As low as 25k SkyMiles round-trip to Australia, 34K to New Zealand, or 42K to Asia

Thrifty Traveler Premium has discovered that Delta is running another unadvertised flash sale to Australia and New Zealand. Poking around a bit, I found discounted fares to Hong Kong and Taipei as well. Fares seem to be cheapest and most available from the West Coast, but there are options available from many airports around the US as well. Depending on the route, availability is between August/September for Hong Kong and Taipei, or November/December for Australia and New Zealand.

Prices start at 30,000 miles round-trip from the West Coast to Brisbane (BNE) and 40,000 miles to Auckland, New Zealand. Delta now offers a 15% discount on award bookings for Delta cardholders, which stacks with the sale, making LAX – BNE as low as 25,500 SkyMiles for those with a Delta card. Flights to Hong Kong can be had for 50,000 round-trip, and there are some dates to Taipei for 58,000.

Like most Delta sales these days, there’s a catch – the lowest pricing and best award availability are for basic and economy class only. Unusually, many one-way fares can be found at half the round-trip price, including LAX-Brisbane for just 15K.

The Deal

• Delta is running an economy award flash sale that includes New Zealand, Australia, and Hong Kong. Prices are for basic economy or economy. Sample prices include:
  • From Los Angeles (LAX)
    • Brisbane (BNE) – 30,000 SkyMiles (25,500 for Delta cardholders)
    • Auckland (AKL) – 40,000 SkyMiles (34,000 for Delta cardholders)
    • Sydney (SYD) – 50,000 SkyMiles (42,500 for Delta cardholders)
    • Hong Kong (HKG) – 50,000 SkyMiles (42,500 for Delta cardholders)
    • Taipei (TPE) – 58,000 SkyMiles (49,300 for Delta cardholders)
  • New York (JFK)
    • Brisbane (BNE) – 50,000 SkyMiles (42,500 for Delta cardholders)
    • Auckland (AKL) – 60,000 SkyMiles (51,000 for Delta cardholders)
    • Sydney (SYD) – 70,000 SkyMiles (59,500 for Delta cardholders)
  • Atlanta (ATL)
    • Brisbane (BNE) – 50,000 SkyMiles (42,500 for Delta cardholders)
    • Auckland (AKL) – 60,000 SkyMiles (51,000 for Delta cardholders)
    • Sydney (SYD) – 70,000 SkyMiles (59,500 for Delta cardholders)
• Some of these fares can only be found when searching round-trip, but there are also many one-way dates and half the round-trip price (or 5K above)

Direct Link to Delta.com

Quick Thoughts

Delta’s award pricing can be astronomical at times, especially to the Asia-Pacific region. For example, if you want to travel in high season, many dates can price out at 150K+ SkyMiles round trip…in economy.

This award sale is therefore significantly better at only 30,000-70,000 SkyMiles round trip, depending on the departure point. The cheapest pricing is available when flying direct from the West Coast to Brisbane, but Auckland is only 10K more expensive. Flights from the East Coast and Midwest seem to be priced 10K-20K higher than those from the West Coast.

Although the pricing and availability are good, the key thing to be aware of is that you’ll be flying in economy class. You’re looking at a -13-15 hour flight to Auckland and Sydney, which is a long time. I couldn’t sleep in economy if my life depended on it, so this fare sale isn’t for me. However, I have many friends (including some members of the FM Team) who can sleep like a baby for hours. If that’s you, this could be a heckuva deal.

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