We all need something to look forward to – and preferably, a warm place to relax. How about a beach getaway to Cancún? Done.
We recently unearthed this unpublished Delta SkyMiles flash sale with flights to Cancún (CUN) as low as just 11,000 SkyMiles roundtrip – and rates below 18,000 SkyMiles from a number of airports! That means you can fly down south to Mexico for fewer miles than most domestic trips! And you can book these flights through the winter and even into spring of 2023.
Thrifty Traveler Premium+ subscribers got this deal sent to their inbox last week as soon as we found it, but many of these fares are still available. However, some of the cheapest rates are now gone, and others have increased slightly in price since we first sent it.
Want more award alerts like this one? We send them to Thrifty Traveler Premium+ members first, along with dirt-cheap domestic and international flight deals.
There are cheap award flights down to Mexico from August all the way through March 2023. All award flights down to Cancún get hit with $80 $90 or so in taxes and fees, which takes a bite out of the value of this redemption. Still, it's a great deal for a winter escape on the cheap.
The lowest rates are for Delta basic economy award tickets, which don't come with free seat assignment and get hit with a 9,900-SkyMile penalty if you want to cancel to get the rest of your miles back. You also won't earn MQMs on basic economy fares.
That's why we recommend upgrading to a main cabin fare, as those tickets are fully refundable: Get your miles and taxes and fees back for free! Upgrading to main cabin starts at just an additional 3,000 SkyMiles on these flights.
Read more: Are Delta SkyMiles the best way to book flights right now?
There's no Delta hub penalty here, either. Even core Delta hubs like Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), Atlanta (ATL), and Detroit (DTW) can get in on these ultra-low rates.
Mexico has remained open to American travelers throughout the pandemic, with no testing nor vaccination requirements for entry. You will need a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than one day before flying back to the U.S., so check with your resort or accommodations to see if they offer onsite testing or follow our other tips to track down a test.
Thrifty Tip #1: When booking with SkyMiles, make sure to select “Flexible Dates” and “Price Calendar” to maximize the dates viewable.
Thrifty Tip #2: Have The Platinum Card® from American Express? Use the $200 airline fee credit to cover the taxes & fees. This works as long as you have Delta selected as your preferred airline.
Delta SkyMiles Flash Sale Availability
- Travel in August through March 2023, depending on your origin and destination
- To book these fares, visit Delta.com and search from your airport
To begin, do a normal search for flights at Delta.com and be sure to check the box that says “Shop with Miles”.
On the next page, you'll see a grid full of fares, but click the “Price Calendar” button to get the clearest view of what's available. From there, just choose the dates with the lowest SkyMiles fares and book!
We highly recommend you upgrade to Main Cabin to include advanced seat assignment and to have the ability to cancel online for a full refund of your SkyMiles and fees. That's easily worth paying an additional 3,000 to 8,000 SkyMiles per ticket.
Departure Cities
In total, 16 different cities clocked in with SkyMiles rates below 20,000 miles to get down to Cancún and back, ranging from Chicago to Miami, Seattle to New York, and more.
Notably many of the nonstop routes from Delta hubs like Atlanta (ATL), Minneapolis – St. Paul (MSP), and Seattle (SEA), have plenty of availability left.
Atlanta (ATL) – 12k*
Boston (BOS) – 18k*
Buffalo (BUF) – 18k
Charleston (CHS) – 18k
Chicago (MDW) – 11k
Detroit (DTW) – 18k*
Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) – 11k
Houston (HOU) – 19k
Jacksonville (JAX) – 18k
Miami (MIA) – 11k
Minneapolis (MSP) – 18k*
Nashville (BNA) – 18k
New York (JFK) – 18k*
Rochester (ROC) – 18k
Seattle (SEA) – 18k*
Syracuse (SYR) – 18k
*=nonstop
Bottom Line
Don't let those Delta SkyMiles collect dust – especially when we're finding deals like this one!
Thrifty Traveler Premium+ members got the first kick at the bucket for this fantastic award sale from Delta, but even as some fares have increased in price, this is still a great deal with plenty of availability.
Deals like this are why we think SkyMiles are so valuable. Most airlines charge at least 30,000 miles for flights to Mexico and back. And considering you can score a cheap flight to Mexico now and cancel penalty-free later on (as long as you book main cabin or higher), this sale is tough to beat.
Lead photo courtesy of Chris Lundberg via Flickr (CC by 2.0)
Great sale and thanks for posting when these surface but perhaps state early in your reporting when these sales exclude the primary Delta hubs of MSP, ATL, SLC. Saves all of us in those cities (who I have to think are the majority of your readers) some time.