How to Fly Non-Stop to Europe Using an AMEX Delta Card Bonus!

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Dreaming of a European getaway?  With the increased sign-up bonuses on the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card and Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card, it’s easy to get an award ticket to Europe on Delta’s non-stop routes from US cities!

Delta has routes to several cities, including Barcelona, London, Paris, and many others!

I’ll show you how to use Delta miles to Europe.  And give you ideas about where you can visit!

About the AMEX Delta Credit Cards

Link:   Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express

Link:   Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card

Right now, you can earn 50,000 Delta miles with the AMEX Gold Delta card and after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.  And get a $100 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase within the same timeframe.

To get the offer, make a test booking on the Delta website.  Here’s how.

You’ll also get:

• 1 free checked bag for yourself and up to 8 traveling companions on the same reservation
• 2 miles per $1 you spend on Delta
• 1 mile per $1 you spend on everything else
• 20% discount on certain Delta in-flight purchases
• Priority boarding
• Discount on Delta SkyClub lounge passes
• Pay With Miles
• No foreign transaction fees
• Terms and Restrictions Apply

The $95 annual fee is waived the first year.

Note:   If you don’t think you’ll use the statement credit for a Delta purchase, or don’t want to fuss with a test booking, here’s a direct link to the improved offer.  But it only includes a $50 statement credit when you make a Delta purchase in the first 3 months of opening your account.

And through November 9, 2016, you’ll earn 70,000 Delta miles and 10,000 Medallion qualification miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening the AMEX Platinum Delta card.  That’s TWICE the usual bonus of 35,000 Delta miles!

And if you make a Delta purchase in the first 3 months of account opening, you’ll earn a $100 statement credit.

You’ll also get:

• First checked bag free for yourself and up to 8 traveling companions on the same reservation
• 2 miles per $1 you spend on Delta
• 1 mile per $1 you spend on everything else
• 20% discount on certain Delta in-flight purchases
• Priority boarding
• Domestic round-trip companion certificate each year on your card anniversary
• Discount on Delta SkyClub lounge passes
• 10,000 Medallion qualifying miles and 10,000 bonus miles when you spend more than $25,000 in a calendar year.  And an additional 10,000 Medallion qualifying miles and 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $50,000 in the same timeframe.
• Pay With Miles
• No foreign transaction fees
• Terms and restrictions apply

The $195 annual fee is NOT waived for the first year.

Just remember, American Express only allows folks to get the sign-up bonus ONCE per person, per lifetime on ALL their cards.  So if you’ve had any of these cards before, you won’t be eligible for the sign-up bonus again.

How to Use Delta Miles to Europe

Let’s look at how to find a Delta award seat.

Step 1 – Start Searching on Delta.com

Navigate to Delta.com.  You can start searching for an award seat on the homepage.  Add your departure city, where you want to visit, and your dates.

You can add filters for round-trip or one-way flights.  And specify exact or flexible dates.

Be sure to click “Miles“!  Then hit “Find Flights.”

Step 2 – Pick Your Dates

On the next screen, you’ll see your options.

Under the mileage price, you can easily see if the flights are non-stop or have connections.  You can also see the taxes and fees upfront too, which is a nice feature.

Step 3 – Select Your Flights

Once you find dates that work, it’s time to select flights!

After you find flights you like, click “Select” until you get to the final booking screen.

Step 4 – Book It!

Review your flights, dates, and pricing information.  If it looks accurate, click “Continue” to proceed.

Enter your passenger details and click “Purchase” to book your award flight.  That’s it!

Just for fun, I checked the retail price of these flights and found they cost ~$1,281.  After you subtract the taxes and fees needed for the award flights, you save ~$1,200 on your trip ($1,281 – $ 80).  And each Delta mile is worth 2 cents each ($1,200 / 60,000 = .02).  That’s a fantastic deal!

Where Else Can You Go?

Link:   Delta Destinations and Route Map

Here are some other non-stop options to Europe:

• Atlanta to Barcelona for 70,000 Delta miles and ~$6 one-way in Business Class
• New York to London for 60,000 Delta miles and ~$163 round-trip in coach
• Salt Lake City to Amsterdam for 60,000 Delta miles and ~$48 round-trip in coach
• Detroit to Rome for 70,000 Delta miles and ~$6 one-way in Business Class

You can also find all the flights to or from any destination on Delta’s Destination tool.  And, if you need to connect, remember you can add a connecting flight to get to another airport for no additional miles.

Don’t Forget “Pay With Miles”

Link:   Pay With Miles

Delta’s Pay With Miles is another way to redeem your miles for paid Delta flights WITHOUT having to search for award tickets.  Only American Express Delta credit card holders are eligible.

You’ll get a rate of 1 cent per mile towards paid tickets, and you must redeem in 5,000 mile ($50) increments.  Here’s how it works.

I found non-stop round-trip coach flights from Boston to Paris in November 2016 for ~$601.  You could use 60,000 Delta miles through Pay With Miles to cover $600 toward this ticket.  And you wouldn’t have to think about finding an award seat!

Need More Delta Miles?

AMEX Membership Rewards points and Starwood points transfer to Delta at a 1:1 ratio.  And when you transfer at least 20,000 Starwood points, you’ll get 5,000 bonus miles.

Remember, you’ll also earn Delta miles by completing your minimum spending requirements.  And 2 miles per $1 for any spending on Delta.  When you’re close to the award you want, it all adds up!

Bottom Line

Through November 9, 2016, there are increased sign-up bonuses when you open the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express and Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card.

You’ll earn 50,000 Delta miles after meeting minimum spending requirements with the AMEX Gold Delta card.  And 70,000 Delta miles with the AMEX Platinum Delta card.

You’ll pay 60,000 Delta miles round-trip for coach award flights to Europe.  And 70,000 Delta miles for one-way Business Class flights.  It’s easy to book an award flight directly on Delta.com.

Which European destination would you visit?