Delta Pay With Miles: Everything You Need To Know

Delta Pay With Miles: Everything You Need To Know

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While Delta SkyMiles isn’t my favorite mileage currency, one of the things I do appreciate about SkyMiles is that the program has a higher “floor” value for miles than American and United.

That’s to say that you can potentially “cash-out” SkyMiles toward the cost of a ticket (or a variety of other purchases with Delta) at a better rate than you could with AAdvantage and MileagePlus. This is all thanks to Delta’s “Pay With Miles” feature, which lets you redeem miles at the rate of one cent each toward the cost of a Delta purchase. In this post, I wanted to look at how that works.

As I’ll discuss in more detail below, with the Pay With Miles feature, each mile can be redeemed for at least one cent worth of travel on Delta.

This is also worth considering in the context of Delta Amex credit card welcome offers. If a card has a welcome offer of 100,000 SkyMiles, that could get you $1,000 worth of travel on Delta. This is seriously a reason to consider these cards, even if you’re not someone who is otherwise big into SkyMiles.

How much are Delta SkyMiles worth?

Personally, I value Delta SkyMiles at a bit over a cent each. I’m conservative about valuing miles, simply because you’re holding onto a currency that can easily be devalued (and in the case of SkyMiles it is indeed often devalued, especially for international partner awards).

While I always hold out hope that there will be good deals for redeeming in international business class, either for travel on Delta, or for travel on a partner airline, the reality is that the value on this front has gotten significantly worse over the years.

At this point there are few situations where I find partner Delta SkyMiles awards to be a good value, at least for travel to & from the United States (there are often decent values when traveling between other regions, though).

Virgin Atlantic’s A350 business class

There are sometimes good deals on Delta One international business class tickets, but you’ll get the best value when redeeming roundtrip and not one-way (Delta SkyMiles is one of the few programs to price awards more attractively for roundtrips than one-ways).

For example, you can sometimes find awards between New York and London in business class for 160,000 SkyMiles roundtrip. Is that an amazing deal? No. Is it a decent deal when the alternative is redeeming SkyMiles for one cent each toward a ticket? Yes.

The reality is that for many, redeeming SkyMiles for domestic travel is just a lot more practical anyway. That’s one of the areas where Delta SkyMiles can be a great program. I know many people get frustrated by miles, and therefore don’t think it’s worth accruing miles with some airlines, whether through flying or credit cards.

Delta Pay With Miles

The good news is that unlike some other points currencies, SkyMiles have a legitimate “floor” value, thanks to the ability to redeem SkyMiles as cash toward the cost of a ticket.

If you have a Delta co-branded credit card then you can redeem SkyMiles for one cent each toward the cost of a ticket, in increments of 5,000 miles.

In other words, if a ticket costs $200, you could choose to:

  • Pay $150 plus 5,000 miles
  • Pay $100 plus 10,000 miles
  • Pay $50 plus 15,000 miles
  • Pay $0 plus 20,000 miles

The best part is that for all practical purposes these are still considered “paid” tickets. Let’s look at some more details about how this program works.

Who is eligible for Delta Pay With Miles?

The Pay With Miles benefit is available exclusively to those with Delta co-branded credit cards. This includes the following:

Having elite status with Delta in and of itself doesn’t give you access to this program.

You could use Pay With Miles for a Delta One ticket

Do you earn MQDs on Delta Pay With Miles tickets?

Delta Pay With Miles tickets also accrue Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) at the same rates that they usually would. Since you’re redeeming each mile for one cent, that means you’re earning one MQD for every 100 miles redeemed.

Do you earn redeemable miles for Delta Pay With Miles tickets?

Delta Pay With Miles tickets are eligible for accrual of redeemable miles, though you’ll only earn those miles based on the portion of the ticket for which you paid cash.

As a reminder, SkyMiles members earn the following number of redeemable miles:

  • Non-elite members earn 5x miles
  • Silver Medallion members earn 7x miles
  • Gold Medallion members earn 8x miles
  • Platinum Medallion Members earn 9x miles
  • Diamond Medallion members earn 11x miles

Can you upgrade Delta Pay With Miles tickets?

Delta Pay With Miles tickets are no different than any other cash ticket for the purposes of an upgrade. If you’re a Medallion member who would otherwise be eligible for complimentary upgrades, you would be eligible as well on a Pay With Miles ticket.

The exception is if you’re using Pay With Miles to offset the cost of a basic economy ticket, since those tickets can’t be upgraded.

Delta Pay With Miles tickets are upgradable the same way as paid tickets

Is there a limit to how many Pay With Miles tickets you can book?

Nope, as long as you have sufficient SkyMiles you can use the option for as many tickets as you’d like.

How do you book a Delta Pay With Miles ticket?

The process is really easy. First, you have to log into your eligible SkyMiles account on delta.com (this would be for the account linked to your credit card).

Then you’d just search flights as you usually would. You’ll see “Pay with Miles Eligible” written underneath eligible itineraries.

Once you select the flight and fare you want, go to the trip summary page. When you scroll to the bottom you’ll see the option of choosing how many miles you want to redeem to offset the cost of the ticket.

Once you select the miles you want to redeem, you’ll even see how many redeemable miles and MQDs you’ll earn.

Is Delta Pay With Miles a good deal?

People have very different takes on this program. I know some Delta loyalists who always redeem their miles through Pay With Miles. Personally, I’m conflicted — I used to think this wasn’t a good value, while now I’m on the fence…

Why some people love Delta Pay With Miles

In many cases, it seems to be Delta’s most loyal customers who like Pay With Miles.

One of the big challenges that many frequent flyers have is that they earn tons of miles, but then they don’t actually want to redeem them, since they’re on the elite status hamster wheel and want to earn elite miles for their travel (Delta’s credit cards can also help you earn elite status).

Pay With Miles is also a useful program for the occasional flyer who doesn’t want to deal with the complexity of frequent flyer programs. It’s nice to be able to redeem miles as you earn them to get discounts on your tickets.

There is something to be said for there being a floor value for miles, because I can see many people redeeming American and United miles for significantly less than a penny of value per point.

SkyMiles redemptions don’t get easier than Pay With Miles

The Delta TakeOff 15 perk is a good alternative

If you’re thinking of redeeming your SkyMiles for Delta flights, also consider TakeOff 15, which is a perk available exclusively for those with a co-branded credit card. With this, you receive 15% off any Delta SkyMiles award ticket for travel on Delta. The price shown will automatically reflect this when you go to make a booking while logged into your eligible SkyMiles account.

Delta has dynamic award pricing, and in many cases you’ll find that with the 15% discount, you’re getting significantly more than one cent of value per mile.

If you’re chasing elite status, also keep in mind that nowadays Delta SkyMiles award tickets also count toward elite status. Flights earn MQDs at the rate of one cent per mile. In other words, if you redeem 20,000 SkyMiles for a ticket, you’d earn 200 MQDs. This is at least an alternative to Pay With miles that you should be aware of and research when making a booking.

Co-branded credit card members can also get 15% off awards

Why I’m on the fence about Delta Pay With Miles

In the past, I used to be kind of opposed to redeeming SkyMiles with the Pay With Miles feature, but that’s not the case anymore:

  • I like to try and redeem miles for international first and business class tickets where I can get outsized value, though those options with Delta SkyMiles are few and far between, especially for those of us who prefer the flexibility of booking one-ways
  • In many cases there are such disproportionately good values through other programs that the opportunity cost of redeeming SkyMiles this way are just way too high

Personally, nowadays I’m in the “you might as well redeem SkyMiles this way” camp. However, I think it’s important to recognize that you’re not getting a full cent of value per SkyMiles when redeeming using the Pay With Miles feature. Why? The cent of value you’re getting doesn’t account for the miles you’re forgoing by using this feature.

Let’s say you’re booking a $100 ticket for 10,000 SkyMiles using the Pay With Miles feature. By not paying that $100 in cash you’re forgoing:

In other words, you’re forgoing anywhere from 1,000-1,600 points by not spending that $100 on airfare.

Ultimately you have to subtract that from the value you’re otherwise getting, and as a result, I’d say you’re getting closer to 0.8-0.9 cents of value per mile using this method. That’s why the TakeOff 15 award redemption discount often represents a better deal.

Personally I’m also a fan of redeeming SkyMiles at the rate of 1.5 cents per mile toward alcohol in Sky Clubs.

Now that’s a good use of Delta SkyMiles!

Bottom line

A lot of people choose not to collect SkyMiles because they think that partner redemptions are tough to come by and are expensive. While that’s largely true, there is something to be said for there being a floor value for SkyMiles.

The Delta Pay With Miles program lets those with a co-branded Delta Amex card redeem SkyMiles at the rate of one cent each toward the cost of a ticket, in increments of 5,000 miles. For many SkyMiles members this is a favorite way to redeem miles, as redemptions don’t get easier than this.

However, also be sure you consider the opportunity of the TakeOff 15 redemption option, allowing you get a 15% discount on award tickets. In many cases the math will work out better on those redemptions.

For those with SkyMiles, do you use your miles for the Pay With Miles feature, or what is your favorite use of them?

Conversations (12)
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  1. mileagespot Guest

    Delta's Pay with Miles feature seems like a game-changer! Thanks, One Mile at a Time, for explaining how to use it effectively. Can't wait to save on my next flight! check out t.ly/lUn_1 for more insights on miles

  2. mileagespot Guest

    Pay with Miles program from Delta is a game-changer. This guide provides valuable insights! check out t.ly/lUn_1 for more insights on miles

  3. Andrew P Guest

    Hi Lucky!

    Longtime reader, first-time commenter. Love your blog and am a fellow Tampa native too. :-)

    I was hoping you might help me clarify whether Delta offers MQDs based on the cash-equivalent value of the ticket's base fare (at the 100:1 miles/dollar ratio), vs. only for the revenue portion of the ticket, i.e, the portion paid with cash instead of miles.

    I'm a Platinum Medallion member and I recently flew a one-way Delta One...

    Hi Lucky!

    Longtime reader, first-time commenter. Love your blog and am a fellow Tampa native too. :-)

    I was hoping you might help me clarify whether Delta offers MQDs based on the cash-equivalent value of the ticket's base fare (at the 100:1 miles/dollar ratio), vs. only for the revenue portion of the ticket, i.e, the portion paid with cash instead of miles.

    I'm a Platinum Medallion member and I recently flew a one-way Delta One flight recently using 235k in Delta Skymiles and about $800 in case to cover the remainder. Delta's own customer service agents initially (and repeatedly) told me that the full cash-equivalent value of the base fare (pre taxes) would earn MQDs - which should have been ~3k MQDs (plus or minus). Now, after I have flown the flight, they are only covering 800 MQDs, and are saying that only the revenue portion of the tickets for Pay With Miles earns MQDs. Who is correct?

    Any guidance you have or assistance you or others may have in helping navigate the Delta system would be very much appreciated. Thanks so much!

  4. iamhere Guest

    I disagree with you. I think Delta charges an unreasonable amount of points for international trips. Hudreds of thousands of points. In some cases it may even be more practical to pay. However, I do agree with the view it can be a better deal for domestic airfare. Consider main cabin from MIA/FLL/PBI to NYC is only 15,000-20,000 points or less.

  5. Levi Diamond

    The article is outdated in places. As part of award tickets earning MQD/MQM/MQD, Pay With Miles tickets also started earning MQD at the 1 per 100 miles rate. Elite credit wise, there's no difference between redeeming 20k miles or $100 plus 10k miles.

    The Miles+Cash option open to all members (effectively buying the miles between the normal award price and the mile portion of the Miles + Cash) likewise earns the same elite credit, though...

    The article is outdated in places. As part of award tickets earning MQD/MQM/MQD, Pay With Miles tickets also started earning MQD at the 1 per 100 miles rate. Elite credit wise, there's no difference between redeeming 20k miles or $100 plus 10k miles.

    The Miles+Cash option open to all members (effectively buying the miles between the normal award price and the mile portion of the Miles + Cash) likewise earns the same elite credit, though this is probably the last resort redemption option.

  6. royalroverholiday New Member

    Thanks for the helpful guide on Delta's Pay with Miles program! I've been a loyal Delta customer for years, but I've always been a bit confused about how to use my miles effectively.

    Your step-by-step instructions and screenshots made it really easy to understand how to redeem my miles for flights, and I appreciate the tips on how to maximize the value of my miles.

    I also love the flexibility of being able to use...

    Thanks for the helpful guide on Delta's Pay with Miles program! I've been a loyal Delta customer for years, but I've always been a bit confused about how to use my miles effectively.

    Your step-by-step instructions and screenshots made it really easy to understand how to redeem my miles for flights, and I appreciate the tips on how to maximize the value of my miles.

    I also love the flexibility of being able to use my miles to pay for a portion of the fare, rather than having to redeem for an award ticket. This gives me more options when it comes to booking flights, especially when cash prices are high.

    Overall, I'm excited to try out the Pay with Miles program on my next Delta flight and see how much I can save. Thanks again for the helpful guide!

  7. Hodor Guest

    Hmm... I just used this feature and it was marketed as a 'Gold Medallion exclusive.'

  8. Shirley Guest

    I find that the international destinations I want to visit are never eligible fo Pay With Miles.

  9. dee Guest

    Now if they really had Dom in the lounges now!!It used to be a good use of Skypesos..Hope it will comeback someday.

  10. Ernesto Guest

    "I think it’s important to recognize that you’re not getting a full cent of value per SkyMiles when redeeming using the Pay With Miles feature. Why? The cent of value you’re getting doesn’t account for the miles you’re forgoing by using this feature."

    Sure this is correct as of today (maybe was correct in the past)? As of last year, award tickets DO earn MQM/MQS/MQDs, while NOT earning redeemable miles. And now with the 15%...

    "I think it’s important to recognize that you’re not getting a full cent of value per SkyMiles when redeeming using the Pay With Miles feature. Why? The cent of value you’re getting doesn’t account for the miles you’re forgoing by using this feature."

    Sure this is correct as of today (maybe was correct in the past)? As of last year, award tickets DO earn MQM/MQS/MQDs, while NOT earning redeemable miles. And now with the 15% discount you get for redeemable miles with these same "pay with mile" cards. So why would ANYONE use the latter if you are effectively paying much more in miles while losing MQM/MQS/MQD accrual?

  11. listen Guest

    if you don't have a co-brand AMEX, you can still cash out DL miles at $0.01 via a dummy non-refundable booking and using miles to pay the upgrade fee at the $0.01 valuation. you can then change the dummy booking into the desired booking.

  12. StarGoldUA Guest

    Great post Ben. Seriously.
    However even a single sign up for Delta card from this article, you are enabling delta’s poor behavior of disdain towards Skymiles.
    Sure in an yr from now, the miles could be worth a minimum of $0.05 and the sign up bonus could be 200k. Nothing would change!
    And they will keep doing it until it hits their pocket.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

mileagespot Guest

Delta's Pay with Miles feature seems like a game-changer! Thanks, One Mile at a Time, for explaining how to use it effectively. Can't wait to save on my next flight! check out t.ly/lUn_1 for more insights on miles

0
mileagespot Guest

Pay with Miles program from Delta is a game-changer. This guide provides valuable insights! check out t.ly/lUn_1 for more insights on miles

0
Andrew P Guest

Hi Lucky! Longtime reader, first-time commenter. Love your blog and am a fellow Tampa native too. :-) I was hoping you might help me clarify whether Delta offers MQDs based on the cash-equivalent value of the ticket's base fare (at the 100:1 miles/dollar ratio), vs. only for the revenue portion of the ticket, i.e, the portion paid with cash instead of miles. I'm a Platinum Medallion member and I recently flew a one-way Delta One flight recently using 235k in Delta Skymiles and about $800 in case to cover the remainder. Delta's own customer service agents initially (and repeatedly) told me that the full cash-equivalent value of the base fare (pre taxes) would earn MQDs - which should have been ~3k MQDs (plus or minus). Now, after I have flown the flight, they are only covering 800 MQDs, and are saying that only the revenue portion of the tickets for Pay With Miles earns MQDs. Who is correct? Any guidance you have or assistance you or others may have in helping navigate the Delta system would be very much appreciated. Thanks so much!

0
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