While many flyers have soured on Delta lately, the deeply discounted SkyMiles flash sales keep coming. Our latest find could get you all the way down to New Zealand … for under 50,000 SkyMiles roundtrip.
Earlier this week, we sent Thrifty Traveler Premium members a jaw-dropping deal to fly all the way Auckland (AKL), New Zealand for as low as 42,000 SkyMiles and change – and yes, that's roundtrip pricing. This is Delta's brand-new, first-ever route to New Zealand kicking off later this month, and you can book it on the cheap using SkyMiles.
Here's the best part: It's bookable from dozens of airports big and small across the country, from major Delta hubs like Los Angeles (LAX) and Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to smaller cities like Boise (BOI) and Nashville (BNA). And while our members have snagged many dates since we first sent this alert, there's still plenty of availability from November through May – including peak summer down in New Zealand!
Want more Delta deals and other award alerts? We send them to Thrifty Traveler Premium members first, along with dirt-cheap domestic and international flight deals!
You'll get the lowest rate if you've got a Delta co-branded airline card thanks to the TakeOff 15 benefit. With that 15% discount, you'll pay under 46,000 SkyMiles to get to New Zealand and back, no matter which airport you start from.
And these aren't Delta's pesky, restrictive basic economy award fares, either: You'll get a main cabin economy fare at these low rates. That's huge: It means you'll get a free checked bag and free seat selection. And if plans change, you can cancel your ticket and get your miles straight back, no question.
Throw in $95 or less in taxes and fees, and you're on your way to New Zealand later this year or next – for next to nothing.
Thrifty Tip: Got Amex airline fee credits to burn on cards like amex_plat? Use your card to book this fare and cover those fees!
Don't have the SkyMiles you need to book these flights? You might: Delta is an Amex transfer partner, so you can send points to your SkyMiles account from cards like amex_plat or the amex_gold instantly to your Delta account and book minutes later.
Delta typically charges 100,000 SkyMiles or more to get to Australia or New Zealand, so this is a stellar deal. It's even better than a previous deal down under the airline advertised last month … and those were stingy basic economy award fares, too!
The lowest rate is on the new nonstop from Los Angeles to Auckland, but that doesn't mean you'll pay a fortune to fly to New Zealand from other cities. From Seattle (SEA) down to San Diego (SAN), over to Washington, D.C.-Reagan (DCA), and up to Boston (BOS), you can book this deal for under 46,000 SkyMiles with that TakeOff 15 discount. Keep reading for the full list of cities!
In most cases, you'll make one quick connection through Los Angeles before hopping on the long flight to Auckland.
Get the next discounted Delta deal and other points and miles alerts with Thrifty Traveler Premium!
Thrifty Tip: Make sure to use Delta’s “Price Calendar” feature when searching for award rates to find the best deals over a five-week span.
Availability to Auckland
- Travel November through May 2024
- To book these fares, visit Delta.com and search from your airport – be sure to select “Shop with miles.”
- Get 15% award rates with a co-branded Delta Amex card in your wallet thanks to the TakeOff 15 benefit
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!
Departure Cities
It may take some trial and error, but you can book this deal from nearly 50 cities all across the country.
One note: The pricing listed here is before the TakeOff 15 discount kicks in. If you've got a Delta co-branded credit card in your wallet, you'll need 15% fewer miles.
- Albuquerque (ABQ) – 54k
- Anchorage (ANC) – 54k
- Atlanta (ATL) – 54k
- Austin (AUS) – 54k
- Baltimore (BWI) – 54k
- Boise (BOI) – 54k
- Boston (BOS) – 54k
- Buffalo (BUF) – 54k
- Charlotte (CLT) – 54k
- Cincinnati (CVG) – 54k
- Cleveland (CLE) – 54k
- Columbus (CMH) – 54k
- Dallas (DAL) – 54k
- Dallas (DFW) – 54k
- Denver (DEN) – 54k
- Detroit (DTW) – 54k
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL) – 54k
- Grand Rapids (GRR) – 54k
- Hartford (BDL) – 54k
- Houston (IAH) – 54k
- Indianapolis (IND) – 54k
- Jacksonville (JAX) – 54k
- Kansas City (MCI) – 54k
- Las Vegas (LAS) – 54k
- Los Angeles (LAX) – 50k*
- Memphis (MEM) – 54k
- Miami (MIA) – 54k
- Minneapolis (MSP) – 54k
- Nashville (BNA) – 54k
- New Orleans (MSY) – 54k
- New York (JFK) – 54k
- New York (LGA) – 54k
- Norfolk (ORF) – 54k
- Omaha (OMA) – 54k
- Orlando (MCO) – 54k
- Pensacola (PNS) – 54k
- Philadelphia (PHL) – 54k
- Phoenix (PHX) – 54k
- Pittsburgh (PIT) – 54k
- Portland (PDX) – 54k
- Raleigh (RDU) – 54k
- Salt Lake City (SLC) – 54k
- San Diego (SAN) – 54k
- San Francisco (SFO) – 54k
- Seattle (SEA) – 54k
- Spokane (GEG) – 54k
- St. Louis (STL) – 54k
- Tampa (TPA) – 54k
- Washington, D.C. (DCA) – 54k
Bottom Line
Believe it or not, the Delta SkyMiles flash sales seem to be getting better and better. And this Delta SkyMiles deal to Auckland (AKL) this year or next is arguably one of the best.
For 46,000 SkyMiles or less roundtrip, you can get to Auckland – a fraction of what those flights typically cost. Our Thrifty Traveler Premium members got first dibs, but there's still plenty of availability to book a deeply discounted trip to New Zealand later this year or early next.
Thanks, Kyle, I was upset at myself for not booking a similar sale to NZ you alerted us to earlier this year so this time I grabbed it within minutes of your posting. For anyone else considering this, DO NOT MISS the South Island, it is beyond incredible. Keep up the great work!
Looks like the deal is dead 🙁