Delta flash sale: Flights to beach destinations from 2.5k miles in economy, 10k in first class

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If you live in Seattle and need an escape from the Pacific Northwest weather, listen up.

Delta is back with another one of its flash sales, this time discounting award flights from Seattle (SEA) to several sunny vacation destinations, including Cancun (CUN), Honolulu (HNL), Maui (OGG), Kona (KOA), Los Cabos (SJD), Puerto Vallarta (PVR), Los Angeles (LAX), Tampa (TPA) and more.

The awards start at just 2,500 SkyMiles one-way for basic economy and 10,000 miles for first class. TPG values Delta SkyMiles at 1.2 cents per point, so you’d effectively be paying $30 for coach or $120 for first class, which is terrific. Even if you don’t live in Seattle, it could be worth booking a positioning flight to take advantage of these deals at such low prices.

Although Delta says that many of these fares are only valid for travel through the end of March, we’re seeing them available through May. Regardless, you’ll want to act quickly because there’s no telling how long this availability will be around. Depending on the route, you may need to book round-trip to unlock the lowest price.

Keep in mind that Delta is blocking all economy middle seats through at least April 30, 2021. Additionally, all award bookings made through March 30, 2021, including basic economy fares, can be changed or canceled fee-free.

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The deal

Airline: Delta

Routes: SEA to/from CUN/FLL/HNL/KOA/LAX/OGG/PVR/SAN/SJC/SJD/MCO/TPA

Cost: 2,500+ SkyMiles one-way in basic economy / 10,000+ SkyMiles in first class + taxes and fees

Dates: February – May 2021

Pay Taxes/Fees With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline; on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on travel) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel) for travel protections on the award flight.

Sample itineraries

Flights to Mexico from 5,000 miles round-trip

The lowest rates available are for flights to Mexico. You can book nonstop flights from Seattle to Cancun (CUN), Los Cabos (SJD) and Puerto Vallarta (PVR) from 2,500 miles in basic economy or 10,000 miles in first class.

Related: Where can Americans travel internationally?

Regardless of which of the cities you fly into, you can expect to pay around $40 in taxes and fees each way.

Flights to California from 6,000 miles-roundtrip

If you’d rather stay within the U.S., you can fly to California from 3,000 miles one-way in basic economy or 12,000 miles in first class, plus about $6 in taxes each way. The low fares are available to cities like Los Angeles (LAX), San Jose (SJC) and San Diego (SAN). If you’re strategic about picking your flights, you may even be able to fly in a lie-flat seat.

Related: How I plan to socially distance when flying

Flights to Florida from 10,000 miles round-trip

Alternatively, you could fly to Florida for just a thousand more miles each way. Flights to Tampa (TPA), Orlando (MCO), and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) are currently available from 5,000 miles one-way in basic economy.

Flights to Hawaii from 10,000 miles round-trip

Perhaps the most exciting part of this sale is the Hawaii deals. You can book nonstop flights to Honolulu (HNL), Maui (OGG) and Kona (KOA) from just 10,000 miles round-trip, plus about $12 in taxes. As you can tell from the calendar below, these rates are widely available.

Related: Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Hawaii right now

The only thing to be aware of is that this rate is only available for round-trip bookings. One-way bookings are pricing significantly higher.

To give you a better idea of how good of a deal this is, the cash rate for some of these flights can be around $400 round-trip, so you’d be getting about four cents in value per Delta SkyMile.

Boosting your SkyMiles balance

While you couldn’t earn a welcome bonus in time to boost your balance for this wave of deals, you may consider adding a card now in anticipation of flash sales to come. There are various ways to earn Delta miles, from Delta-operated flights to trips on SkyTeam airlines to various non-travel partners. However, one of the best ways to boost your SkyMiles balance to score a few free trips is by adding one of these cards to your arsenal:

The Platinum Card® from American Express ($550 annual fee; See Rates & Fees); 75,000-point welcome bonus after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases in your first six months of account opening, though be sure to check the CardMatch Tool to see if you’re targeted for a 100,000-point welcome bonus after spending $5,000 in the first three months (offer subject to change at any time). You can transfer Membership Rewards points directly to Delta SkyMiles. Terms Apply.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express ($595 annual fee; See Rates & Fees); Earn 85,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card plus earn 5x points on eligible purchases in 5 select business categories, up to 80,000 bonus points per category, all within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card ($99 annual fee; waived the first year, see rates and fees); Earn 35,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Terms Apply.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card ($250 annual fee; see rates and fees); Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn a $100 statement credit after making a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card ($550 annual fee; see rates and fees); Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card ($0 annual fee; see rates and fees); Earn 10,000 miles after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Maximize your purchase

When paying the taxes and fees on your award ticket, be sure to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases and offers travel protection if anything goes wrong. Cards that fit the bill include The Platinum Card® from American Express, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

Related: The best credit cards for paying taxes and fees on award tickets

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Blue

Card, click here.

Card, please click here.

Screenshots courtesy of Delta.

Featured photo by Madison Blancaflor/The Points Guy.

SPONSORED: With states reopening, enjoying a meal from a restaurant no longer just means curbside pickup.

And when you do spend on dining, you should use a credit card that will maximize your rewards and potentially even score special discounts. Thanks to temporary card bonuses and changes due to coronavirus, you may even be able to score a meal at your favorite restaurant for free.

These are the best credit cards for dining out, taking out, and ordering in to maximize every meal purchase.

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Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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