How to Redeem Delta SkyMiles for Flights to Alaska

Alaska is a dream-come-true destination for nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts alike. With a vast array of national parks, endless opportunities for kayakers and hikers, and the ability to go whale watching or see the northern lights, America’s Last Frontier sure lives up to its name.

If you have a stash of Delta SkyMiles and are hoping to visit Alaska, you’re in luck. Delta flies to all of Alaska’s three major airports—Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) and Juneau International Airport (JNU)—and at affordable rates, too.

Let’s look at your redemption options when it comes to using your Delta SkyMiles to fly to Alaska and back.

How to Fly to Alaska Using Delta SkyMiles

Delta operates nonstop flights to all of Alaska’s major hubs from a number of U.S. cities spread across the West Coast and Midwest. If you don’t live near a Delta hub, fear not—you can easily catch a connecting flight from your city to Alaska with little extra costs. In fact, connecting flights are often cheaper than flying nonstop from a Delta hub, but there are exceptions.

Delta prices its award fares dynamically instead of using a distance- or zone-based award chart. That means prices fluctuate based on demand and the equivalent cash price of airfare, making it hard to predict the number of miles you’ll need for a given redemption.

For this reason, it’s key to be flexible with your travel dates. Travel flexibility can end up saving you tens of thousands of Delta SkyMiles.

We’ve provided the lowest rates we could find for one-way travel for Delta’s nonstop routes to Alaska. Let’s check them out.

Nonstop Routes to Anchorage 

Anchorage (ANC) is Alaska’s busiest airport with a combination of year-round and seasonal routes on offer.

Delta operates flights between Seattle (SEA) and Anchorage throughout the year, with many domestic flights connecting through Seattle on their way to Alaska.

You can find basic-economy fares for 15,000 SkyMiles per direction, main-cabin fares for 18,500 miles and first-class fares around the 50,000-mile level for flights from Seattle to Anchorage.

You can also find year-round nonstop flights from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Anchorage. Basic-economy fares start at 17,000 SkyMiles per direction; main-cabin fares go for around 20,500 miles; and first-class fares go for 65,000 miles.

If you’re based on the West Coast, you can catch a nonstop flight to Anchorage from Los Angeles (LAX) from May through August. This seasonal route offers nonstop flights once per week, every Saturday.

You can find one-way basic-economy fares for 19,000 miles and main-cabin fares for 22,500 miles.

If you don’t mind connecting through Seattle, you can get slightly cheaper award rates to Anchorage from Los Angeles, with basic-economy fares starting at 16,000 SkyMiles and main-cabin fares starting at 19,500 miles each way.

For those based on the East Coast, your nearest Delta hub for nonstop flights to Anchorage is Atlanta (ATL). You can catch nonstop flights from Atlanta to Anchorage for 65,000 miles in main cabin each way and around the 200,000-mile level for Delta One fares.

However, you’d be better off taking a connecting flight through Minneapolis (MSP) from Atlanta because you’ll cut the mileage rate by half for basic-economy and main-cabin fares. You could redeem as few as 30,500 miles each way to fly from Atlanta to Anchorage with a connection in Minneapolis.

Delta also offers seasonal nonstop routes from Detroit (DTW) to Anchorage from May through September. You’ll pay around 48,000 SkyMiles for a one-way main-cabin fare and around 120,000 miles for a first-class fare. 

However, just like with Atlanta, you could save close to 40,000 SkyMiles by opting for a connecting flight instead of a nonstop route. You could use as few as 25,000 Delta miles in basic economy and 28,500 miles in main cabin each way.

Nonstop Routes to Juneau

If you want to swap city life for glaciers, national parks and whale watching, you could fly to Alaska’s capital, Juneau (JNU).

Delta operates nonstop flights to Juneau from just one airport, Seattle, and only seasonally, from June to November.

Basic-economy fares start at 13,000 Delta SkyMiles; main-cabin fares go for 17,000 miles; and first-class fares come to around 27,000 miles each way.

If Juneau is high on your must-visit list, you also can connect through Seattle from other domestic airports.

Nonstop Routes to Fairbanks

If you want to edge closer to the Arctic Circle and get the best view of the northern lights, you should fly to Fairbanks (FAI) instead.

You can fly nonstop year-round from Seattle to Fairbanks with Delta. Basic-economy fares start at around 15,000 SkyMiles; main-cabin fares start at 18,500 miles; and first-class fares go for around 33,000 miles each way.

It’s also possible to fly nonstop to Fairbanks from Minneapolis from April to November.

Main-cabin redemption rates start at around 44,000 Delta miles each way while first-class fares go for around 135,000 miles per direction.

However, if you don’t mind taking a connecting flight, you can fly for half the number of miles from Minneapolis to Seattle and then onward to Fairbanks. Main-cabin fares on this route start at around 26,500 miles each way, saving you 35,000 miles round trip compared to flying nonstop.

For those based in Salt Lake City, you’ll be glad to know that you can fly nonstop to Fairbanks from June to September. Flights tend to be affordable with basic-economy fares going for 16,500 miles, main-cabin fares costing around 20,000 miles and first-class fares going for around 44,000 miles each way.

Earn Delta SkyMiles on Every Nautical Mile: Book an Alaskan Cruise with Delta

After touchdown in Alaska, you can earn back some of the Delta SkyMiles used for your flights while exploring the 49th U.S. state by booking an Alaskan cruise through Delta Cruises.

You can earn 2X Delta SkyMiles for every dollar spent on cruises booked through Delta.

That’s in addition to the wealth of other benefits that come with Delta cruises, such as onboard savings of up to $300, dining credits and even additional-guests-sail-for-free deals.

For example, check out the deal below for $713 for a seven-night cruise.

So if you’re looking to earn some Delta SkyMiles while exploring what Alaska has on offer, booking a cruise through Delta can be a solid option.

Final Thoughts

If you have a stash of Delta miles to spend, using them for flights to Alaska is a great way to see the Last Frontier on the cheap. 

Seattle is the most reliable hub to fly from, with nonstop flights operating year-round to Fairbanks and Anchorage, and seasonal routes to Juneau. However, you can also find seasonal nonstop flights from Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Atlanta. And even if you’re based in other cities, it’s easy enough to connect through Seattle, thanks to Delta’s extensive network.

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