The Best SkyMiles Deals … That Delta Doesn’t Want You to Know About

Say what you want about Delta and its SkyMiles program (and there's been plenty to complain about over the years) but Delta SkyMiles deals have arguably been better than ever lately … if you know where to look. And we do.

We've been finding some amazing Delta SkyMiles flash sales in the last year or so – just ask our Thrifty Traveler Premium members, who get alert after alert every time we find a Delta deal to fly somewhere fun for a fraction of the SkyMiles it normally costs. While you might still see sky-high rates for many flights (especially flying business class), stellar deals are still out there.

Here's the thing: Delta doesn't usually advertise their best deals … but we find them anyway. We're talking about roundtrip flights to Europe for for just 19,000 SkyMiles, or in Delta One business class for 95,000 SkyMiles, or as little as 7,000 SkyMiles roundtrip to Mexico and many, many more! 

Most of these deals are gone now … but the next big SkyMiles sale is just around the corner. Until then, take a look at just how cheap Delta SkyMiles deals can get.

Delta One to Hong Kong from 94K SkyMiles RT

When Delta runs one of its secretive flash sales, they're almost always massive. And none from the last few weeks were bigger – or arguably better – in than this cheap Delta One sale to Hong Kong (HKG), Delta's newest international destination. 

Just 94,000 SkyMiles for a Delta One seat on a 15-hour flight? That normally costs 400,000 SkyMiles or more? And not just on the nonstop from Los Angeles (LAX) but from practically all 200-plus U.S. airports across the country, big or small?!

This deal was so good that these low rates only lasted a few hours before it disappeared … but not before several subscribers booked the trip of their dreams to Hong Kong (HKG) for a fraction of the normal cost. 

The key? Getting alerted to this deal both by email and by text message – a feature we reserve for our highest priority “Unicorn” alerts. 

After that, all you had to do was follow the instructions in your email and book this ultra-rare award space!

But that was just the latest Delta SkyMiles Unicorn deal. Just a few days earlier, we found another covert flash sale to get you to Europe for less!

Roundtrips to Europe from 22K SkyMiles!

We find deeply discounted Delta deals to Europe all the time. Think 30,000 SkyMiles to London-Heathrow (LHR), 25,000 miles or so to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), and occasionally under 20,000 for a roundtrip across the continent. 

But our latest find was arguably the best yet: As low as 22,000 SkyMiles roundtrip to schlep all across Europe from nearly 200 U.S. airports. And not for the cheapest basic economy fares (which is the norm for these sales) but for a main cabin economy fare with free bags, free seat selection, and free cancellation!

Believe it or not, this was almost certainly mistake fare. Delta never sells its better economy fares at the same rate as a stingier basic economy fare. Case in point: Delta killed this deal off just an hour or two after we sent the alert above (plus a text message!) to our members' inboxes.

But there was plenty of time to book a dirt-cheap Delta flight to France, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, or even as far as Athens (ATH) for a fraction of what the airline typically charges.

Get this: Delta is now charging almost 80,000 SkyMiles for these exact same flights!

Or Europe in Delta One from 170K SkyMiles RT!

A 19,000-SkyMile roundtrip flight to Europe in economy is a sizzling deal, but sometimes you want to splurge. If you've been farming SkyMiles and want to use your stash on a lie-flat seat instead, opportunities to do so are few and far between with Delta…but not impossible. 

A few months ago we found some wide-open availability to book Delta One to Europe roundtrip for just 200,000 SkyMiles – or down to just 170,000 SkyMiles if you have a Delta credit card for that automatic discount.

Best of all, this deal included peak summer availability – again, from virtually every city big and small across the country! Delta normally charges 500,000 SkyMiles or more for these trips! 

Tokyo & Back from 40K SkyMiles

Delta's increasing presence at Tokyo-Haneda (HND) is a great thing for Delta flyers who want to get to Japan – and especially those with SkyMiles. Here's proof: 

This SkyMiles flash sale to Haneda looped in hundreds of U.S. cities flying overseas to Tokyo all under 68,000 SkyMiles roundtrip! 

Thrifty Tip: The Delta SkyClub at Haneda is awesome – especially the made-to-order noodle bar!

As always, a Delta credit card will give you even more savings – as low as 41,000 SkyMiles if you booked from Los Angeles (LAX). 

Delta One to Morocco from 170K SkyMiles RT

Marrakech (RAK) in Morocco is one of Delta's newest nonstop destinations, with service beginning just a month ago. And even on a route that new, we still find stellar deals … including in business class!

We found an incredible deal to Morocco for just 170,000 SkyMiles roundtrip – less than half the normal rate! Better yet, it was available at that price from nearly 200 airports, big and small, all across the country!

This kind of deal to Marrakech was so rare that it merited another one of our famous “Unicorn Alert” texts (and a corresponding emoji!) to help our members book ASAP.

A Delta One flight to Africa can be almost impossible to book using points and miles, but not if you have text alerts that let you know when it's time.

Cabo & Puerto Vallarta under 9K SkyMiles RT

A winter escape to Mexico doesn't sound so bad, either, right? What if I told you that the 10,000 Delta SkyMiles is enough to fly to Mexico – not each way, but roundtrip?!

These fares to Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and Cabo (SJD) did exactly that. Even airpots like Pasco (PSC), Redmond (RDM), and Eugene (EUG) could benefit from these rates. Those are certainly record lows from those cities. 

Cancún, Mexico from 7K SkyMiles RT

Think the SkyMiles deals down south of the border can't get any cheaper? Think again.

Earlier this year, we found roundtrip fares to Cancún (CUN) for as low as 6,800 SkyMiles total. That's right: Under 7,000 for a roundtrip to Mexico this winter!

Anything under 10,000 SkyMiles roundtrip is a steal to Mexico from many cities – but for a lot of the other places on this list, fares closer to 11,000 or 17,000 SkyMiles roundtrip is still at least half-off the going rate. 

Flights to your beach vacation for a family of four for less than 40,000 SkyMiles roundtrip? That's the power of SkyMiles. 

Brisbane Under 60K SkyMiles RT

If you want a flight to Australia, aim for Brisbane (BNE). That's the advice we've been giving travelers for more than a year now, because all the cheapest fares and points availability to Australia seem to go through Brisbane.

This find earlier this week flying Delta broke new records. 

Just 34,000 SkyMiles roundtrip, all the way to Australia! That's bananas. 

You'd be hard-pressed to find a better value per-mile-flown than this one! 

Taiwan from 25K Delta SkyMiles

Excuse me, Brisbane. Taipei (TPE) would like a word…

Fares in the 20,000s to Asia? That's not even possible, right? Wrong.

These 30,000-SkyMile fares (bookable one-way for 15,000, too!) flying through Delta's Seattle (SEA) hub to Taipei (TPE) is maybe the cheapest way we've ever seen to get to and from Asia. With a Delta SkyMiles credit card, and its automatic 15% discount when redeeming SkyMiles on Delta flights, it dropped down to just 25,400 miles roundtrip – with only $44 in taxes and fees! 

And as you can see, almost every Delta city in the country was included in this deal, too. That meant travelers could take advantage from New York City (JFK) to Pasco (PSC) for the same amount of SkyMiles. 

Auckland, New Zealand from 40k SkyMiles RT

How many more excuses can Delta give us to fly across the Pacific Ocean for next to no SkyMiles? 

Don't tempt me, Delta!

The lowest fare on this deal is a shocker, too! Anchorage (ANC) flyers don't get low fares like this very often – especially from one of the northernmost Pacific landmasses all the way this far south.

But like many of these transpacific flash sales, the deal extends way, way beyond the West Coast. Even travelers in Myrtle Beach (MYR), Norfolk (ORF), and Bristol (TRI) could jump on this sale to New Zealand. 

Bottom Line

We know, we know: Trying to use your Delta SkyMiles can be frustrating. Just trust us … the deals are out there.

That's what our Thrifty Traveler Premium service is all about: Letting you know exactly when you can book flights for fewer SkyMiles. These deals are just the tip of the iceberg – we've found far more deeply discounted Delta deals in recent months. And we're on the hunt for even more through the rest of the year.