The 5 best ways to redeem Delta SkyMiles in 2025, from Caribbean escapes to domestic adventures
CNN Underscored reviews financial products based on their overall value. We may receive a commission through our affiliate partners if you apply and are approved for a product, but our reporting is always independent and objective. This may impact how links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Airfare can be one of the biggest expenses when planning a trip, but travel rewards can make a serious dent in those costs. Right now, generous welcome offers from Delta Air Lines make that long-overdue vacation more accessible than ever.
Even better, you're not limited to flying Delta. As a member of the SkyTeam alliance, Delta allows you to use SkyMiles on partner airlines like Air France, KLM, Aeromexico and more, opening up nearly endless possibilities around the world.
With that in mind, here's a closer look at Delta's current credit card offers and five standout ways to redeem SkyMiles for maximum value.
Delta currently has seven cobranded credit cards: four personal cards and three business cards. Depending on the one you choose, you can earn between 10,000 and 80,000 bonus SkyMiles with a new welcome offer.
Here's a breakdown of the current offers available for Delta's personal credit cards.
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card: Earn 10,000 bonus SkyMiles after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of opening the account. $0 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: Earn 50,000 bonus SkyMiles after spending $2,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of opening the account. $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (see rates and fees).
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Earn 60,000 bonus SkyMiles after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of opening the account. $350 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of opening the account. $650 annual fee (see rates and fees).
And these are the current offers for small business Delta credit cards.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card: Earn 60,000 bonus SkyMiles after spending $4,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of opening the account. $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (see rates and fees).
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of opening the account. $350 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of opening the account. $650 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Get more value from your SkyMiles with TakeOff 15
Even better, the Delta Amex Gold, Delta Amex Platinum and Delta Amex Reserve cards — and their small business equivalents — are eligible for the TakeOff 15 benefit. This benefit provides a 15% discount on the SkyMiles required for Delta-operated award flights.
For example, if you want to book a flight that requires 11,500 SkyMiles, it will only cost 9,700 SkyMiles with the discount.
The TakeOff 15 discount will appear automatically in your flight search results if you're an eligible card member and logged into your account. You must pay the flight's taxes and fees with your eligible Delta Amex to receive the discount.
Related article
What you need to know about Delta checked bag fees and how to avoid them
Get great deals on domestic flights
Delta doesn't have a fixed award chart, so the cost of a flight using SkyMiles varies by route, date and other factors. For example, a flight from New York to Los Angeles, California, could be a different price depending on the day you book.
That said, you can often book flights throughout the US for as few as 4,500 SkyMiles, plus taxes and fees. These deals are even sweeter if you pair them with the TakeOff 15 discount.
At the time of writing, you can book a flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Los Angeles (LAX) for 3,800 SkyMiles and $5.60 in taxes if you have an eligible Delta credit card. With up to 80,000 SkyMiles in your account, you could fly this route 10 times round trip.
We also found one-way flights from New York-JFK to Atlanta (ATL) on many dates for just 6,300 SkyMiles with the TakeOff 15 benefit, plus $5.60 in taxes and fees.
The lowest fares are usually in basic economy, which means you can't pick your seats ahead of time. If you want to guarantee that you and your travel partner or family are seated together, consider spending extra SkyMiles to book a Main Cabin award ticket instead.
Keep an eye on Delta's flight deals page
If you don't have a specific destination or date in mind, following Delta's flight deals page can help you book a vacation for even fewer SkyMiles. These deals change regularly but often provide excellent value.
All you have to do is enter your departure city and all deals on both paid fares and bookings using award SkyMiles will appear. We suggest visiting the page often, as Delta typically populates the page with travel dates for the next three months.
There are some excellent deals to be found here. At the time of writing, we found flights from New York-JFK to Madrid (MAD) for just 32,000 miles round trip, plus $51 in taxes and fees. That's before the TakeOff 15 discount.
There are also flights from New York-JFK to Taipei, Taiwan (TPE), available for just 68,000 SkyMiles round trip, plus $46 in taxes and fees. Again, that's before the TakeOff 15 discount for eligible card holders.
Related article
Can't find award space? Use these tips, tricks and tools to find the perfect flight
Fly to the Caribbean for under 10,000 SkyMiles
With about a dozen destinations in the Caribbean, such as Aruba, Grand Cayman, Montego Bay, Nassau, San Juan, St. Thomas and others, redeeming SkyMiles for sun and relaxation is incredibly easy.
The number of SkyMiles required to redeem a free flight varies based on your destination and the time of the year you want to travel. But as an example, we found flights from New York-JFK to San Juan (SJU) for as few as 7,600 SkyMiles and $5.60 in taxes one-way with the TakeOff 15 discount.
Plus, we found flights from Boston (BOS) to Grand Cayman (GCM) via Atlanta (ATL) for as few as 8,500 SkyMiles and $5.60 in taxes and fees with the TakeOff 15 discount.
Heading to the beach — all on SkyMiles — might be the perfect opportunity to relax. And with the SkyMiles earned from the welcome offer, it's easy to fly you and a friend or a spouse to the Caribbean and back for a much-needed vacation in the sun.
Related article
How I booked my $18,584 honeymoon business-class flights for less than $200
Cross the border to Canada
Flights to Canada present another great SkyMiles redemption opportunity. You can fly on Delta or its partner WestJet, and flights can often be booked for as few as 8,000 SkyMiles one way.
If you're looking to fly to Montréal or Toronto from the East Coast, you might be able to score a flight for minimal miles in Basic Economy. For example, New York (LGA) to Toronto (YYZ) is just 8,000 SkyMiles plus taxes after the TakeOff 15 discount.
Meanwhile, you'll find that cross-border flights on WestJet almost always cost 12,500 SkyMiles in Main Cabin, including this flight from Atlanta (ATL) to Calgary (YYC). However, this flight is not eligible for the TakeOff 15 discount, as it's operated by a partner airline.
Related article
This is the best way to book flights to Canada with credit card points
See more of Europe with Air France and KLM
If you're planning a tour of Europe, consider redeeming SkyMiles for flights around the region. Intra-Europe flights start at 10,000 SkyMiles on Air France, KLM and other European SkyTeam partners. This can be useful during peak travel times when flights within Europe are expensive.
For example, this flight from Amsterdam (AMS) to Prague (PRG) costs just 10,000 SkyMiles plus $79.31 in taxes and fees. Meanwhile, a standard economy ticket costs $208.60 on the same date. Again, this flight is not eligible for TakeOff 15 since it's operated by KLM.
You can also find extremely cheap intra-Europe flights on budget carriers like Ryanair and EasyJet. Make sure to compare intra-Europe award tickets with these fares, as it might be a better idea to save your SkyMiles for a more lucrative redemption.
Related article
The free Points Path browser extension shows you how many reward miles a flight costs in Google Flights
If you look in the right places — and at the right routes — you can find true value in redeeming Delta SkyMiles for nearly free flights. And with the current Delta credit card offers, you might be able to turn a single welcome bonus into thousands of dollars' worth of airfare for your next trip.
The following FAQs have been answered by CNN Underscored travel editor and credit card expert Kyle Olsen.
How much are 100,000 Delta SkyMiles worth?
How much are 100,000 Delta SkyMiles worth?
Travel website The Points Guy values 100,000 Delta SkyMiles at $1,200.
How many Delta miles does it cost for a free round-trip flight to Europe?
How many Delta miles does it cost for a free round-trip flight to Europe?
A round-trip economy flight to Europe with Delta typically costs 66,000 to 94,000 SkyMiles, though it can dip as low as 42,000 miles during rare promotions. Business-class awards usually start at 220,000 miles, and pricing varies due to Delta's dynamic award system, travel dates and demand.
Can I use Delta SkyMiles on Amazon?
Can I use Delta SkyMiles on Amazon?
You can't use Delta SkyMiles directly on Amazon or redeem them for Amazon gift cards. The best way to use SkyMiles is still for flights.
Can I use Delta SkyMiles for anything other than flights?
Can I use Delta SkyMiles for anything other than flights?
Yes, you can use Delta SkyMiles for vacation packages, seat upgrades, travel extras, Sky Club memberships and even charitable donations. But flights and vacation packages usually offer the best value. Most non-flight redemptions tend to provide a lower value per mile.
As with all CNN Underscored articles, our travel and points pieces are grounded in independent, objective reporting backed by real-world travel experience. As a Delta Gold Medallion member and seasoned travel editor, Kyle Olsen brings his firsthand knowledge of the SkyMiles program to ensure recommendations are both accurate and actionable for travelers looking to get the most out of their miles.
Click here for rates and fees of the Delta Blue Amex.Click here for rates and fees of the Delta Gold Amex.Click here for rates and fees of the Delta Business Gold Amex.Click here for rates and fees of the Delta Platinum Amex.Click here for rates and fees of the Delta Business Platinum Amex.Click here for rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Amex.Click here for rates and fees of the Delta Business Reserve Amex.
Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Vancouver company celebrating reusable food container success
started with just five stores but is now in institutions across Canada and the U.S. As Chad Pawson explains, local waste management officials say it's the type of private-sector ingenuity needed to address the region's garbage problem.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why Mondelez's Dividend Stands Strong in Uncertain Markets
Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) is one of the best dividend stocks for a bear market. Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) ranks among the top global snack makers and belongs to the consumer staples sector. During economic downturns, consumers typically continue buying food at consistent levels, and even tend to favor discounted options more, making large food companies like Mondelez appealing, especially when spending declines in more discretionary areas. A colourful array of products like candies, chocolates and gums on a supermarket shelf. Another reason investors are drawn to Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) is its strong dividend and reliable cash flow. In the latest quarter, the company generated $1.1 billion in operating cash flow and $0.8 billion in free cash flow, while returning $2.1 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks. Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDLZ) has also garnered attention on the dividend front. The company has been rewarding shareholders with growing dividends for the past 11 consecutive years. It offers a quarterly dividend of $0.47 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.83% The company has expressed confidence in its future earnings potential, which may support the strength and stability of its dividend payments. It has reaffirmed its outlook for the year, expecting organic net revenue to grow by around 5%. However, adjusted earnings per share are projected to decline by roughly 10% on a constant currency basis, mainly due to an unusual surge in cocoa prices. Despite this, the company anticipates generating over $3 billion in free cash flow for 2025. Since recessions often go hand in hand with falling stock markets, investors with shorter time horizons may find value in holding companies that offer steady or growing dividend yields. While we acknowledge the potential of MDLZ as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and Disclosure. None. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
This Under-the-Radar Healthcare Stock Could Be a Solid Income Play
CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) is one of the best dividend stocks for a bear market. Even during economic downturns, people continue to rely on medications, essential consumer products, and affordable local healthcare. CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) serves as a convenient healthcare and retail destination within communities. A row of shelves in a retail pharmacy, demonstrating the variety of drugs and over-the-counter products. The company's overall business remains solid, thanks to its diversified operations and multiple sources of revenue. In recent years, it has expanded its presence in primary care and launched a subsidiary called Cordavis to focus on developing and marketing biosimilar drugs. Its broad reach across communities and wide range of services are key advantages. Lately, higher Medicare usage and increased post-pandemic healthcare costs have impacted the company's revenue and earnings growth. However, CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) remains profitable and maintains a solid cash position. In the most recent quarter, it reported $4.6 billion in operating cash flow. Looking ahead to 2025, the company has raised its full-year operating cash flow forecast from around $6.5 billion to approximately $7.0 billion. In addition, CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) appears to have significant room to grow its dividend. With a cash payout ratio of just 30%, even doubling that figure would still leave it within a sustainable range. Due to this strong cash generation, CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) has maintained its payouts since 1997. Currently, it offers a quarterly dividend of $0.665 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.96%, as of June 17. While we acknowledge the potential of CVS as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and Disclosure. None.
