesburg (JNB) on Virgin Atlantic.
How many Delta miles does it take for a free flight?
We’ve seen Delta flights for as little as 5,000 miles round trip. Examples include an off-peak flight between Seattle/Tacoma and Las Vegas in basic economy. Most redemptions, however, are higher.
Do Delta miles expire?
Delta SkyMiles do not expire, but Delta reserves the right to close inactive accounts or those that violate its terms of use.
Can you use Delta miles to book flights on other airlines?
Yes. Delta SkyMiles can be used to book travel on SkyTeam partners and on other non-SkyTeam partners like Hawaiian Airlines and Cape Air. There are no blackout dates for Delta-operated flights, but some partner airlines (in particular Korean Air) have periods of blackout dates throughout the year (for travel from North America, Korean Air blacks out a six-week period in May and June in 2025).
When is the best time to book flights using Delta miles?
Delta opens inventory for sale 331 days in advance of the flight but may not make all award inventory available at that time. While there’s no particular sweet spot for award booking, popular destinations may need to be booked sooner rather than later. Delta’s systems tinker with seat inventory based on past sales performance and future forecasts, so there’s really no way to tell when redemption rates will trend higher or lower without being able to see “behind the curtain.”
Summary
Delta’s SkyMiles program offers a range of pretty good redemptions, mostly for flights operated by Delta or partner flights in markets Delta doesn’t serve. The other redemption options aren’t the most valuable, and Delta redemptions in premium cabins can also have some astronomical rates. But if you’ve earned the miles and want to use them — you can usually find something worth redeeming them for.
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