Delta Increases Flights to Houston Ahead of College Football Championship [How To Book]

Hey, football fans, do you want to see the Washington Huskies and the Michigan Wolverines go head-to-head in the College Football Playoff National Championship?

Delta Air Lines is making it easier to get to Houston, the host city of the big game, as the airline is adding 9 more flights to Houston ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Here’s what you need to know.

Delta Will Add 1,200+ Additional Seats to Houston

Delta is boosting flights from Detroit (DTW) to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and will add a flight to Houston Hobby (HOU) ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 8.

The airline will also add flights from Seattle (SEA) to IAH. All told, Delta will add nine flights and 1,272 additional seats from Detroit and Seattle to the Houston area for the big matchup.

Booking Flights for the College Football Playoff National Championship

Tickets for all routes are now on sale, though there is limited availability for the SEA-IAH route due to high demand.

Unfortunately, ticket prices are sky-high, with flights between Detroit (DTW) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) as high as $2,500. One-way tickets aren’t much better; flights from Detroit (DTW) to Houston Hobby (HOU) start around $1,110, and $1,450 from Seattle to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on January 7.

If you’re spooked by the idea of spending that kind of money, this is an excellent opportunity to use points and miles to cover the cost of your ticket.

However, depending on your originating city, you’ll make a sizable dent in your SkyMiles balance. That’s because tickets are as high as 130,000 Delta SkyMiles one-way if you arrive the day before the game.

Prices aren’t much better from DTW, with the nonstop flights starting at 105,000 miles one-way.

Cheaper tickets are available on game day, January 8, and you’ll save up to 110,000 miles doing so, but you’ll be on a crunch for time. If you take the 4:15 p.m. flight available for just 44,000 SkyMiles, you’ll land in George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) at 6:33 p.m.

Assuming there are no delays, you’ll have about an hour to get to the game, which starts at 7:30 p.m. And you’ll need every minute, as the airport is a 50-minute drive to the stadium.

If flying from SEA, you’ll want to snag the 5:45 a.m. flight, which lands in IAH at 4 p.m. This flight starts at 20,000 miles one-way.

Earning Delta SkyMiles is pretty easy. The airline offers several credit cards, such as Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card, which offer sizable welcome bonus offers and other perks.

If you’re in a pinch, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards to Delta at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott Bonvoy points to Delta at a 3:1 ratio.

Final Thoughts

Delta is adding flights for the College Football Playoff National Championship, which is excellent news for travelers. What isn’t great news is how expensive cash prices are — so if you have Delta SkyMiles, this is the time to use them. With flights available starting at 20,000 miles (on game day), the extra money in your pocket can be used for hotels, swag for the game, and more!