Delta is currently running an amazing promotion where you can get twice the normal value out of your Delta SkyMiles when using them to purchase a Delta vacations package. Generally, you can only redeem SkyMiles for these at 1 cent per point, the same value you get when using “pay with miles”. Getting $500 in value for 50,000 SkyMiles isn’t much of a deal. But $1,000 for 50,000 SkyMiles? Now we’re talking.
Delta Vacation Promotion Details
To take advantage of the Delta Vacations promotion, you will need to book a package that includes both flights and a minimum of two nights of hotel by Friday, August 30. Your SkyMiles redeemed will be worth double. You can redeem up to 999,999 miles towards a vacation package (max value $19,999.98). Ski and dive packages are excluded, as well as the Globus family of brands.
I generally value Delta SkyMiles at ~1.4 cents each. Depending on the route, you can sometimes get more, and certainly get less. Even when we redeemed them for business class flights to Taiwan, I was still getting just 2.7 cents per mile to fly in a premium cabin. Getting 2 cents per SkyMile for a vacation package that include flights, hotel and often other activities is a very solid deal.
I did a couple vacation package searches (link to search), including one to Vancouver. I’d love to visit the city again. The flights I chose were from Sacramento, California (SMF) in early October. Package prices ranged from ~$600 to ~$1,300 per person, including 5 nights of hotel. Considering that Main Cabin flights themselves are $351 per person round-trip, this already seems like a good deal at face value. I picked a stay at the Sheraton Wall Centre as an example. You can easily apply your miles in the sidebar. I “used” 87,792 miles to knock the price down to just $0.01.
Given that the Sheraton is going for $201 USD after taxes during this period, the hotel stay is “worth” $1,005. Moving on to the flights, you get to pick from among the options. A 6:40 AM departure out of SMF sounds awful, so I would likely spring for the later flight, including the $67.72 per person upcharge. But assuming I pick the cheapest option, we’re looking at $702 in flights, if I decided to book these separately.
Adding the hotel and flights together (if booked separately), this package should be going for $1,707. Delta Vacations pegs the cost at $1,755. A bit more, but not all that bad. I’m sure there are both better and worse deals out there with Delta Vacations. Considering that award flights for two people for the same dates would cost 31,000 SkyMiles, this is like getting the hotel for ~11,350 SkyMiles per night, which is a decent deal in my mind. Make sure you compare booking the package to booking separately, to see how yours compares.
I realized belatedly that the downside to booking a vacation package is that hotel elite benefits will not be honored. In this case, my Marriott Titanium status won’t be worth anything. If I was serious about booking a vacation to Vancouver, I’d probably opt for one of the Best Westerns with free breakfast.
Conclusion
If you’re flush with SkyMiles and interested in booking a full vacation package, this Delta Vacations promotion is an excellent opportunity. It’s not often you can get such value out of your miles across the board.
