✈️ How to fly for fewer miles

Plus, join us at the DIY Trip Summit for free trip planning

Author

McKay Moffitt
January 10, 2026

Hellooooo, 2026. Oh, and happy weekend. 

I’ve officially started planning this year’s travel, and my laptop would like me to close some Google Flights tabs.

If you’re in the same boat, this week’s updates are for you.

Grab your cozy drink of choice…

… and let’s get this party started. 🪩🕺 

✈️ Flying Blue’s January Promo Rewards are here (with some sweet fares between the U.S. and Europe).

💳 The best low-fee credit card combo for earning points without paying premium annual fees.

🏨 This hotel card doesn’t get nearly enough hype (and here’s why).

📱 Learn about the seven travel apps you should download in this week’s Daily Drop YouTube video.

🏆 Our Favorite Pick: How to Book Delta Flights for Fewer Miles

I love flying Delta.

I just don’t love paying Delta SkyMiles prices. 🙃 

This week, Mike broke down one of the most reliable ways to book Delta flights (including long-haul Delta One), without actually using Delta SkyMiles.

The super-top-secret-crazy trick is… you book the exact same Delta flight through a partner airline instead.

For a recent trip, Delta wanted an absurd number of SkyMiles for a business-class flight from New York to Dakar.

See what I mean 👆

But when Mike searched that exact flight through Flying Blue (Delta’s partner), it priced out at 70,000 miles + about $45 in taxes.

New York (JFK) to Dakar (DSS) for 70k miles

Yeaaaah, it’s literally the same seat, y’all.

That said, Delta’s shorter domestic flights can sometimes price better than its partners.

Example of a cheap one-way fare with Delta SkyMiles

In this case, it made more sense to book with Delta since the award pricing wasn’t all that bad (and the taxes and fees were cheaper than with Flying Blue).

So again, keep your options open.

But many times, partner airlines act like great coupons.

You’re not changing the flight, you’re just changing who you pay.

If you fly Delta even occasionally, it pays to earn transferable points (like MR points).

That way, when it’s time to book, you can compare Delta’s pricing with its partners and transfer your points where they’ll stretch the furthest.

Because loyalty is nice, but cheaper is like… way nicer.

Mike used this strategy to book one of Delta’s sweetest seats, so catch up on the whole thing in this newsletter. 

🌍 Free Europe trip-planning help

If you’re thinking about a Europe trip this year (or next), the DIY Trip Summit (Jan. 13–15) is a very solid place to start. 

Our very own Megan Johnston will be joining 30+ travel pros to share real-world strategies for how to find better flights and stays, build smarter itineraries… and avoid the mistakes that make trips more stressful (and expensive) than they need to be.

You’ll get:

• Expert-led sessions focused on real-world trip planning
• Practical advice for avoiding common (and costly) mistakes
• Daily live Q&A calls with experienced travelers
• Access to a pop-up Facebook group for support and ideas
• A virtual gift bag with helpful travel tools and resources

It’s completely free to attend, and you can watch every session from home.

I’ll be there. Megan will be there. Everyone’s gonna be there.

🌍 Week in Review

That’s all for this week, friend. 💛

You’re now officially allowed to open more Google Flights tabs… for research.

See ya real soon, 

With contributions(ish) by Mike Dodge