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Delta is now offering some domestic economy awards for 5,000 miles + $5.60 one way. The standard for a Saver award within the continental United States is 12,500 miles one way (though Avios awards go for as little as 4,500 miles), so this is a 60% discount!

Routes on which I’ve seen 5,000 SkyMiles awards:

  • Los Angeles <-> San Francisco
  • Los Angeles <-> Sacramento
  • Los Angeles <-> San Jose, CA
  • Los Angeles <-> Oakland
  • Seattle <-> Portland

Notice these are all short West Coast flights.

All the 5,000 miles awards seem only to be available at last 21 days out. Here is the award calendar for San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Screen Shot 2015-05-17 at 8.05.44 PM Some similar short West Coast routes are pricing at 10,000 SkyMiles one way like

  • Los Angeles <-> San Diego
  • Los Angeles <-> Las Vegas

Here is the award calendar for Las Vegas to Los Angeles.
Screen Shot 2015-05-17 at 8.06.13 PM

The routes seem to have hand picked for how cheap its fares are, and not for distance. Routes with 5k award space often have a lot of hit like this June date where nearly every San Francisco to Los Angeles flight has award space for 5,000 miles.

Screen Shot 2015-05-17 at 8.07.56 PMI consider the new 5,000 mile awards to be mixed news.

  • Good: Some awards are 60% cheaper, and hopefully more routes with 5,000 mile award space are added.
  • Bad: By picking 5k routes on cheapness not distance, Delta is taking a step away from award charts (which it deleted from the internet already) and toward revenue-based redemptions. If Delta makes award redemptions based on the ticket price, Business Class awards, and all the other best values, will surge in (miles) price.

If you see any other routes with 5,000 SkyMiles awards, share them in the comments.

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