Earlier this week I mentioned my upcoming layover in Bali and asked for your help on where to stay there. I am flying a rather unconventional route to get there.
Singapore is my ultimate destination. Rather than flying nonstop or via Asia, as most do, I am flying via Australia and Bali. Why? I saw a Delta redemption I could not resist. Yes indeed, even Delta SkyMiles offers an attractive redemption once in a while.
Delta allows routing to Bali via Australia on its Virgin Australia partner. Virgin Australia also tends to open up award space at the last-minute, usually 3-4 days prior to departure. The one-way price is as low as 85K miles one-way, even when booked within 21 days of travel (when the cost seems to become 95K minimum for other partners). Remember, Delta no longer publishes award charts so you never really know what Delta may charge for a ticket.
I’ve been watching the space for months and notice that the price will gyrate between 85K and 170K…for the same flights in the same class of service. Indeed, sometimes even on the same day! That’s how unpredictable Delta is.
Naturally, I wanted to pay 85K miles and not 170K. It took some patience, but I recently saw the space drop to 85K on a date that would work and quickly grabbed it. Now I’ll get to experience Virgin Australia for the first time not only on a 777-300ER to Brisbane, but also on a 737-800 to Bali.
I mentioned above that my final destinations is Singapore. I’ll plan to take KLM’s Fifth Freedom flight from Bali to Singapore, giving me a chance to check out the KLM 777-300 for the first time.
I’d say this is my best Delta redemption in many years. Good redemptions still do exist…but they are few and far between.
What is your favorite Delta redemption?
Holy smokes!! Thank for highlighting this, Matthew! This will be super useful for me. I’ll be checking award space for sure. On a curious note, is the same award space available for booking at a reduced mileage rate with Virgin Atlantic’s miles?
No. Virgin Atlantic would price it by segment, so the more legs, the higher the cost.
Izz is correct on the per-segment pricing, but Virgin Atlantic should theoretically have access to the same space.
ATL-DXB on AF for 85k SkyMiles…after a Delta rep initially told me ‘we don’t fly there.’
NYC-LAX-SYD-DPS (stopover)-SYD(stopover)-LAX-JFK for 80k miles RT in Y. Double the price in J was available too.
NYC-LAX-SYD-DPS (stopover)-SYD(stopover)-LAX-JFK for 80k miles RT in Y. Double the price in J was available too. Ahh the good ole days.
Good luck on the Aust-DPS flight. That was one loud flight..think going to Cancun on spring break.
I took the klm 5th freedom flight from sin to dps… if i recall was about $250 – not bad for another little dutch house to go with my lufthansa ducks!
can you make a stopover in AU?
My favorite all-time has to be Honeymoon. Before the rules changed in 2015, on 12/30/14 I secured a similar route as you.
I travelled roundtrip to Bali in Business on Virgin Australia for 120k Skymiles each, wife and I. Our routing was LAX-SYD-DPS-BNE-LAX. However we got to use a stopover in Sydney for 4 nights at the Park Hyatt Sydney for $0. Carried on to Bali for a 5 nights split between Grand Hyatt and Conrad Bali for $0.
Overall, amazing trip and one to remember for a lifetime. Was exhilarating to cash in 240k Skymiles for $17400 worth of tickets.