Delta Award Flights on Reward Flight Finder

Delta has a number of different cabin classes it operates, depending on the aircraft and route being flown. At the cheaper end of the scale is “Basic Economy”, a no-frills coach-class fare in the main cabin, with seats only assigned on check-in. Next up is “Main Cabin” a more flexible Economy Class fare, with service that varies according to the length of the flight and its destination. “Delta Comfort+” is an enhanced Economy Class product, offering 3 inches of extra legroom, a seat that reclines further and a dedicated overhead-storage bin (in theory). Elite loyalty programme members can upgrade from Main Cabin to Comfort+ for free, while other customers can upgrade for a fee or with SkyMiles. “Premium Select” is the Premium Economy Class product, offering extra legroom, adjustable leg rests, extra seat pitch, width and recline plus enhanced service. “First Class” is what most Europeans would think of as Business Class. It is offered on mainline domestic flights (except those featuring Delta One service) and some short- and medium-haul international flights. “Delta One” is the airline's premier business class product. It is available on long-haul international flights, as well as some transcontinental services from New York JFK Airport to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle-Tacoma.

SkyMiles is the Delta loyalty programme which offers members a variety of benefits according to their status, which is defined by five membership tiers. Members who achieve Gold status or above can use SkyTeam lounges when they travel.

Delta actually uses a combination of Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs), Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs) and Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs), earned on Delta flights to determine Medallion Status. Then from time to time they offer Medallion Status Accelerators (MSAs) too which essentially help you climb the tiers faster.

Despite the complexity, one thing is true across every SkyMiles tier. You can get great deals by redeeming your Miles for award flights. British airlines use the term “reward flights’, North American ones refer to “award flights”, they are essentially the same thing: Airline tickets you can book with loyalty points instead of paying the full cash price.

Delta isn’t just interesting for SkyMiles members. It is a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance which also includes Air France, KLM, Alitalia, Korean Air, Air China, Aeroflot and AeroMexico. In 2012 Delta formed a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic, acquiring a 49% stake in the UK based airline. Whilst Virgin Atlantic isn’t officially a member of SkyTeam, the two airlines work closely together and members of their respective frequent flier programmes can earn and spend points across both carriers, along with many other reciprocal benefits. So SkyTeam members can earn Miles on Virgin Atlantic and with SkyTeam alliance airlines and vice versa. Thankfully most of these airlines have loyalty programmes which are less complicated too!