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Delta Air Lines announced a fantastic SkyMiles promotion yesterday — and you could earn a boatload of MQM for insanely low redemption prices.
Delta discounted award flights to Alaska — select roundtrips start as low as just 10,000 SkyMiles. And here’s some real frosting on the cake (or snow cap on the glacier, if you will): Delta award travel earns MQM, MQS, and MQD this year!
I know someone who’s getting over 12,000 MQM for his Orlando to Anchorage trip. He paid 12,000 SkyMiles and $12. That’s not even a penny per mile.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
Not all destinations are on sale for the same dates. For example, here’s what I was offered:
It also appears as though your trip must be at least a week long. But if you want to try and do mileage runs, you could book a separate trip that brings you back home right away (or whenever) — and then returns you to Alaska just before your award ticket’s return date. Make sense?
Final Approach
Hat’s off to Delta on this one. These prices are fantastic for people looking to visit Alaska and stay a while. (Or get creative and book a separate trip or two.)
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There are plenty of opportunities for MQMs. People need more MQDs, not useless, miserable masking-wearing, crowded, mile runs.
@Gene – Some folks need MQMs as well and right now with award tickets earning MQMs and MQD (and MQSs) runs like this are sweet. But for MQDs see: https://eyeoftheflyer.com/2021/05/07/new-york-jfk-madrid-business-class-mileage-run-january-2022/
Chris — I identified some great mileage runs to Madrid on Aeromexico out of Miami. Question — if I decide to stay over a few days in Madrid do you have any idea as to whether there will be a requirement for a negative covid test before boarding for the return flight or if I simply make the quick turn without a stay over, will I still need the test.
Itinerary
Miami (MIA) to Madrid (MAD) — Fri, Aug 20
Overnight flight
Miami (MIA) to Mexico City (MEX) — Fri, Aug 20
Aeromexico 413
Dep: 5:42 pm
Arr: 8:20 pm
3h 38m
Boeing 737
Business (I)
Layover in MEX 2h 25m
Mexico City (MEX) to Madrid (MAD) — Fri, Aug 20
Aeromexico 21
Dep: 10:45 pm
Arr: 4:30 pm
10h 45m
Boeing 787
Business (I)
Sat, Aug 21
Madrid (MAD) to Miami (MIA) — Mon, Aug 23
Overnight flight
Madrid (MAD) to Mexico City (MEX) — Mon, Aug 23
Aeromexico 22
Dep: 11:40 pm
Arr: 4:05 am
11h 25m
Boeing 787
Business (I)
Layover in MEX Tue, Aug 24 2h 55m
Mexico City (MEX) to Miami (MIA) — Tue, Aug 24
Aeromexico 412
Dep: 7:00 am
Arr: 11:31 am
3h 31m
Boeing 737
Business (I)
Breakfast
Mileage
13,806 total miles
Airport Information
Miami International (MIA)
Madrid Adolfo Suarez-Barajas (MAD)
Mexico City Benito Juarez International (MEX)
Cost per passenger (including taxes & fees)
$1,612.85
Total cost for 1 passenger
$1,612.85
It depends on how many days is “a few.”
Per the CDC: “ If you plan to travel internationally, you will need to get tested no more than 3 days before you travel by air into the United States (US) and show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight, or be prepared to show documentation of recovery (proof of a recent positive viral test and a letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).”
I was able to book MSP-DTW-SLC-FAI-MSP with a same-day turnaround for this fall under the promo! Now I just need to decide if that’s too crazy of a routing!
A couple of minor corrections or additions. I also got a 12000-mile round-trip award from Orlando to Anchorage, but my trip starts a few days earlier in August than the dates you show for Los Angeles departures. Also, I leave just 3 days after arrival, so the length-of-stay requirement seems to be much less than a week.
Flash sale to Alaska is outstanding; however, the rental car situation is horrible.
Thanks for the heads up to check that Sam
Here my $0.02 for a few of the comments….
1) On International Mileage Run:
Traveling internationally is not worth the risk in my opinion, not in terms of being sick from COvid , but in terms of needing a negative Covid Test before returning home. EVEN IF YOU ARE VACCINATED!!!! The vaccine is only 95% effective; so there is still a chance for catching COVID. The vaccine only protect us from serious illness, it is not 100% effective in stopping Covid. I have seen and read sooo many cases that people tested negative before leaving the USA; but tested Positive while outside of the USA. As a result, they cannot return home. More importantly, if you are tested positive before your return flight, you may end up stranded for however many days in a foreign country AT YOUR OWN EXPENSES! It is just NOT worth the risk for get medallion status. Travel Domestically!
Secondly…
Just scored a round trip mileage run FLL-MSP-FAI and back on the same day on June 10 for 24,000 reward miles+$6 in taxes/fee. Main Cabin. Total MQM (with the added 50% medallion accelerator bonus promotion) ~12,000 MQM. Base MQM estimate is 7,900 for the round trip. Going to use one of my Regional on the return flight for added comfort. Is that a good deal? Outbound gets into Fairbank at 9:15pm (Local Time) and return leaves Fairbank at 10:35pm (local time), a 1+ hour layover. Don’t actually need this MQM for 2021. It will be my rollover miles into 2022; so I don’t have to fly as much in 2022. Also, it adds to my 2M miler goal.
Hopefully, in 2022 we can fly international again without quarantine and/or COVid test restrictions for fully vaccinated passengers; so I can make the 2022 MQD with a couple trips on Korean Air Business Class to Asia using my Ultimate Reward.
For Rental Car:
Use this CDP code from Hertz and see if it gives you a better rate: 1859849
@Roger – Depending on when you depart the USA you can get a test that will be good for your return and not leave you stuck outside the USA.
10k in basic in May out of JFK