The value of your Delta SkyMiles fluctuates constantly. It's what makes the miles so annoying, but occasionally, so valuable.
Generally speaking, the best value for your Delta SkyMiles is when you're flying domestically and the absolute worst value for your SkyMiles is flying up front in business class. Delta SkyMiles flash sales come in all shapes and sizes.
But lately, a new, valuable way to use your Delta SkyMiles has become clear: Long-haul, international Delta flights, mostly in economy.
Some of Delta's longest flights to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, and Europe are being sold at unbeatable roundtrip rates. And for a select few routes, you can even find typically scarce low Delta One business class fares, too.
As our Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alert subscribers well know, you can still snag a sub-10,000 SkyMiles roundtrip to Las Vegas (LAS) from time to time, or something under 20,000 SkyMiles roundtrip down to Cancún (CUN), but now it's becoming easier and easier to fly to South Africa for 70,000 SkyMiles roundtrip, Japan for 58,000 roundtrip, and Europe for as low as 26,000 SkyMiles roundtrip!
When some of those cash fares are topping $1,200 roundtrip per person, this is one of the best values for your SkyMiles that you'll find.
See our roundup of the 10 best Delta SkyMiles deals we've found recently!
Europe From 26K SkyMiles RT
These aren't the longest flights in Delta's schedule, but getting to and from Europe using your Delta SkyMiles has been cheap lately.
These flights are long gone – get the next Delta SkyMiles deal in your inbox with Thrifty Traveler Premium!
We recently found roundtrip flights to Europe for as few as 30,000 SkyMiles. But travelers with a Delta SkyMiles credit card could save 15% on those award bookings with the TakeOff 15 benefit, bringing these flights down to under 26,000 SkyMiles roundtrip!
From all of the cities you see on this list, you can reach most of – if not all – of the cities on this list below. It was a Delta SkyMiles flash sale to remember for travelers hoping to get to Europe this fall or winter.
From all of the cities you see on this list, you can reach most of – if not all – of the cities on this list below. It was a Delta SkyMiles flash sale to remember for travelers hoping to get to Europe this fall or winter.
South Africa From 70K SkyMiles RT
A few years ago, Delta added its first nonstop flights from the U.S. down to Johannesburg (JNB) and Cape Town (CPT), South Africa from its hub in Atlanta (ATL).
For a long time, those fares were almost never cheap as demand to South Africa remained strong.
In the last year, we've seen fares begin to ebb and flow, leading to these incredible roundtrip flights under $900.
But hidden in this deal is the fact that you can book the same fares for just 70,000 SkyMiles roundtrip – and that's before the factoring in the TakeOff 15 discount!
Tokyo for 58K SkyMiles RT
With its more than a dozen daily flights into Tokyo-Haneda (HND) every day, we're constantly watching SkyMiles rates to Tokyo.
When Delta has seats to fill, it often cuts SkyMiles fares to get it done. This is one of those times.
Our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers in the New York City area woke up to this flight deal last week, showcasing roundtrip fares to HND for just 58,000 SkyMiles roundtrip! For Delta cardholders with the 15% award discount, that dropped below 50,000 SkyMiles roundtrip!
Plus, travelers in JFK don't get all the fun on this one either. All of these fares require a connection, so if you're closer to White Plains (HPN) or Newark (EWR), there's no need to fight traffic to get yourself to Tokyo this year or next.
New Zealand from 45K SkyMiles RT
Since it started its Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) service a few years ago, Delta has routinely featured Delta SkyMiles flash sales down to the picturesque country.
The latest examples is as great as ever, too!
Join Thrifty Traveler Premium to get alerts Delta SkyMiles deals like this!
All of these cities saw fares in the 70,000-SkyMiles range, but some like Dallas (DAL, DFW) and Los Angeles (LAX) benefitted from some fares in the 50,000-miles range!
This coast-to-coast deal could be booked for just 45,000 SkyMiles roundtrip from Dallas if you had a Delta card thanks to the TakeOff 15 benefit.
Australia from 41K SkyMiles RT
Delta's newest route starting in January will be Los Angeles (LAX) to Brisbane, Australia (BNE), and to fill up those currently empty seat maps, the airline threw its SkyMiles members a good ol' flash sale.
If you have 74,000 SkyMiles, you have enough to get to Brisbane and back thanks to this nationwide sale.
And Delta One, Too!
We said it above and I'll reiterate it again: If you want to fly business class affordably, you should not be trying to earn Delta SkyMiles. The reason? The SkyMiles rates for Delta One business class are insanely high, even when the airline runs flash sales.
There are, frankly, better business classes at much better prices all over the award travel universe.
Read next: 7 Business Class Flights You Can Book for 50K Points (Or Less!)
But if you have the SkyMiles saved up, we've found some great value flying Delta One – at least compared to usual prices.
Get more business class deals, including Delta One, like this in your inbox with Thrifty Traveler Premium!
The first and best example came hand-in-hand with the Brisbane (BNE) deal we featured above. When planes are empty thanks to new route announcements, the airline is going to try to fill them up fast. That's what Delta was doing here, slashing business class award rates to just 170,000 Delta SkyMiles each way.
We almost never see Delta offer one-way pricing on its business class fares, but when you've got empty seats, you've got to do something to entice travelers to book in either direction.
Just a few days earlier, we found these roundtrip Delta One fares to Auckland, New Zealand (AKL), too.
Yes, 350,000 SkyMiles seems like a lot…and it is. I wouldn't pay this many miles to fly any other airline, but considering these rates are 100,000-400,000 SkyMiles cheaper than usual, we had to send this big sale to our subscribers to let them know. And remember, this is roundtrip.
Bottom Line
Typically, domestic trips are where Delta SkyMiles shine, but lately, the best way to use your Delta SkyMiles is on a long-haul trip. Over the last few months, the best SkyMiles deals we've found have been to places like Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and more.