Delta Air Lines just announced Los Angeles (LAX) to Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) service debuting this fall — and reservations are now available for purchase.
Time to put those SkyMiles to work and treat yourself to a well-deserved vacation in New Zealand, right? And, of course, you want to ride in Delta One — the airline’s business class product.
Well, you may need a bunch of SkyMiles.
Like, nearly a million.
Check out these roundtrip Delta One award prices from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Auckland. (This includes a connection in Los Angeles.)
Wow.
That’s per passenger, by the way. You’ll need 1,980,000 SkyMiles if you want to travel with one more person.
Gross.
I then visited our friends at point.me to see what they came up with for the same dates. (Prices are displayed per leg.)
I selected the cheapest option. It came to 370,000 American AAdvantage miles roundtrip.
(Get your first month of point.me’s award searches for just $1! Visit this link, tap or click “SIGN UP” and enter promo code “EYEOFTHEFLYER”)
So, I could either spend 990,000 SkyMiles one person — or instead pay about a third of that. Heck, 740,000 AAdvantage miles pays for two people.
That’s great Delta has so much confidence in its new Auckland service. But a-million-points-per-passenger confident?
No, thanks.
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OK, so how do you convert Delta SkyMiles or American Express Membership points to AA points? Or is the point, I’m in the wrong program??????
Delta’s redemption for premium cabins is ludicrous. My wife and I are more invested than ever in transferable points. We want to ride in comfort — but not for a million points per person.
Yeah, but you can use that new “TakeOff 15%” benefit on your card, right? (The rumor you reported here a few days ago.)
LMAO.
Ha!
@Anon errr Roger – Just wait… just wait…
What this really means is nobody is ever going to use their miles for this. Unless you’re deeply invested in Delta, almost nobody just starting the miles game on Delta will EVER accumulate enough miles to redeem for a ticket. Why even offer award flights at 990,000 miles per ticket?
Clearly going after the cash passengers. Which is understandable. But then they pull this stuff and make a joke out of their own loyalty program.
Basically they have ended the benefit of flying Delta One using points but they don’t have the courage to say so. Instead they are charging ludicrous prices that nobody would pay. It’s very disappointing since the ability to fly Delta One for less as a very frequent flier is being taking away, by this and by the devaluation of the GUCs.
Just what I expected. Delta never (always) disappoints
You really need to look at this on the bright side…
With this you will be able to do the following:
1) Empty your many many years of Skymiles earnings in one trip and done
2) If you are going for Diamond Medallion under new 20k MQD earn 50% in one flight
3) Enjoy hours of revolting can wine* (*if FAs visit you more than once).
4) Save your Diamond Global upgrade certs for short domestic flight use
5) Walk past the 100+ folks waiting to get into SkyPubs since you are Delta One
With Delta you really should look at things as glass half (or less) full.
Questions anyone?
I especially like points 2 and 4.
@Barry 🙂
Love #3! What about the poor people in Comfort+/Main Cabin? The drink service is an abomination for Delta Airlines now a days!
true
Heading there in a month on Fiji. Cost me 55K for business with Alaska points and stopping in Fiji fo a week. Well not exactly Delta One.
@John – Yeah but is Delta One 18 times better? #AskingForAFriend
Thanks for invite, jeez. 😉 Have a great time!
Insane devaluation of Sky Pesos….crazy for DL to look soo??????
For sh*ts and giggles I took a look at the cash prices in Delta One for that time period. Anywhere between $17K and $20K. Which comes out to approximately 1.9 cents per sky mile! /endsarcasm
@Bobby J – That’s the point (pun intended), that Delta thinks they can get that kind of ticket price in $s. The Delta product compares favorably from LAX as they’re only competing against Air New Zealand that has a pretty poor Biz class product. If you’re connecting, no point in choosing Delta as Chris pointed out. Assuming Delta can’t get these cash rates, we’ll see a reduction in $s and SkyMiles.
Who can afford $20,000? There aren’t that many big business interests between the US and New Zealand. It seems like what business travelers there are would be New Zealanders going to the US. They are presumably Air New Zealand loyalists. Under no circumstance is Delta’s product worth $17,000 or $20,000. Maybe $5,000-$7,000 maximum.
I can only assume that some of the calculus has to do with the film industry where a $20k biz class ticket is a “bargain” compared to a private jet, particularly given the distance and limitations of most private aircraft. Only time will tell.
Couple of questions on this.
If you used Amex points and delta is your preferred airline, do they still do the rebate of mileage back?
If you have a delta Amex and since it’s delta metal, would it have been a better option to pay with Mike’s?
1. If you have the Amex Business Platinum card, yes.
2. Depends on what the cash price is (in terms of MQD)
Sorry to be a Debbie downer but I thought I read on ThePointsGuy.com that this route will be on the older, used A350 without DeltaOne suites or guarantee aisle access. Please advise. http://thepointsguy.com/news/delta-air-lines-new-zealand-paris-routes/
If TPG said it, they probably got it directly from Delta.
Reason number 241 that being a medallion member on Delta is nothing more than a daily humiliation ritual, courtesy of their senior management and bean counters.
Just say no to delta.