Delta SkyMiles Value Calculator

What's the value of Delta SkyMiles?

Based on our valuations, Delta SkyMiles are worth 1.2 cents per mile on average. This means 10,000 SkyMiles are equal to about $120 in flight value with Delta and their airline partners.

Here are our valuations for Delta SkyMiles based on redemption:

Delta Flights

The best way to get the most out of Delta SkyMiles is to redeem them for flights on Delta Airlines and their airline partners. This will give you an average redemption value of 1.2 cents per mile. So 10,000 SkyMiles translates to around $120 in flight value.

Delta Airlines has a handful of sweet spots when it comes to redeeming your SkyMiles for solid value. Here are a few of them:

• Short-haul flights in the US: You can find round-trip flights ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 Delta SkyMiles on average between many cities.
• Long-haul economy flights in the US: Booking long-haul flights in the US will sometimes give you higher-than-average value.
• International Redemptions: Delta has a handful of redemptions to international destinations that can net you some solid value. This includes:
  • Flights to Brazil on LATAM
  • Flights to the U.K. on Virgin Atlantic
  • Flights with Korean Airlines
  • Flights from the U.S. to Canada
  • Flights from the U.S. to Middle East
• Delta flash sales & weekend getaways: If you're flexible, these sales are usually heavily reduced and can save you some serious SkyMiles.

Pay with Miles

Pay with Miles is an exclusive redemption option that is only available to Delta credit cardholders. It allows you to use Delta SkyMiles to reduce the overall cost of your flight in increments of 5,000 SkyMiles for a $50 credit. This comes out to 1 cent per mile.

This is a decent option if you don't have enough miles for an award flight, but still want to shave some money off the cost of your flight.

Car Rentals

Redeeming Delta SkyMiles for car rentals through the Delta SkyMiles Marketplace will give your miles a value of about 0.84 cents. You'll be able to book car with all of the top car rental companies including Enterprise, Hertz, and Alamo.

Merchandise

Redeeming Delta SkyMiles for merchandise through the Delta SkyMiles Marketplace will give your points an average of 0.55 cents per mile, though it will vary based on what you're purchasing. There are a lot of products available ranging from suitcases and outdoor to kitchen appliances and Apple electronics.

Cruises

Using your Delta SkyMiles for cruise redemptions through the Delta SkyMiles Marketplace will give your miles a value of around 0.47 cents per mile. While the value isn't the best, being able to book a full cruise starting at 78,000 SkyMiles isn't too shabby for anyone who loves cruising.

Standard interior rooms ranged between 78,000 to 227,000 depending on the brand and length of cruise. The value of your SkyMiles will heavily depend on the brand.

Hotels

Redeeming Delta SkyMiles for hotels through the Delta SkyMiles Marketplace will give your miles an average value of 0.42 cents per mile. You'll be able to book hotels with Marriott, Wyndham, and other popular hotel chains.

You must have at least half of the miles required to reserve the room. You can pay cash for the remainder of the balance if you do not have enough SkyMiles.

Gift Cards

SkyMiles can be redeemed for a large variety of gift cards include dining, entertainment, gas, retail, and travel which will give you about 0.41 cents in value per mile. You can obtain as much as 0.69 cents per mile using SkyMiles towards Delta Gift Cards.

Experiences

Delta SkyMiles can be used to bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Skymiles Experiences includes experiences such as VIP tickets to the Grammy's, Wine and Food tasting with well-known chefs, suite tickets to sporting events, and more. The value of these experience will depend solely on how much you value the event itself.

Calculator: Convert Delta SkyMiles to Dollars

Use the Delta SkyMiles Value Calculator to determine the dollar value of your miles when redeemed for flights, hotels, gift cards, and other rewards. This will give you an idea of the average value for all the redemption options available with your Delta SkyMiles.

Calculator: Use Delta SkyMiles or Pay Cash?

Use our SkyMiles or Cash Calculator to determine the cash value of a redemption based on the cost in cash versus the cost in Delta SkyMiles. This tool is useful when trying to decide whether to use cash or SkyMiles to book a flight.

Delta SkyMiles value versus other airlines

Here's how the average value of Delta SkyMiles stack up against other airlines:

Credit cards that earn Delta SkyMiles

The best credit card for earning Delta SkyMiles will be a co-branded Delta credit card or a Membership Rewards credit card. Co-branded Delta credit cards will be best for benefits while AMEX credit cards will generally earn you more rewards per $1 spent.

Delta credit cards

Delta offers a whopping seven credit cards which features several flavors split between personal and business cards — Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Reserve. Which card is best depends on the benefits you're looking for when flying Delta.

If you're a Delta loyalist and you're looking for maximum benefits, the Reserve cards might be for you. If you fly Delta occasionally, but want to dodge the bag fees, the Gold is the way to go. And if you fall somewhere in-between, consider Platinum.

Here's the breakdown of Delta's credit cards:

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card

Best For No Annual Fee

• Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases and at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• No foreign transaction fee and no annual fee
• Terms Apply
• $0 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
• Card Value & Delta Blue Miles Calculator

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

Best For Free Checked Bags

• Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets
• First checked bag free for yourself and up to 8 others traveling with you on the same reservation
• $200 flight credit every year that you spend $10,000 or more on the card
• $100 Delta stays credit: Earn up to $100 back annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com.
• Terms Apply
• Enjoy a $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $150. (See Rates and Fees)
• Card Value & Delta Gold Miles Calculator

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

Best Overall For Delta Travelers

• Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels
• Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets
• Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card good for domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights to select destinations.
• Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.
• Terms Apply
• $350 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
• Card Value & Delta Platinum Miles Calculator

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

Best For Benefits & Medallion Status Chasers

• Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases
• First Class round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card good for domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights to select destinations.
• Complimentary Centurion Lounge access when traveling on Delta
• Receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club.
• Terms Apply
• $650 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
• Card Value & Delta Reserve Miles Calculator

Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card

Best Business Card For Free Checked Bags

• Earn 2X Miles on Delta and restaurant purchases.
• Earn 2X Miles on eligible purchases at U.S. shipping providers and eligible U.S. advertising purchases in select media on up to $50,000 of purchases per category, per year.
• First checked bag free for yourself and up to 8 others traveling with you on the same reservation
• $200 flight credit every year that you spend $10,000 or more on the card
• $150 Delta stays credit: Earn up to $150 back annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com.
• Terms Apply
• $0 introductory annual fee fee, then $150 (See Rates and Fees)
• Card Value & Delta Business Gold Miles Calculator

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card

Best Overall For Delta Business Travelers

• Earn 3X Miles on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on every eligible dollar spent on purchases made directly with hotels
• Earn 1.5X miles on single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (that’s an extra half mile per dollar), up to 50,000 additional miles per year
• Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card good for domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights to select destinations.
• Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.
• Terms Apply
• $350 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
• Card Value & Delta Business Platinum Miles Calculator

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

Best Business Card For Benefits & Medallion Status Chasers

• Earn 3X Miles on eligible purchases made directly with Delta
• Earn 1.5X miles on eligible transit, U.S. shipping, and U.S. office supply store purchases
• Earn 1.5X Miles on eligible purchases the rest of the year after you spend $150,000 on your Card in a calendar year (that’s an extra half mile per dollar)
• First Class round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card good for domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights to select destinations.
• Complimentary Centurion Lounge access when traveling on Delta
• Receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club.
• Terms Apply
• $650 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
• Card Value & Delta Business Reserve Miles Calculator

American Express Membership Rewards credit cards

American Express is a credit card transfer partner of Delta SkyMiles. Every 1,000 AMEX points you transfer to Delta will give you 1,000 Delta SkyMiles. This makes AMEX easily the best credit card partner for earning lots of Delta SkyMiles.

On top of that great earning rates, do note that both AMEX's personal and business Platinum cards offer complimentary Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta which is a big plus. Authorized users will also receive access along with a long list of other benefits.

Here are our favorite Membership Rewards credit cards for Delta:

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Best For Lounge Access & Luxury Travel

• Earn 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000, then 1X)
• Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel
• Earn 1X points on all other eligible purchases
• Global Airport Lounge Access including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Club Lounges (when flying Delta), Airspace Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Priority Pass Lounges
• Over $1,400 in annual credits which includes airline incidentals, Uber Cash, digital entertainment, Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection, and more
• Enroll in complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status
• Terms Apply
• $695 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
• Card Value & AMEX Platinum Points Calculator

American Express® Gold Card

Best For Restaurants & U.S. Supermarkets

• Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1X)
• Earn 4X points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1X)
• Earn 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 2X points on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 1X points on all other purchases
• Receive over $400 in annual credits each year
• Terms Apply
• $325 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
• Card Value & AMEX Gold Points Calculator

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Best For Lounge Access & Luxury Business Travel

• Earn 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com
• Earn 1.5X points on select business purchases and on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per year
• Earn 1X points on all other eligible purchases
• Global Airport Lounge Access including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Club Lounges (when flying Delta), Airspace Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Priority Pass Lounges
• Over $1,400 in annual credits which includes Dell, Adobe, Indeed, CLEAR, and more
• Get 35% points back when you redeem points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with AMEX Travel
• Enroll in complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold status
• Terms Apply
• $695 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
• Card Value & Business Platinum Points Calculator

American Express® Business Gold Card

Best For Business Rewards

• Earn 4X points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each billing cycle, on up to $150,000 per year (then 1X)
• Earn 3X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com
• Earn 1X points on all other purchases
• Terms Apply
• $375 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
• Card Value & Rewards Calculator

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Best For Small Business & Miscellaneous Purchases

• Earn 2X points on the first $50,000 in purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar thereafter
• Terms Apply
• $0 annual fee (See Rates and Fees)
• Card Value & Rewards Calculator