Should You Redeem Delta SkyMiles for Delta Gift Cards?

Besides free flights, Delta Air Lines keeps adding creative ways for program members to redeem their miles. Some redemptions include Sky Club membership, premium drinks once in the lounge and magazine subscriptions. And now Delta has added a new way to redeem your SkyMiles—for Delta gift cards.

SkyMiles members can purchase Delta gift cards for the following denominations:

• $50 gift card for 7,150 SkyMiles
• $100 gift card for 14,300 SkyMiles
• $250 gift card for 35,700 SkyMiles
• $500 gift card for 71,450 SkyMiles
• $1,000 gift card for 142,850 SkyMiles

In this case, you will receive a physical gift card, not an eGift. Keep in mind that it can take up to two weeks to receive it in the mail unless you pay for expedited shipping.

Is This a Good Use for Your Miles?

Delta itself has been pegging its miles to about 1 cent apiece, which already doesn’t present a great value. Once you do the math for the gift cards, the points are worth 0.7 cent apiece. As you can see, the value leaves a lot to be desired.

I can see how this can be an option for someone looking for an easy redemption. However, easy doesn’t always mean lucrative and this redemption method should rarely be used, if at all, unless you have some leftover miles you can’t find a use for. Still, Delta miles don’t expire, so don’t feel like you have to redeem them for something right away.

Remember that in some cases you’re able to book short-haul flights starting at about 5,000 SkyMiles each way, the monetary value of which exceeds that $50 threshold, so I suggest hanging on to your miles for such opportunities. More options are better than none, but redeeming at these poor rates might as well not be an option.

Would you redeem your SkyMiles for a Delta gift card?