Travel may still feel uncertain right now, but that doesn't mean you need to give up on future trips. And if you've got some SkyMiles to spare, this is your chance.
Delta is back with another SkyMiles flash sale – the airline is advertising some decent deals. But as always, we found dozens of flights unpublished deals nationwide available for just 8,000 or 9,000 SkyMiles round-trip, from coast to coast to the Midwest and the south. And they're available from August all the way through November and beyond. If you want to book a summer or fall getaway, start searching from your home airport – you may find many flights are deeply discounted.
The beauty of this is that it's risk-free: Delta is offering free change or cancellation on all flights booked by June 30 – including SkyMiles award tickets. That means you could book today for a trip in the summer or fall, then cancel if necessary and get your miles back free without paying the usual $150 redeposit fee.
Read more: Are Delta SkyMiles the best way to book flights right now?
You'll find these lowest rates are for Delta basic economy. Delta has been selling basic economy awards even when using your SkyMiles, which means you won't get to pick your seat in advance and won't be eligible for upgrades. In most cases, you can get those perks for 1,000-4,000 more SkyMiles by booking a main cabin fare. But even basic economy awards can be canceled to get your miles back for free.
Thrifty Tip #1: OK with basic economy to save some SkyMiles? Read our guide to learn how you can still pick a seat!
The deals run from August all the way into November – and even further, in some cases.
Here's a sample of some of the great deals we've found:
- Los Angeles (LAX) to Nashville (BNA) for 8,000 SkyMiles
- Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Las Vegas (LAS) for 9,000 SkyMiles
- Atlanta (ATL) to Los Angeles (LAX) for 13,000 SkyMiles
- New York City-LaGuardia (LGA) to Miami (MIA) for 9,000 SkyMiles
- Detroit (DTW) to Austin (AUS) for 11,000 SkyMiles
- Seattle (SEA) to Los Angeles (LAX) for 10,000 SkyMiles
- Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to New Orleans (MSY) for 10,000 SkyMiles
- New York City (JFK) to Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) for 10,000 SkyMiles
- Salt Lake City (SLC) to San Diego (SAN) for 12,000 SkyMiles
- Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Miami (MIA) for 9,000 SkyMiles
And many, many more. Be sure to search for your own deals – there are dozens more routes on sale for 8,000 or 9,000 SkyMiles round trip and up.
Thrifty Tip #2: When booking with SkyMiles, make sure to select “Flexible Dates” and “Price Calendar” to maximize the dates viewable and find the best deal.
Thrifty Tip #3: Load up your SkyMiles balance for the next deal! See if you're eligible for a whopping 100,000-point bonus on the Platinum Card from American Express – these points can transfer straight to your Delta SkyMiles account.
Delta Domestic SkyMiles Deal Availability
- Travel from August through November (and beyond), depending on your destination
- To book these fares, head to Delta.com and start searching!
- Get the lowest rates by booking round-trip fares!
Our Analysis
These SkyMiles award deals are one of the best ways to use your Delta SkyMiles. Delta is back to advertising some of its sales – but there are always much better deals than even what Delta is touting.
It won't take much work to find flights for 8,000 to 10,000 SkyMiles round-trip. We can't remember the last time we saw this many routes on sale nationwide at such low rates, from August all the way through November. Be sure to search from your home airport!
Even long transcontinental flights can be dirt cheap. Check out these flights from Atlanta (ATL) to Los Angeles (LAX) for just 13,000 SkyMiles round-trip! Atlanta (ATL) residents rarely get good SkyMiles rates, thanks to Delta's hub penalty. But there are plenty of other deals there, too – like flights to New Orleans (MSY) or Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) for 9,000 SkyMiles round-trip.
Other Delta hubs get lots of love, too. There are plenty of round-trip fares available from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to cities like Miami (MIA), New Orleans (MSY), or Las Vegas (LAS) for as low as 9,000 SkyMiles total.
You can also fly from Salt Lake City (SLC) to San Diego for just 12,000 SkyMiles and New York City-LaGuardia (LGA) to Miami (MIA) or Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) for only 8,000 SkyMiles.
If you're willing to fly basic economy – giving up seat selection and some other perks – this is as cheap as it gets. And with the flexibility to book now and cancel later for free, this is a great opportunity to book an escape in the summer or fall.
Bottom Line
Delta SkyMiles get a bad rap, but these sales are a big part of the reason why we think they can be insanely valuable. And the fact that you can book a trip summer or fall for as low as 8,000 SkyMiles round trip and cancel later if you have to makes it even better.
Lead photo courtesy of Delta