Delta SkyMiles Value Calculator: How Much Are They Worth?

How much are Delta SkyMiles worth?

The Point Calculator values Delta SkyMiles at 1.2 cents each when redeemed for flights with Delta and their partners. This means that 10,000 SkyMiles is equal to about $120 on average.

SkyMiles can also be redeemed in the Delta SkyMiles Marketplace for gift cards, car rentals, hotels, and much more. These redemptions will give your miles significantly less value when compared to using them for airfare.

Delta SkyMiles value

Redeeming miles for Delta flights

Redeeming your SkyMiles for flights directly through Delta Airlines will give you an average value of 1.2 cents per SkyMiles. This is the easiest value you can obtain without doing any kind of research.

Delta Airlines has a handful of sweet spots when it comes to redeeming your SkyMiles for solid value.

Short-haul flights in the U.S.

Short-haul flights in the United States is one of the best uses of Delta SkyMiles. It's easy way to get from point A to point B for a small amount of SkyMiles. 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 U.S.

You can get some bang out of your Delta SkyMiles when it comes to booking long-haul flights in Economy with Delta. This can typically give you average to high-than-average value on your bookings.

For a round-trip flight from New York (JFK) to San Francisco in October, the cost in SkyMiles start for as low as 26,000 to 27,000 SkyMiles plus $12 in taxes. The lowest cost in cash for most of the flights between these two cities are $357. This gives Delta SkyMiles a cash value of around 1.3 cents each which is great value.

Cost in SkyMiles for flights from New York to San Francisco.

Cost in cash for flights from New York to San Francisco.

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

These will mainly be for First, Business, and Delta One flights, but there's some sweet spots for economy as well for these particular flights and destinations.

All partner award bookings can be booked directly though the Delta website by entering your destination, dates, and selecting 'Shop with Miles'. Results for both Delta and airline partners will appear in the results.

I recommend using the 'My dates are flexible' option so that you can find the best value across multiple dates.

Fly one-way from New York (JFK) to Dubai in Delta One/Upper Class for 85,000 SkyMiles.

Fly one-way, across the U.S., from Boston to Vancouver, Canada for as little as 12,500 SkyMiles.

Delta flash sales & weekend getaways

Delta has weekend getaway deals to several destinations around the globe for anyone who wants to plan a quick weekend trip. These deals are usually heavily reduced and can save you some serious SkyMiles.

Along with weekend getaways, Delta also has consistent Flash Sales. These are random deals that pop up to excellent destinations for great value.

Both of these add to the reasons why I recommend keeping a stash of SkyMiles handy so you can be ready for that next deal to a place on your bucket list or to a favorite travel destination.

Delta Flash Sales & Weekend Getaways can save you some SkyMiles and offer great value.

Finding other great redemptions

The Delta SkyMiles program has a handful of sweet spots when it comes to redemptions. If you're looking for flights outside of the sweet spots mentioned, your best bet is to use Advanced Search and select the My Dates Are Flexible option when searching flights.

This allows you to easily toggle between seeing the cost of flights in SkyMiles and the cost of flights in cash. From there, you can easily calculate which flights offer you great value.

Below are a few examples of how to use Advance Search to find some solid redemptions.

Detroit to Orlando

For a round-trip flight from Detroit to Orlando in mid-August, I was able to find several great redemptions starting at 13,000 SkyMiles plus $12 in taxes/fees. Cash prices for the same flights started as low as $197 meaning these redemptions offer a value of 1.42 cents per SkyMile which is great.

Cost in cash for flights from Detroit to Orlando.

Cost in SkyMiles for flights from Detroit to Orlando.

Redemption types

You can use your Delta SkyMiles to pay for a portion of your flight using either Miles + Cash or using Pay with Miles.

Miles + Cash redemptions

Along with booking award flights with all miles, you can also book using Miles + Cash. This allows you to flexibility to pay for a flight using a combination of miles and dollars.

While that's a nice benefit to have, do note that you will not receive Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs), Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) or Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) for Miles + Cash redemptions. They are treated just like normal award tickets.

If you want to use your miles and still earn progress towards Medallion Status, you can consider the Pay with Miles option explained below.

Pay with miles

Pay with Miles allows Delta Airlines cardholders to use their miles at checkout to reduce the cost of the ticket price.

Redemptions start at 5,000 SkyMiles for $50 off and goes up in increments of 5,000 SkyMiles. This will give your SkyMiles a value of 1 cent each. This isn't the best redemption option, but it is a great choice if you want to shave a few dollars off airfare while still earning MQSs, MQMs, and MQDs towards Delta Medallion Status.

Use your SkyMiles to upgrade your trip!

Seat upgrades

Delta SkyMiles can be used to upgrade your seat. This can be done at checkout while booking your trip or you can use your SkyMiles to a upgrade your seat on a trip you've already booked.

If you're reservation is eligible and you have enough Skymiles, you will see the options you have for upgrading your trip in the Trip Summary section when booking your trip and in the 'Select Seats' for money or miles section when in My Trips for a trip you have already booked.

Hotel stays

Skymiles can be used to book Hotels through the Delta SkyMiles Marketplace. These redemptions hover around an average of around 0.42 cents each.

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.

Car rentals

Skymiles can be used for car rentals through the Delta SkyMiles Marketplace. Car rentals will give you SkyMiles an average value of about 0.8 cents, but can be higher or lower depending on how far out you making your booking (along with other factors).

Bookings can be made with top car rental agencies such as Alamo, Dollar, Enterprise, and Hertz.

Cruises

Skymiles can be used to book cruises through the Delta SkyMiles Marketplace. The value of redemptions ranged from 0.4 cents to 0.55 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.

Book a 7-night cruise using your Delta SkyMiles

Gift cards

Delta SkyMiles can be redeemed for a large variety of gift card options. This includes the categories of dining, entertainment, gas, retail, and travel.

The value of these gift card vary depending on the retailer and the denomination. Most of these options will give you value between 0.39 and 0.42 cents per SkyMiles which is only a third of their average value.

Merchandise

You can purchase merchandise with your SkyMiles through the Delta SkyMiles Marketplace. This include suitcases, electronics, kitchen appliances, Apple electronics, and much more.

The prices of these will vary, but I found that most of these redemptions range between 0.5 cents to 0.6 cents per mile. There could be some hidden gems mixed in, so it may be worth scanning through if you're thinking about making a purchases.

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.

Convert Delta miles to dollars

Use the Delta SkyMiles Point Value Calculator to determine the cash value of Delta SkyMiles for flights, gift cards, and more. This will help give you an idea of how much your miles are worth when redeemed.

Best Ways To Earn SkyMiles

The best way to earn Delta SkyMiles is through intro bonuses and everyday spending across co-branded Delta Credit Cards and credit cards offered by transfer partners.

Delta credit cards

Delta offers a total of seven co-branded American Express credit cards. These cards earn SkyMiles on everyday purchases and comes with a bunch of benefits ranging from in-flight savings to annual First Class companion passes.

Here's a few of our favorite Delta credit cards:

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card earns 2 SkyMiles per $1 spent on Delta Airlines, restaurant, and U.S. supermarket purchases, and 1 SkyMile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

It features a handful of great benefits, but is most known for offering a free checked bag for you and up to 8 others traveling with you on the same reservation which can save you (and those with you) hundreds per year if you typically pay for bags.

Intro Bonus: Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership.

Learn More about the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card earns 3 SkyMiles per $1 spent on Delta airlines purchases and hotel bookings made directly with the hotel, 2 SkyMiles per $1 spent on restaurant and U.S. supermarket purchases, and 1 SkyMile per $1 spent on everything else.

The card is most known for it's annual Main Cabin companion pass which allows one person to travel with you anywhere in the continental U.S. for just the cost of taxes and fees. This benefit alone is typically worth anywhere from $300 to $600 on average and makes it worth picking up if you travel at least once per year with a companion on Delta-operated flights.

Intro Bonus: Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles & 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.

Learn More about the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card earns 3 SkyMiles per $1 spent on Delta Airlines purchases and 1 SkyMile per $1 spent everywhere else.

The card features several excellent benefits for frequent Delta flyers including an annual First Class Companion Pass which allows a companion to travel along with you on a First Class booking for just the cost of taxes and fees, complimentary Delta SkyClub membership, the ability to earn up to 60,000 Medallion Qualification Miles spending on the card, and more.

Intro Bonus: Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles & 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.

Learn More about the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card.

Enjoy complimentary Delta SkyClub access with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card or The Platinum Card® from American Express.

American Express Membership Rewards

If you're really looking to maximize your earnings in the Delta SkyMiles program, you can pick up American Express Membership Rewards credit cards.

Membership Rewards Points can be transferred to Delta SkyMiles at a rate of 1:1 meaning that every 1,000 AMEX points you transfer to Delta will give you 1,000 SkyMiles. This opens up a large amount of credit cards you can use to significantly boost your Delta SkyMiles balance through intro bonuses and everyday spending.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Platinum Card is a luxury travel card that has a high annual fee, but can offer thousands in value to those who frequently travel and can make use of the benefits the card offers.

One of the best benefits of the card is the access to the Global Lounge Collection which grants complimentary access to Delta SkyClub lounges when flying Delta, Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Airspace Lounges, and Escape Lounges. Other highlights of the card include over $1,400 in annual credits, complimentary elite status with Marriott and Hilton, fantastic purchase insurance, and 5 points per $1 spent on airfare purchased directly or through American Express Travel.

Another big plus to the card is that additional Platinum Card holders also receive access to most of the benefits including the lounge access—even when you aren't traveling with them. Overall, it's not hard to get that significant value out of The Platinum Card, especially as a Delta traveler.

Intro Bonus: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

Learn More about The Platinum Card from American Express.

American Express® Gold Card

The American Express® Gold Card is top notch for heavy restaurant and supermarket spenders. It earns 4 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent at restaurants and at U.S. supermarket (up to $25,000 per year, then 1X), 3 points per $1 spent on airfare purchased directly with an airline on through American Express Travel, and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

In terms of benefits, the card offers up to $120 in annual Uber credits and up to $120 in annual dining credits, both issued in increments of $10 per month (enrollment required). You'll also have access to special benefits when booking hotels through The Hotel Collection.

Intro Bonus: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.

Learn More about the American Express Gold Card.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Business Platinum Card is a luxury business travel credit card that is great for any frequent business traveler. Similar to The Platinum Card, it can easily offer thousands of dollars in value if you can make use of the card's benefits.

Some of the most popular benefits include up to $400 in annual Dell credit, a $179 CLEAR credit, access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection (which includes Delta SkyClubs), complimentary elite status with Marriott and Hilton, and a 35% point rebate when booking flights with your preferred airline through American Express Travel.

Intro Bonus: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.

Learn More about The Business Platinum Card from American Express.