✈️ How to book cheap domestic Delta flights

Estimated read time: 4 minutes and 33 seconds

Good morning, sunshines, and welcome back to Daily Drop! ☀️

I’ve got a fun sweet spot and a tasty hotel deal to tell you about today, so let’s get to it:

• ✈️ Sweet Spot Highlight: Booking domestic Delta flights on the cheap

• 🏨 IHG Cyber Sale (25% off hotels worldwide)

• 🎥 When should you use cash vs. points?

✈️ Sweet Spot Highlight: Booking domestic Delta flights on the cheap

Delta is one of the most popular airlines and loyalty programs in the world.

When people hear about deals for SkyMiles or ways to add a few extra miles into their pockets, they freak out.

I don’t know why I’m on a LOTR kick this week… 😅

Anyway, if you want to avoid the utter chaos that is the SkyMiles program (along with the sky-high award costs), there are ways to fly Delta domestically in the U.S. without breaking the points bank.

One of those ways is using Flying Blue miles to book Delta domestic flights.

For example, this flight from Detroit to Atlanta only costs 8,500 Fling Blue miles and about $18.

The taxes are a bit higher than when booking through Delta, but look how many points you save from how much Delta charges for the same flight on the same day. 👇

Even with the discount you get from holding one of the airline’s co-branded credit cards, the price is still close to double what Flying Blue charges.

Plus, Flying Blue frequently has transfer bonuses from other programs, like this recent 25% transfer bonus from ThankYou Points (now expired, sadly).

With a 25% bonus, you’d only need to shell out 6,800 points to book that flight, which is a great deal.

Of course, this isn’t a blanket rule… sometimes, Delta has a much better rate, so you should always check both programs before booking.

This flight from Boston to Los Angeles only costs 16,500 SkyMiles (or 14,000 with the cardholder discount).

Flying Blue, on the other hand, charges more miles and more taxes and fees… So, in this case, you’re better off booking with Delta - even if there is a 25% transfer bonus.

Oh… by the way, you can easily search for flights like this using Daily Drop Pro, which is rolling out support for KLM/Air France Flying Blue TODAY! Wooh!

*Shameless plug over.*

So here’s the bottom line:

Certain domestic Delta flights fit into this tidy little sweet spot with Flying Blue. 

If you can find the right route on the right day, you could save some miles by transferring points to Flying Blue rather than booking directly through Delta.

If you travel with more than one person or use this trick multiple times, the savings really do add up.

🏨 IHG Cyber Sale (25% off hotels worldwide)

IHG has become one of my favorite programs this year in the nearly 50 nights that I’ve racked up so far.

So, when they offer sweet deals, I get really excited.

One of those deals is a sale that was just announced, which will apply to literally all of you… so listen up, ya hear?

Here are the details:

• Staring TODAY, IHG members will get 25% off hotels worldwide

• No promo code needed; just search normally

• Stays must be booked by December 3rd, 2024

• Valid for stays between November 23rd, 2024 and April 30th, 2025

• There are some blackout dates, so check out the sale page for details

• Non-members will get a 17% discount on stays… so just become a member. It’s free, you silly goose.

This is great! It’s a solid discount, applies to more than 6,000 hotels worldwide, has a long window for stays, and a decent booking window.

It checks all the boxes! ✅

You could book a winter stay at this Kimpton hotel in Seattle for $164 a night, which is not terrible for such a high-end hotel in a major city.

Don’t forget that IHG also has tons of targeted offers going out right now.

Personally, I still have double elite night offers and bonus point offers in my IHG account, either of which would add even more value to potential IHG stays.

If you’re venturing off internationally this winter or even in early spring of next year, this could be a great way to lock in some cheap hotels far in advance.

This luxury hotel right in the center of Lisbon is running just over $150 most nights, which is a great deal on a comfy stay in yet another generally expensive city.

So here’s the bottom line:

If you have any travel plans between now and next April, this is a great way to lock in a steep discount on IHG hotels.

As you know, make sure you maximize your earnings on cash stays by using a card like this one to pay!

It will also give you Platinum status, so you can enjoy some nice perks during your stay.

🎥 When should you use cash vs. points?

It’s a tale as old as time. A question that has lingered for millennia… When should you use your hard-earned points or just fork over some cash instead??

The answer, to be honest, is nuanced.

But there are some loose rules that we at DD like to live by, like am I getting a valuation of at least two cents per point? Or what about if elite airline or hotel status is important to me?

If you’re looking for a little guidance on this topic, head over to this week’s YouTube video for Brendan’s take on the matter.

That’s all for today! I feel like it’s been a pretty slow couple of weeks in the travel space… Anything you guys are excited about right now? Any good deals you’ve found?

Let me know by replying to the newsletter or hanging out in the Daily Drop Pro Lounge!

Peace out ✌️

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