5 Reasons I Want More Delta SkyMiles

Last year, I signed up for the only Delta credit card I have ever had – a Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express. I signed up for the card when it was offering 70,000 miles, and I’m glad I did. Once I racked up the points, I was able to spend them on my husband’s flight to Dublin, Ireland for a trip we took over St. Patrick’s Day last year.

Sadly, this means I am all out of Delta Sky Miles now. But really, I see this as an opportunity. Since I’ve only had one Delta card and my husband hasn’t had any, we could rack up a bunch of miles in the Delta program if we both signed up for cards we are eligible for the next time a big signup bonus offer rolls around.

While Delta Sky Miles are constantly dumped on for their paltry value and Delta doesn’t even have an award chart, I still want to earn more Delta miles and plan to do so in the near future. Here’s why:

• Delta just came out with a new nonstop flight from Indianapolis to Paris. My top reason for wanting more Sky Miles is selfish. My home airport of Indianapolis is coming out with a nonstop flight to Paris in May 2018, and I want to fly this new route in the near future. Right now you can find a ton of availability for around 60,000 miles round-trip per person, so hopefully, it stays that way. The retail price of these flights is around $1,301 per person in main cabin economy, after all.
• We have a lot of flexibility with our dates and destinations. It’s annoying that Delta doesn’t have an award chart, but it helps if you are flexible with your destinations and dates. If the flight you want on Delta surges in miles overnight, having some flexibility makes it easier to choose different dates or a different airport for arrival or departure. If I could only fly peak times I’m not sure I would bother earning Delta Miles. With a flexible schedule though, it makes a lot more sense.
• I get Delta Sky Club access when I fly Delta. My husband has decided to keep his Business Platinum Card from American Express for the long haul, which means we get access to Centurion lounges, Priority Pass, and Delta Sky Clubs when we fly Delta. I love Delta Sky Clubs.
• You can use the Pay with Miles function if you don’t find the award availability you want. As long as you’re an eligible Delta SkyMiles Credit Card Member and have a minimum 5,000 miles per passenger, you can use their “Pay with Miles” feature to book any flight you want. Each mile is worth one cent each with this feature, meaning a $600 flight will set you back 60,000 miles. While this feature isn’t always optimal, it offers a backup plan if you don’t find the award availability you want.
• We’ve had good experiences flying Delta in the past. We flew Delta twice last year after transferring Membership Rewards to Air France/Flying Blue. Our first flight was from IND to Munich and home through Zurich, and our second was IND to Madrid and home from Paris. Either way, I really enjoyed their long-haul flights. I upgraded us to Delta Comfort for around $100 each both times, and we slept well with plenty of room. They had good food for economy standards, and I was happy with the experience.

The Bottom Line

We all have our own reasons for earning different award currencies or skipping them altogether. Personally, I am inclined to focus most of our spending on Chase Ultimate Rewards. However, I am willing to be pulled into various other programs anytime I spot an opportunity. Since neither of us has been serious about earning Sky Miles in the past, now may be a good time to dive in. In the worst case scenario, we’ll get less bang for our buck with our miles than we hope for.

 

Do you bother earning Delta miles? Why or why not?