How to Use Bilt Points on Delta Air Lines Flights

With 18 transfer partners, including 13 airlines and five hotels, Bilt Rewards has been a force to be reckoned with ever since it emerged on the points and miles scene in 2021. And thanks to the 1:1 transfer ratio for nearly all partners, it’s now one of the most lucrative loyalty programs on the market.

Unfortunately for Delta SkyMiles enthusiasts, Delta is not among Bilt’s many travel partners. As a result, it’s not possible to transfer Bilt Rewards points directly to the carrier’s loyalty program.

Thankfully, you can still do a few things to ensure your hard-earned Bilt points can be used to reserve an award flight on Delta’s aircraft. Booking your trip through the Bilt Travel portal, powered by Expedia, would allow you to choose non-partner airlines like Delta. Alternatively, transferring Bilt points to one of Delta’s SkyTeam partners that are Bilt Rewards partners — in this case, either Virgin Red or Air France/KLM Flying Blue — to book an award flight would do the trick.

Here’s everything you need to know about booking Delta flights with Bilt points, whether you’re a seasoned SkyTeam enthusiast or just beginning your points and miles journey.

Booking Delta flights using the Bilt Travel portal 

Thanks to an intuitive platform powered by Expedia, redeeming Bilt points for flights (among other travel) is a pretty straightforward process. Best of all, there are no blackout dates to worry about, and you’ll have access to routes operated by airlines other than the program’s 13 transfer partners. 

On the flip side, Bilt points are worth 1.25 cents apiece when you use them to book award flights through the portal. However, One Mile at a Time values them at 1.7 cents per point when they’re transferred to Bilt’s travel partners at a 1:1 ratio. While you may end up scoring a lower redemption value by going through the portal, it allows you to redeem Bilt points to fly on Delta metal.

When you’re ready to book, log into the Bilt Rewards app or head to travel.biltrewards.com to access the Bilt Travel portal. The screenshots pictured below are from the website, but the app has a similar look and feel. Click on the “Flights” tab; enter your departure and arrival cities and desired travel dates, then press “Search.”

For this example, let’s look for a round-trip flight on Delta from New York (JFK) to Atlanta (ATL) in early March. The results page offers a snapshot of available options, both in cash and points, plus alternate dates that may be cheaper. You can also narrow results down by class and airline or choose options for nonstop or refundable tickets via the tabs at the top of the page. To search for Delta flights, click on “Airlines” and select “Delta”.

Clicking on the first flight reveals a pop-up window with exactly what you’d be getting for those points (or the cash price). Scroll to the right for more options, including basic economy, main economy, and refundable tickets.

After choosing the main cabin ticket option and selecting your return trip, a window pops up showing more flight details, including information about your fare, baggage fees, and seat selection, along with a summary of your total. Select “check out” to continue.

On the final booking page, fill in your passenger information, view the total cost, and select whether you want to pay with points — just a portion or all of them — or continue in cash. Paying with some points results in a tally of the remaining balance. 

In this case, the total is 18,157 Bilt points, including taxes. For comparison, the same flights, when booked on Delta’s website, cost 18,000 SkyMiles plus $11.20 in taxes. So it’s a pretty comparable redemption if you’ve got Bilt points but want to fly with Delta.

Booking Delta flights using Bilt points on partners 

Since Delta isn’t a Bilt Rewards travel partner, you’ll need to transfer your Bilt points over to one of its SkyTeam alliance partners, such as Air France/KLM Flying Blue or Virgin Red (a partner of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club). Thankfully, you convert those points at a 1:1 transfer ratio.

Check your Bilt Rewards account to see if any transfer bonuses are being offered. These could save you a few thousand points. Make sure you search for award availability and have a solid redemption plan, as all transfers from Bilt Rewards are immediate and irreversible.

It’s also worth “pooling” your points from other transferable rewards programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Travel Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, or Capital One Travel Rewards to a common partner to build up your balance. Each of those programs allows you to transfer points at a 1:1 ratio, while it’s also possible to convert Marriott Bonvoy points to Flying Blue or Flying Club at a 3:1 ratio.

SkyTeam alliance member: Air France/KLM Flying Blue

Following a recent devaluation that increased redemption rates between the U.S. and Europe by about 25%, one-way flights are available from 25,000 miles in economy, 40,000 miles in premium economy, and 60,000 miles in business class. 

Check the Promo Rewards page to see what deals are available from your city.

Flying Blue miles can also be used to book domestic U.S. flights aboard Delta aircraft. For example, a quick search for one-way flights from New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) in mid-September shows Delta options starting at 18,000 miles one-way in economy, plus $20.75 in taxes and fees.

The same flight is being offered on Delta’s website for 18,500 Delta SkyMiles and $5.60 in taxes. In this case, transferring Bilt points to Flying Blue would be a decent redemption option since you’d be spending just 500 more in points and only $15.15 more on taxes and fees.

SkyTeam alliance member: Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Since Virgin Red is a partner of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, you can consult the award charts on its website to see how many points are needed for a Delta Air Lines flight redemption. To get the best value, try to book saver awards during the standard season (instead of peak season, which cost 10,000 points more) when reserving economy, premium, or business-class award tickets. 

Be aware that while you may find cheaper fares via Virgin Atlantic in terms of points, the taxes and fees tend to be higher than when you book directly with Delta. In a recent search for one-way flights from Atlanta (ATL) to London (LHR) in early March, Delta Main Cabin seats started at 12,500 Virgin points and $229 in taxes. 

The same flight is going for 46,000 Delta SkyMiles and $5.60 in taxes on Delta’s site. In this case, it would make more sense to transfer Bilt points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and use those points to book your flight on Delta metal, especially since it would save you 33,500 points — although you would wind up having to pay about $223 more in taxes that way.

The best Delta flights to book using Bilt points

Despite the recent devaluation described above, it’s still worth transferring Bilt points to Flying Blue for flights between the U.S. and Europe, especially if you can nab one of the Promo Rewards. Otherwise, redeeming Bilt points for short-haul hops around the U.S. (from 11,000 one-way), from the U.S. to Mexico (from 13,000 miles one-way), and between Hawaii and the West Coast (from 18,500 miles one-way) can still be a fairly lucrative option. And if you manage to track down availability (very limited), you could also redeem Bilt points for Delta One flights by transferring them to Flying Blue.

When it comes to redeeming Bilt points for Delta flights via its partner, Virgin Red, aim for the standard season saver award flights to the U.K., which start at 15,000 points one way from the East Coast, 17,500 points from the Central U.S., or 20,000 from the West Coast. 

If you’d rather fly in business class, you’ll need 47,500 points from the East Coast or Central U.S. or 67,500 points from the West Coast. When flying during peak season, simply add 10,000 more points in each class. 

For flights between the U.S. and the rest of Europe, you’ll need 30,000 points each way for Delta Main Cabin economy seats (during standard and peak season) and 47,500 or 67,500 each way for Delta One business class seats depending on which coast you’re departing from. Add 10,000 more for business-class redemptions during peak season. 

If you’re redeeming points for other flights, calculate the distance between your departure and arrival airports on Great Circle Mapper, then consult the handy “Virgin Points required for Delta, all other routes” award chart on the website. You can also price out your travel by using the Reward Flight Finder tool on Virgin’s website.

How point.me helps you book Delta flights with Bilt points

Point.me makes searching for and booking the ideal award flight easy. Simply plug in your travel dates, desired cities or airports, and which class you prefer to fly in. The results can then be filtered further by loyalty program or, once you create an account, narrowed down by preferred loyalty and credit card programs.

You’ll also be shown the retail prices of each ticket and all taxes and fees, in addition to how many points you’ll need to transfer so you can determine whether or not it’s worth paying cash instead or redeeming points.

Frequently asked questions about booking Delta flights with Bilt points

Can I use Bilt points for Delta flights?

It is possible to book Delta flights with Bilt points, but you’ll either need to reserve them through the Bilt Travel portal or transfer them to a SkyTeam partner that’s also connected to the Bilt Rewards program, like Virgin Red or Air France/KLM Flying Blue. Then, you’d have to use those points and miles to book your Delta flight redemption through that loyalty program’s website.

What other airlines can I transfer Bilt points to?

Bilt Rewards is partnered with 13 airlines and five hotels (World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, IHG One Rewards, and Accor Live Limitless), and you can transfer Bilt points to all but one of them at a 1:1 ratio (Accor’s is a 3:2 ratio). Those airline partners include Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Avianca Lifemiles, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, Air Canada Aeroplan, TAP Miles&Go, Virgin Red, United MileagePlus, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Aer Lingus AerClub, Turkish Airways Miles&Smiles, and Emirates Skywards.

Can I partially pay for a Delta flight with Bilt points?

Yes, you can partially pay for a Delta flight with Bilt points. Toward the end of the Bilt Travel portal’s booking process, you can enter the amount of points you want to redeem for your flight, whether it’s just a portion or you wish to cover the entire balance. You can also save your points for later and just pay the whole amount in cash. If you select a portion of points to redeem, the total will be adjusted and you’ll have to pay the rest in cash.

Summary

While transferring Bilt points directly to Delta SkyMiles isn’t an option since Delta Air Lines isn’t one of the program’s travel partners, there are still a few ways to get around it and book award flights with the airline. 

For the best possible redemption rate, thanks to the 1:1 transfer ratio, consider transferring your Bilt points to one of Delta’s SkyTeam partners that are also Bilt Rewards transfer partners — namely, Virgin Red (Virgin Atlantic Flying Club) or Air France/KLM Flying Blue — and use those miles to reserve your reward flight with Delta. 

Another option is to book your redemption flight via the Bilt Travel portal, allowing you to choose non-partner airlines such as Delta, among other carriers.