Delta Airlines is one of America's biggest passenger carriers. Based out of Atlanta, Delta flies routes that take it to every continent except Antarctica. It is the only major U.S. airline that flies directly to Africa or Australia. This means that a lot of people fly on Delta, and therefore have a membership with Delta's frequent flier program, SkyMiles. The most frequent use for SkyMiles is free air travel, but they can also be used for a variety of other purposes.
Redeem your miles for an Award Ticket. This is the traditional, miles-for-a-free-ticket exchange, although it is only truly free if you make your reservation online. Calling Delta's reservation service entails a $20 surcharge. All the typical frequent flier availability restrictions apply (i.e. the airline will not let you use SkyMiles to book a flight on a plane that is almost full), which can often be a hassle when trying to book a free SkyMiles flight.
Redeem only part of your miles to reduce the cost of an air ticket. This is a new program from Delta, allowing fliers to use part or all of their SkyMiles to defray the standard cost of a normal ticket. For example, for flights costing between $250 and $1000, every 10,000 SkyMiles applied reduces the price by $100. No restrictions apply to this service. This can even make a flight free, although doing so will typically cost more SkyMiles than a free Award Ticket would.
Upgrade your seat with SkyMiles. Delta allows SkyMiles members to use their miles to upgrade a seat by one class. For example, on a one-way flight within the U.S., upgrading from coach to business or first class (depending on what is available) will cost 5,000 miles for most routes, and 10,000 on selected routes.
Spend your miles on a SkyMiles Auction. Occasionally Delta Airlines offers online auctions of sporting or event tickets, travel packages and other odds and ends. Bidding is done solely with SkyMiles.
Subscribe to magazines. Delta has partnerships with publishers that allow SkyMiles members to use their miles to subscribe to any of 30 different titles, including Sports Illustrated and Food and Wine.
Donate your SkyMiles. Delta allows members to donate their miles to a charity with a SkyMiles membership. Email [email protected] to start the process.
Join Delta Skyclub. Becoming an ordinary member of this airport service club costs $500 per year, but instead you can opt to spend 80,000 SkyMiles. Upgraded membership (Silver, Gold, Platinum) can also be secured through the additional expenditure of SkyMiles. Only annual memberships can be purchased using SkyMiles; 30-day or 3-year memberships are not available.
