Delta Flash Sale: Award Flights to Mexico From 12,000 SkyMiles Round-Trip
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Every so often Delta offers an award "flash sale," such as flights to Asia for 50,000 SkyMiles round-trip or South America from 36,000 SkyMiles round-trip. The latest version of this promotion popped up today, offering award flights to Mexico for as little as 12,000 SkyMiles round-trip.
That's a pretty incredible rate when you consider a standard low-level award flight between the US and Mexico is typically no fewer than 17,500 SkyMiles one-way (35,000 miles round-trip). However, unlike other award flash sales, this one isn't being advertised by Delta. That said, Thrifty Traveler has compiled a list of dozens of US departure cities currently on sale.
One downside: These awards are going to cost you more out of pocket than just the $5.60 security fee. Taxes on these routes are at least $81 in the examples we found.
Route: US to Mexico (MEX/CUN/CZN/ZIH/SJD/PVR)
Cost: 12,000+ SkyMiles and $81+ round-trip in economy
Dates: April 2018 to February 2019, depending on the route
Pay Taxes/Fees With: Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel) or The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare)
Here are a few examples of dates you can book:
Boston (BOS) to Cancun (CUN) for 12,000 miles + $86 round-trip:
Los Angeles (LAX) to Los Cabos (SJD) for 12,000 miles + $84 round-trip:
Orlando (MCO) to Cancun (CUN) for 12,000 miles + $81 round-trip:
Washington DC/Baltimore (BWI) to Mexico City (MEX) for 13,000 miles + $111 round-trip:
Delta doesn't publish an award chart, so there's no telling exactly how discounted these award sale fares are. But when considering whether or not redeeming is a better option than outright buying a flight, make sure that you're comparing apples to apples. Delta's awards book into the main cabin, while the cheapest revenue rates you'll find on search engines like Google Flights are likely for Delta's basic economy fares.
H/T: Thrifty Traveler