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Best Ways to Book Delta One Business Class Using Points [Step-by-Step]

Delta One Suite
BY 
Spencer Howard
-
  1. Use Points  / 
  2. Award Booking Guides

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Considered a leader among U.S. legacy carriers, Delta has developed a wonderful premium cabin product in Delta One. While it’s not a true first class product like the out-of-this-world experience you’ll find on Emirates or Etihad, you can expect great service and a nice seat in this luxury international business class product.

A Look Inside Delta Business Class: Delta One

Delta One Seat
On international long-haul flights, every Delta One seat is lie-flat and has direct aisle access. Image courtesy of delta.com.

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.

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 their 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. One of them is Delta!

We love using Virgin Atlantic to book Delta rewards for 4 big reasons:

  1. Best award availability, arguably even better than Delta itself!
  2. Excellent sweet spots to different parts of the world
  3. Huge transfer bonuses from transferable currencies (upwards of 35% bonus miles)
  4. Can book Delta awards completely online

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:

The Virgin Atlantic Award Chart on Delta flights can be found on the Virgin Atlantic website, but the region must be switched from the U.S. to the United Kingdom. Image courtesy of virginatlantic.com.

Here are some fantastic redemptions of Virgin Atlantic miles on Delta flights:

  • 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!
  • 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) – 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 it 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:

To change the region, click on the flag on the top-right corner of the Virgin Atlantic U.S. homepage. Image courtesy of virginatlantic.com.

Click the United Kingdom, and it will automatically redirect you to a page that looks like this:

Virgin Atlantic’s UK Homepage looks different from the U.S. homepage. When booking award flights, be sure to click advanced search to change your payment to miles! Image courtesy of virginatlantic.com.

Now, follow these steps to book your Delta One Business Class flights:

  1. Type in your destination and return cities, flight type, dates, number of passengers, and select Upper Class. Be sure to pay with Miles.
  2. Click the red arrow to search.
  3. 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.
Flying from Los Angeles to Shanghai in Delta One’s brand-new A350 suites will only cost 120,000 miles plus $35 in taxes and fees round-trip! Image courtesy of virginatlantic.com.

Virgin Atlantic is a transfer partner with all the 4 major transferable currencies: Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Rewards.

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 Rewards 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 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 they stopped publishing their 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 AmericaOne-Way Saver Award
North America25,000 SkyMiles
Hawaii40,000 SkyMiles
Mexico30,000 SkyMiles
Caribbean30,000 SkyMiles
Central America30,000 SkyMiles
Northern South America30,000 SkyMiles
Southern South America75,000 SkyMiles
Europe82,000 SkyMiles
Middle East85,000 SkyMiles
North Africa70,000 SkyMiles
Central Africa80,000 SkyMiles
South Africa95,000 SkyMiles
South Asia97,500 SkyMiles
Southeast Asia80,000 SkyMiles
North Asia80,000 SkyMiles
Japan80,000 SkyMiles
Southwest Pacific110,000 SkyMiles

If you can find the saver level award space, the booking process is pretty simple:

  1. Go to Delta’s website
  2. Log in to your SkyMiles account
  3. Select “Book A Trip”
  4. Enter your origin and destination
  5. Enter your travel dates choose “Exact Dates” or “Flexible Dates”
    • You can also use “Advanced Search” to search by month
  6. Select to show the price in “Miles”
  7. Select your flights
  8. Review your itinerary
  9. 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 11 Best Ways to Redeem 100,000 Delta SkyMiles For Max Value.

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 AmericaOne-Way Delta One Award
North America36,000 Flying Blue miles
Central America, Caribbean, Hawaii43,000 Flying Blue miles
Latin America 150,500 Flying Blue miles
Latin America 272,000 Flying Blue miles
Europe67,500 Flying Blue miles
Middle East, Central Asia, Central Russia100,000 Flying Blue miles
Central, East, and West Africa100,000 Flying Blue miles
Southern Africa and Indian Ocean85,000 Flying Blue miles
India85,000 Flying Blue miles
Asia 185,000 Flying Blue miles
Asia 293,000 Flying Blue miles
Tahiti, New Caledonia64,000 Flying Blue miles
Oceania144,000 Flying Blue miles
  1. Go to Air France’s website
  2. Select “Use Your Miles”
  3. Sign in to your Flying Blue account
  4. Select your origin and destination
  5. Select your travel dates
    • If your travel dates are flexible, check the box next to “You are looking for flights around these dates”
  6. Select “Business” so the search shows Delta One options
  7. Select the appropriate flight, then fill in passenger information
  8. 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):

For some destinations, booking with Flying Blue miles might actually be a better deal than booking with SkyMiles. Compare the miles cost 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!

Korean Air Sky Team Award Chart
Korean Air SkyPass provides some great redemptions for Delta One flights!

Follow these easy steps to book your next Delta One flight online using Korean Air SkyPass miles:

  1. Go to Korean Air’s website
  2. Select “Redeem Miles”
  3. Log in with your User ID or SkyPass number
  4. Select “SkyTeam Award”
  5. Select your origin and destination
  6. Select your travel dates
  7. Select “Prestige Class” to find Delta One space
  8. Select your flights
    • Find flights that are operated by Delta Air Lines
  9. Click the “Calculate” button to see the miles required and the taxes/fees
  10. 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 their 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 to Beijing in Delta One suites round-trip for 120,000 miles
  • Los Angeles to Shanghai in Delta One suites round-trip for 120,000 miles
  • Detroit to Amsterdam in Delta One suites round-trip for 100,000 miles
  • Minneapolis to Tokyo-Haneda in Delta One suites (from Nov 16, 2018) round-trip for 120,000 miles
  • Los Angeles to Sydney in Delta One round-trip for 150,000 miles

Delta SkyMiles

Air France/KLM FlyingBlue

  • New York City to Tel Aviv 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

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.

For transfers to Delta, you can use Amex at a rate of 1:1, or Marriott at a rate of 3:1.

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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.

SkyClub and SkyTeam Lounges

Delta Sky Club
Enjoy a drink before your Delta One flight at the Delta Sky Club! Image courtesy of loungebuddy.com.

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 Tumi Amenity Kit
Delta’s TUMI amenity kit will keep you feeling refreshed throughout your Delta One flight. Image courtesy of delta.com.

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 Kiehl’s products, eyeshades, earplugs, socks, a dental kit, and tissues.

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 One Privacy
The Delta One suite will be released in fall 2017 on Delta’s new Airbus A350s. Image courtesy of delta.com.

Delta is taking their 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 brand-new A350, or on retrofitted 777s as follows:

A350 routes and flight dates:

  • Detroit (DTW)-Tokyo Narita (NRT) — from October 30, 2017
  • Detroit (DTW)-Seoul (ICN) — from November 18, 2017
  • Detroit (DTW)-Beijing (PEK) — from January 17, 2018
  • Detroit (DTW)-Amsterdam (AMS) — from March 2018
  • Atlanta (ATL)-Seoul (ICN) — from March 24, 2018
  • Detroit (DTW)-Shanghai (PVG) — from April 19, 2018
  • Los Angeles (LAX)-Shanghai (PVG) — from July 2, 2018
  • Seattle (SEA)-Tokyo Narita (NRT) — from March 1, 2019
  • Los Angeles (LAX)-Tokyo Haneda (HND) — from March 31, 2019

777 routes and flight dates:

  • Minneapolis (MSP)-Tokyo Haneda (HND) — from November 16, 2018
  • Atlanta (ATL)-Paris (CDG) — from December 13, 2018 to March 29, 2019
  • Minneapolis (MSP)-Paris (CDG) — from December 13, 2018 to March 30, 2019
  • Atlanta (ATL)-Tokyo Narita (NRT) — from March 1, 2019
  • Minneapolis (MSP)-Seoul (ICN) — from April 1, 2019
  • Los Angeles (LAX)-Sydney (SYD) — from April 19, 2019

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.

With 3 airline programs that make it easy to book Delta One, you’re just a click away from your next adventure!

FAQ

What's the best way to book Delta One?

The best way to book Delta One depends on your desired route. Your best bet is to start with Air France’s Flying Blue program and Korean Air’s SkyPass program since they often cost fewer miles.

Additionally, Delta SkyMiles and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club can provide some good options.

What credit cards can help me earn miles to fly Delta One?

There are many credit cards you can use to earn the miles and points necessary to fly Delta One. First, you need to decide which program you are going to use to book Delta One.

Here are the credit card programs that have partnered with each airline loyalty program:

Air France/KLM Flying Blue – Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points

Korean Air SkyPass – Chase Ultimate Rewards

Delta SkyMiles – American Express Membership Rewards

What do I get when I fly Delta One?

On your international long-haul flights in Delta One, you will start your journey with Delta Sky Club or SkyTeam lounge access. Both your lounge and flight experience will be complete with plenty of food and drink options.

During your flight, you will also have a lie-flat seat with direct aisle access.

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2 comments

  1. E W · April 28, 2018 · Reply

    Do you receive MQM if you use the Delta “miles+cash” purchase option?

    • Christine Krzyszton · April 29, 2018 · Reply

      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.

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