Delta deal: SkyMiles and cash fares to Tahiti, Australia and New Zealand
Ahead of rumored changes to the Delta SkyMiles program next week, Delta is offering a two-day sale to the South Pacific, bookable via cash and SkyMiles.
Round-trip flights are available from the U.S. to Sydney; Auckland, New Zealand; and Tahiti, French Polynesia, through the end of 2023 and through March 2024. Prices start at $651 or 60,000 SkyMiles for basic economy fares.
Deal basics
Airlines: Delta
Routes: Continental U.S. to Tahiti, Sydney and Auckland
How to book: Book directly through the airline.
Travel dates: Sept. 1, 2023-Nov. 16, 2023; Nov. 28, 2023-Dec. 13, 2023; Jan. 8, 2024-March 31, 2024. Exact availability depends on the route.
Book by: Sept. 8
Sample flights
This sale includes round-trip basic economy and main cabin flights from the continental U.S. to the aforementioned three airports, redeemable by the below mileage and cash rates:
- To Faaa International Airport (PPT), starting at $651 or 60,000 SkyMiles for basic economy and $851 or 70,000 miles for main cabin
- To Sydney Airport (SYD), starting at $1,056 or 60,000 SkyMiles for basic economy and $1,256 or 70,000 miles for main cabin
- To Auckland Airport (AKL), starting at $895 or 60,000 SkyMiles for basic economy and $1,095 or 70,000 miles for main cabin
Note that mileage redemption is unavailable for all routes, and the pricing availability and travel period depend on the specific route. To search your desired routes, use the sale link and enter your origin city, such as the below routes from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
The following flights were priced as listed at the time of publication. We cannot guarantee the below round-trip flights will be available when you book:
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to PPT, starting at $851 or 89,000 SkyMiles plus $57.65
- LAX to AKL, starting at $1,095 or 70,000 SkyMiles plus $88.05
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) to AKL, starting at $1,195 or 90,000 SkyMiles plus $93.65
- LAX to SYD, starting at $1,257 or 70,000 SkyMiles plus $113.35
- JFK to PPT, starting at $1,305
- JFK to AKL, starting at $1,325 or 90,000 SkyMiles plus $93.65
- JFK to SYD, starting at $1,567 or 90,000 SkyMiles plus $118.95
- O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to PPT, starting at $1,835
- ORD to SYD, starting at $2,528
When you select your desired route, be sure to use Delta's flexible dates option and/or price calendar to identify the lowest price.
You'll want to factor in the additional cost of taxes and fees for mileage redemptions. For example, this round-trip flight from JFK to SYD in October would cost 90,000 SkyMiles plus $118.95 or $1,567.
Based on TPG's current SkyMiles valuation at 1.41 cents apiece, you could save $179 by using miles versus cash to book this flight; TPG values the points for this trip to be worth $1,269, plus $119 in estimated fees.
Maximize your purchase
If you book this deal, be sure to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases — such as Delta's cobranded credit cards like the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card — to earn bonus points on your purchase and get additional Delta benefits.
For more information, check out our full review of the Delta Platinum Amex.
Otherwise, consider using the:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: 2 points per dollar spent on travel
- American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly through the airline or AmexTravel.com.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly through the airline or American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare
Bottom line
Round-trip Delta flights from across the U.S. are on sale to Tahiti, Australia and New Zealand this fall and winter into early 2024. Book by Sept. 8 to take advantage of this cash and SkyMiles deal. If you are considering using miles, use the TPG awards versus cash calculator to determine the value of the mileage rate.
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