At Frequent Miler, we keep a database of point valuations (we call these “Reasonable Redemption Values“). These are estimates of the “worth” of airline miles, hotel points, transferable points, and more. The idea is that we try to identify the point at which it is “reasonable” to get that much value or more from your points.
This information is critical for making informed decisions. In fact, it’s a key component of the First Year Value information shown on our Best Credit Card Offers page, and it’s similarly used to show which cards offer the best value for everyday spend, and which offer the best category bonuses.
When we first started looking at the value of airline miles, we used a manual process to create estimates, but we now have a much better way of pinning down the value of Delta SkyMiles.
Points Path, which is a Google Flights extension, keeps records of both the point prices and cash prices of all searches done via its platform. Points Path founder and former Frequent Miler writer, Julian Kheel, has made this data available to us for the purpose of identifying rewards program point values.
Thanks to Julian and Points Path, we now have access to the results of over 4.2 million domestic and international Delta search results that show both the cash and award prices for the same flight (including partner flights). Using this data, we can provide a far better estimate of “Reasonable Redemption Value” of Delta SkyMiles than we were ever able to obtain using manual calculations.
Based on an analysis of Points Path’s data, we’ve concluded that the new Reasonable Redemption Value (RRV) for Delta miles = 1.1 Cents Per Mile.
Points Path Data
Listed below is a summary of the raw data from Points Path. There are two values that are important to us. The median is the point that half of the observed results offered equal or better point value and half offered equal or worse value. We also have the average value of all the searches, in total and by booking class.
| Cabin | Median Value (cpp) | Average Value (cpp) | Number of data points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 1.11 | 1.12 | 3,460,461 |
| Premium Economy | 1.11 | 1.22 | 204,481 |
| Business | 1.09 | 1.24 | 500,960 |
| First | 1.08 | 1.10 | 92,320 |
| Combined | 1.11 | 1.14 | 4,258,222 |
Calculations
For our airline RRV values, we’re going to actually use the midpoints between the average value and the median. The reason is that the difference between the two is an indicator of how often more valuable sweet spots can be found in a given category.
If the median is 1 cent per point, that means that half of all searches produced a value of less than 1 cent per point, and one half above 1 cent per point. However, if the same data showed an average of 2 cents per point it would mean that some of the 50% of searches that were above 1 cent per point were so far above that they doubled the result to 2 cents per point. Likely, that would indicate a higher prevalence of available sweet spot awards with outsized redemption value
That’s not the case with Delta, however, where the median and the average are almost identical:
- Points Path Median Observed Value for Delta Flights: 1.11 cents per mile
(based on the past 365 days of data as of February 14, 2025) - Points Path Mean Observed Value for Delta Flights: 1.14 Cents Per Mile
(based on the past 365 days of data as of February 14, 2025 - Range: 1.11 to 1.14.
- For our RRV, we’ll pick the middle point between 1.11 and 1.14 and then round it to one decimal, or 1.1 Cents Per Point.
Conclusion
The exercise described above resulted in an unchanged Reasonable Redemption Value (RRV) for Delta miles: 1.1 cents per mile. That’s the point at which you are likely to get that much value or more.
Please keep in mind that this does not mean that you will always get 1.1 cents per mile value from your Delta miles. In practice, you’ll sometimes find better than 1.1 cents per mile value and sometimes you’ll find worse. As a Delta Gold, Platinum, or Reserve cardholder, you’ll also get slightly better value because of the 15% discount that cardholders receive on rewards. Additionally, note that there are some ways to get better value from Delta miles. For details, see: Best uses for Delta miles.
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