Best Ways to Book Delta One Business Class Using Points [Step-By-Step]
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Considered a leader among U.S. legacy carriers, Delta Air Lines has developed a wonderful premium cabin product in Delta One. Currently, you can fly Delta One to over 60 international destinations.
While Delta One it’s not a true first-class product like the out-of-this-world experience you’ll find on Emirates or Etihad, you can still expect a high level of service and a lie-flat seat in this luxury international business class product as you make your way to your destination.
Let’s take a look at what Delta One has to offer and the best ways you can go about booking it with points.
Table of contents
Table of Contents
A Look Inside Delta Business Class: Delta One
For long-haul international flights, Delta has combined business class and first class into a single cabin they call Delta One.
Direct aisle access is one of the leading perks of flying Delta One, since it gives you the freedom to easily get up and move around. It is available on almost every flight where Delta One is offered, and you’ll find it on all of the airline’s long-haul international flights.
The only Delta One seats that don’t have direct aisle access are on Delta’s smaller Boeing 757 aircraft. However, these narrow-body 757s are not used on long-haul flights.
Delta One has premium inflight dining with seasonal menus tailored to your destination. Flying Delta One, you’ll be able to try a regional dish from your destination before you land. Don’t forget to have your flight attendant bring you a nice glass of wine with your meal!
As a Delta One passenger, you’ll also have access to Delta Sky Club lounges and SkyTeam lounges overseas where you can get complimentary food, drinks, Wi-Fi, entertainment, and even a shower.
Hot Tip: Don’t miss our dedicated overview of all things Delta here: Delta Air Lines Review – Seats, Amenities, Customer Service, Baggage Fees, and More.
How to Fly Delta One (Business Class) Using Miles
Delta One flights can be booked with Delta’s own SkyMiles program or through one of its SkyTeam partners’ loyalty programs. We’ll discuss the best options for booking Delta One below.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Virgin Atlantic is not a member of any alliance; rather, it has a lot of partners across the world and one of them is Delta!
We love using Virgin Atlantic to book Delta rewards for 4 big reasons:
- Best award availability, arguably even better than Delta itself!
- Excellent sweet spots to different parts of the world
- Huge transfer bonuses from transferable currencies (upwards of 35% bonus miles)
- Can book Delta awards online, no need to call.
Before we get started, let’s just put out there that fuel surcharges are a huge elephant in the room. The good news is that you will only pay fuel surcharges on flights originating in Europe for travel on Delta.
Here’s the award chart for spending Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles on Delta flights:
| Route | Delta One Redemption |
| U.S. to Caribbean, Central America & Mexico | 60,000 |
| U.S. to Hawaii | 75,000 |
| U.S. to South American | 90,000 |
| Within the U.S. and between the U.S. and Alaska/Canada | 45,000 |
| U.S. to Africa / Middle East and Asia | 120,000 |
| U.S. to Southwest Pacific (Australia) | 150,000 |
| U.S. to Europe / Europe to U.S. | 100,000 |
| Within Asia / Northern Asia | 45,000 |
| Northern Asia to Hawaii | 70,000 |
| Southeast Asia to Northern Asia | 70,000 |
Here are some fantastic redemptions of Virgin Atlantic miles on Delta flights:
- Detroit (DTW) – Amsterdam (AMS) round-trip for 100,000 miles + ~$12 in taxes and fees to fly on Delta One A350 suites. With a 30% transfer bonus, the points cost drops down to ~76,923 points!
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Shanghai (PVG) round-trip for 120,000 miles + ~$35 in taxes and fees to fly on Delta One A350 suites. With a 30% transfer bonus, the points cost drops down to ~92,307 points!
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Sydney (SYD) round-trip for 150,000 miles + ~$12 in taxes and fees to fly on Delta One business class. With a 30% transfer bonus, the points cost drops down to 115,385 points!
Even though Virgin Atlantic’s award availability on Delta is reliable, it’s not as straightforward to find online.
First, you will need to change the default region from United States – English to United Kingdom – English. To do this, refer to the image below:
Click United Kingdom and it will automatically redirect you to a page that looks like this:
Now, follow these steps to book your Delta One Business Class flights:
- Type in your destination and return cities, flight type, dates, number of passengers, and select Upper Class. Be sure to pay with Miles.
- Click the red arrow to search.
- The award availability calendar will show up for you to select your flights. Click your flights, confirm your reservation, and pay for taxes and fees.
Virgin Atlantic is a transfer partner with all of the 4 major transferable currencies: Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.
Amex, Chase, and Citi each transfer to Virgin Atlantic at a 1:1 ratio. Marriott transfers at a 3:1 ratio, in addition to a transfer bonus of 5,000 extra miles for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred. In all, transferring 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points will net you exactly 25,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Miles.
To make things better, Amex and Citi often have transfer bonuses of anywhere from 25%-35% bonus Virgin Atlantic miles! You absolutely need to wait for those, as this can make for absolutely stellar award redemptions flying Delta.
Chase, Citi, and Amex all transfer instantaneously to Virgin Atlantic, while Marriott takes up to 24 hours to transfer.
If you are interested in earning Virgin Atlantic miles directly, consider the Bank of America co-branded Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard®.
Bottom Line: Virgin Atlantic is probably the go-to method: it doesn’t have confusing variable award pricing like Delta, offers the ability to flexibly search for 5 weeks at a time, has amazing redemption rates, tons of transfer partners, and transfer bonuses of up to 30% that make redemptions a no-brainer!
Delta SkyMiles
The most direct way to book a Delta One ticket is with Delta SkyMiles. Unfortunately, Delta does not always make this easy since it stopped publishing its award chart. Based on the best available data, this chart shows the saver level cost of Delta One award flights to and from the U.S.
Remember, saver level awards provide the cheapest cost in miles.
| To/From North America | One-Way Saver Award (in SkyMiles) |
| North America | 25,000 |
| Hawaii | 40,000 |
| Mexico | 30,000 |
| Caribbean | 30,000 |
| Central America | 30,000 |
| Northern South America | 30,000 |
| Southern South America | 75,000 |
| Europe | 105,000 |
| Middle East | 85,000 |
| North Africa | 70,000 |
| Central Africa | 80,000 |
| South Africa | 95,000 |
| South Asia | 97,500 |
| Southeast Asia | 80,000 |
| North Asia | 80,000 |
| Japan | 80,000 |
| Southwest Pacific | 110,000 |
If you can find the saver level award space, the booking process is pretty simple:
- Go to Delta’s website.
- Log in to your SkyMiles account.
- Select Book A Trip.
- Enter your origin and destination
- Enter your travel dates choose Exact Dates or Flexible Dates.
- You can also use Advanced Search to search by month.
- Select to show the price in Miles.
- Select your flights.
- Review your itinerary.
- Enter passenger information, then select your seat and pay the taxes/fees.
If you need more SkyMiles to complete your booking, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points. Membership Rewards points transfer almost instantly.
As you can see, the entire booking process can be handled online. Here are a few key points to remember when booking with SkyMiles:
- Stopovers are not allowed
- Sort your search results by price to find saver level awards
- Search one-way or segment-by-segment
- Delta will not hold award seats
If you’re looking for some more inspiration, check out our article on the Best Ways to Redeem Delta SkyMiles For Max Value or our post on the Best Ways to Redeem 100,000 Delta SkyMiles.
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
Air France/KLM’s Flying Blue program also allows you to book Delta One award tickets online. Just follow the below instructions for an easy booking process.
The award prices for using Flying Blue miles on Delta One Business class start from the following prices:
| To/From North America | One-Way Delta One Award (in Flying Blue Miles) |
| North America | 36,000 |
| Central America, Caribbean, Hawaii | 43,000 |
| Latin America 1 | 50,500 |
| Latin America 2 | 72,000 |
| Europe | 67,500 |
| Middle East, Central Asia, Central Russia | 100,000 |
| Central, East, and West Africa | 100,000 |
| Southern Africa and Indian Ocean | 85,000 |
| India | 85,000 |
| Asia 1 | 85,000 |
| Asia 2 | 93,000 |
| Tahiti, New Caledonia | 64,000 |
| Oceania | 144,000 |
The booking process is as follows:
- Go to Air France’s website.
- Select Use Your Miles.
- Sign in to your Flying Blue account.
- Select your origin and destination.
- Select your travel dates.
- If your travel dates are flexible, check the box next to You are looking for flights around these dates.
- Select Business so the search shows Delta One options.
- Select the appropriate flight, then fill in passenger information.
- To complete the booking, pay the necessary taxes and fees.
If you need more Flying Blue miles to complete your booking, you can transfer from any of the transferable points programs (with varying transfer times):
- American Express Membership Rewards: transfers almost instantly
- Capital One: transfers almost instantly
- Chase Ultimate Rewards: transfers almost instantly
- Citi ThankYou Points: transfers take up to 2 days
- Marriott Bonvoy: 1 day
For some destinations, booking with Flying Blue miles might actually be a better deal than booking with SkyMiles. Compare the cost of the miles before you book, and you may be able to book the same Delta One experience for fewer miles!
Korean Air SKYPASS
Korean Air has recently begun to allow SkyTeam award flight searches online, allowing you to search for award space yourself rather than calling the airline. This is great news if you want to book a Delta One flight with your Korean Air SKYPASS miles online!
| Route | Delta One Business |
| North America – North America | 45,000 |
| North America – Central America | 75,000 |
| North America – South America | 110,000 |
| North America – Europe | 80,000 |
| North America – Middle East, Africa | 120,000 |
| North America – Asia 1 | 140,000 |
| North America – Asia 2 | 155,000 |
| North America – Asia 3 | 170,000 |
| North America – Oceania | 185,000 |
Follow these easy steps to book your next Delta One flight online using Korean Air SKYPASS miles:
- Go to Korean Air’s website.
- Select Redeem Miles.
- Log in with your user ID or SKYPASS number.
- Select SkyTeam Award.
- Select your origin and destination.
- Select your travel dates.
- Select Prestige Class to find Delta One space.
- Select your flights.
- Find flights that are operated by Delta Air Lines.
- Click the Calculate button to see the miles required and the taxes/fees.
- Click Continue to enter your information to complete the booking.
Korean Air no longer allows you to put awards on hold.
Keep in mind you are only allowed to book award flights for yourself and eligible family members. Eligible family members include your spouse, children, sibling, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, and in-laws.
Another caveat: Korean Air only allows round-trip award bookings for its partners. If you want to book Delta One, make sure you book round-trip.
While these restrictions can be annoying, they’re worth putting up with because Korean Air miles can be a great option for booking Delta One flights.
Korean Air also has several other great redemption options, so give our 10 favorites a look!
Hot Tip: Korean Air SKYPASS provides some amazing redemptions and is very flexible with holding awards. If you need some time to transfer points, this is a go-to program.
Other Options for Booking Delta One
If you feel like getting creative, Delta One can be booked through several other partners. You can use Alitalia and Virgin Australia’s programs, but they are generally not the best options.
Great Delta One Redemptions
Now that you know the best ways to book Delta One, let’s check out some of our favorite flights to book!
Virgin Atlantic
- Detroit (DTW) – Amsterdam (AMS) in Delta One Suites round-trip for 100,000 miles
- Detroit (DTW) – Beijing (PEK) in Delta One Suites round-trip for 120,000 miles
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Shanghai (PVG) in Delta One Suites round-trip for 120,000 miles
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Sydney (SYD) in Delta One round-trip for 150,000 miles
- Minneapolis (MSP) – Tokyo-Haneda (HND) in Delta One Suites round-trip for 120,000 miles
Delta SkyMiles
- Atlanta (ATL) – Johannesburg (JNB) in Delta One one-way for 95,000 miles (one of the top 10 longest nonstop flights worldwide!)
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
- New York City (JFK) – Tel Aviv (TLV) in Delta One one-way for 53,000 miles
- With a round-trip booking for 106,000 miles, you can also build in a stopover and an open jaw
Korean Air SKYPASS
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Honolulu (HNL) round-trip in domestic first class for 45,000 miles
- New York City (JFK) to Paris (CDG) round-trip in Delta One for 80,000 miles
Bottom Line: Make sure you check each program before booking to ensure you get the best deal when flying Delta One.
How to Earn Enough Miles for Delta One
If you’re ready to book your Delta One flight but aren’t sure how to earn enough miles, you’ll be happy to know there are many ways to do so.
Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, and Citi ThankYou all transfer to Air France Flying Blue at a rate of 1:1. You could also transfer Capital One Miles at a rate of 2:1.5, or Marriott points at a rate of 3:1.
For transfers to Delta, you can use Amex at a rate of 1:1, or Marriott at a rate of 3:1.
American Express Credit Cards
American Express has many great credit card options to help you earn plenty of points for a Delta One ticket. Here are some of our favorites:
Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)
| The Platinum Card® from American Express - There's currently a new welcome bonus offer of 75,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 10x points in the first 6 months on eligible purchases at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases). This is our #1 card for accessing 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide (including Priority Pass). We leverage ~$3,000+ in benefits and perks from the card every year. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here. |
| American Express® Gold Card - We love using this card as it earns 4x points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery, and 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x. Terms Apply). There's no better card in our opinion if you eat out and/or shop at supermarkets regularly; and you'll have access to many benefits and perks. With a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 in your first 6 months, it's a strong choice. For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here. |
If you’re a business owner, there are a number of Amex business cards to choose from.
Capital One Credit Cards
Recommended Capital One Cards
While the Capital One transfer rate isn’t as good as other issuers, they can still be a big help when working towards a redemption.
| Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card - This card is packed with lots of benefits and perks. Earn 100,000 bonus miles when you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening, or still earn 50,000 mile sign up bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. We recommend this as a no-brainer card if you even semi-regularly stay at hotels. |
| Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card - This is an excellent card for those looking to earn 1.25x miles per $1 on every purchase. With a 20,000 mile sign up bonus (worth $200 toward travel) after spending $1,000 within the first 3 months and no annual fee, it's a strong choice. |
Chase Credit Cards
Chase has some of our favorite travel rewards cards on the market. Here is what we recommend:
Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® - This is our favorite beginners travel rewards card, which is currently offering a 60,000 point bonus after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, the Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 2x points per $1 on travel and dining worldwide, eligible delivery services, take out and dining out, plus other travel benefits such as excellent travel insurance coverage and no foreign transaction fees. The sign up bonus is worth $750 in travel purchases (flights, hotels, car rentals etc) when you redeem your points through Chase's travel portal, which works like Expedia. |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® - This premium card will get you access to 1,000+ airport lounges. as well as a number of other card benefits. The current sign up bonus is 50,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You'll also get a $300 travel credit per year which wipes away a big chunk of the $550 annual fee. |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® - A fantastic, no annual fee card that earns you a $200 bonus after you spend $500 in your first 3 months. Earn 5% cash-back on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% cash-back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% cash-back on all other purchases, but you won't get any travel benefits with this card. |
If you’re a business owner, see our list of recommended Chase business credit cards.
Delta-Branded Credit Cards
What better way to earn Delta miles than through the Delta co-branded credit cards? Here are some of our favorites:
Recommended Delta Cards
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card- use this card to get one free checked bag for you and up to 8 companions on your itinerary, which we see as a "must-have" if you fly Delta regularly. Earn 35,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Delta Gold card, click here. |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card- Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn a $100 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. Enjoy your first checked bag free and a lot of other benefits and perks, such as fee credit for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck. The annual fee is $250. For rates and fees of the Delta Platinum card, click here. |
Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
Marriott’s transfer rate is the lowest of all the transferable currencies, but don’t forget that you get a 5,000 airline mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points you transfer!
Recommended Marriott Cards
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card - Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Get automatic silver elite status each account anniversary year; and a free night award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary. Plus, earn 6X points per $1 at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and 2X points per $1 on all other purchases. Annual Fee is $95. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card - Earn 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. Earn 3X points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, earn 2X on other travel purchases, then 1x on all other purchases. A solid card for Marriott loyalists looking for a no-annual-fee card offering Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card - Limited Time Offer! Earn 125,000 bonus points! Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn an additional 25,000 bonus points after your first anniversary of Card Membership. Offer Expires 1/13/2021. Earn 6x per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels plus 3x at U.S. restaurants and flights booked directly with airlines. Annual fee is $450. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card - earn 100,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. A solid card for business owners who will get complimentary Marriott Bonvoy silver elite status. Annual fee is $125. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, click here. |
When Should You Search for Delta One Award Space?
Delta is notorious for inflating award prices the closer you get to flight dates, so you should start searching as soon as you have narrowed down your travel dates.
What Makes Delta One a Great Redemption?
When flying Delta One, you can expect a luxurious travel experience from start to finish. From comfortable inflight suites to amenity-filled lounges and priority status, Delta One offers an excellent way to use your SkyMiles.
Sky Club and SkyTeam Lounges
When flying Delta One, you will have access to Delta Sky Club locations as well as SkyTeam lounges when connecting or departing from abroad.
Delta One TUMI Amenity Kit
Delta has partnered with TUMI to make your Delta One experience more comfortable. For every Delta One passenger, Delta provides TUMI amenity kits that include LE LABO lotion and lip balm, a TUMI sleep mask, hand cleanser, dental kit, and socks. The kit was refreshed in October 2019 in an effort to reduce single-use plastics.
Priority Check-In, Security, and Boarding
No one likes waiting in line, whether checking in for a flight, at airport security, or while boarding your flight. When flying Delta One, you will have priority access at each of these points to make your journey smooth and efficient.
The New Delta One Suite
Delta is taking its premium cabin experience to a new level with the introduction of the Delta One Suite. Each suite will come with direct aisle access and a full-height door for maximum privacy.
Delta One Suites are available on the A350, A330-900neo, and Boeing 767-400 as follows:
A350 routes:
- Atlanta (ATL) – Seoul (ICN)
- Atlanta (ATL) – Tokyo-Haneda (HND) — begins March 27, 2020
- Atlanta (ATL) – Tokyo-Narita (NRT) — ends March 27, 2020
- Detroit (DTW) – Amsterdam (AMS)
- Detroit (DTW) – Seoul (ICN)
- Detroit (DTW) – Shanghai (PVG)
- Detroit (DTW) – Tokyo-Haneda (HND) —begins March 27, 2020
- Detroit (DTW) – Tokyo-Narita (NRT) — ends March 27, 2020
- Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) – Amsterdam (AMS) — from March 29, 2020 to October 23, 2020
- Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) – Seoul (ICN)
A330-900neo routes:
- Seattle (SEA) – Amsterdam (AMS) — from July 22, 2020 to October 23, 2020
- Seattle (SEA) – Seoul (ICN)
- Seattle (SEA) – Tokyo-Haneda (HND) — begins March 27, 2020
- Seattle (SEA) – Tokyo-Narita (NRT) — ends March 27, 2020
767-400 routes:
- Boston (BOS) – London (LHR)
- New York (JFK) – London (LHR)
- New York (JFK) – Nice (NCE) — from April 2, 2020 to October 23, 2020
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a comfortable flight with great service, try Delta’s Delta One product. From access to great lounges to a lie-flat bed on your flight and delicious food along the way, Delta One makes flying a luxurious and comfortable experience.
Between 3 different airline programs and 4 separate transferable point currencies to choose from, booking Delta One is easy! So if you have a stash of points you’ve been waiting to use, you’re just a click away from your next adventure!
Do you receive MQM if you use the Delta “miles+cash” purchase option?
Thanks for the question. A ticket you purchase with the Miles + Cash option you’re referring to does not earn MQMs as it is treated like an award ticket.
A couple of caveats to what you write that I’ve discovered in the process of trying to get SkyMiles award from Asia back to the USA in Delta One or partner business class.:
1) The call to book at the low level when there is no availability on DL one with partner flights only works when it is partner + partner.. if you have a DL flight(s) tagged on at the end/beginning it’s a nightmare and often can’t be done
2) DL has de facto increased the one way saver amount to 120K from 85k for any awards with at least one flight with Suites on their own metal. As they complete retrofits of all their 777s and introduce more A350s, that means you need to find a DL flight without suites (A330 or 767) to get the 85K price. As DL begins taking on A330NEO’s with suites, I expect that to become even harder.
Hey Arlington,
1) There are a number of readers and travelers, including myself, that have had no problem with booking DL One plus a partner segment.
2) Delta Airlines employs multiple pricing levels, and the award bucket levels have changed over time. What you’re most likely looking at is the second-cheapest award level. Thanks for reading!
This must be an old article. There’s no flag to click on their website anymore.
Hey Nathan,
Thanks for the feedback. Virgin Atlantic recently changed their interface. The directions have been revised.
Hello! I’ve been trying for weeks to find Delta availability through Virgin with not one single search yielding ANY flight options. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Malerie,
Do you mind sharing what routes you’ve been searching for?
So are you saying virgin Atlantic upper class is the same as delta one suites?
Having such a hard time because there seems to be a certain language I don’t know. I want to fly Delta one suite but then so many of the flights will say that they are operated by in this case virgin Atlantic which to me means I won’t get a delta one suite?
Hi Karen,
Virgin Atlantic Upper Class and Delta One are not the same. When searching for your availability you’ll want to select a flight that is operated by Delta, not Virgin Atlantic.
Is it possible to use a companion certificate for a flight that has delta one domestically (like NY to LA) and then upgrade both people using skymiles?
Thanks,
Daniella
Hi Daniella,
Yes, that should be possible depending on the fare code of the ticket you want to select.