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In November 2023, Delta and AirBaltic signed a new codeshare agreement. Now the two partners are taking their partnership to the next level. As we at AwardWallet first discovered this week, you can now book AirBaltic awards using Delta SkyMiles. However, there's a limitation to this new SkyMiles redemption option that limits its usefulness.
Here's what you need to know about redeeming Delta SkyMiles for AirBaltic.
Booking AirBaltic Award Flights Using Delta SkyMiles
Effective immediately, Delta SkyMiles members can book awards that include flights operated by AirBaltic. That unlocks several new routing options and more award availability to destinations across northern Europe — such as New York (JFK) to Tallinn, Estonia (TLL) via Amsterdam (AMS):
As we've gotten accustomed to with Delta, award pricing is dynamic and will vary based on… well, whatever Delta thinks it can get away with charging. That means some one-way economy award options cost nearly 100,000 SkyMiles:
For those not familiar with AirBaltic, the Latvian government-owned airline currently operates 86 routes to 41 countries from its hubs in Riga (Latvia), Tallinn (Estonia), and Vilnius (Lithuania).
As you can see in the route map above, AirBaltic's reach barely extends outside Europe. So, North American travelers will need to fly Delta — or Delta SkyMiles partners such as Air France or KLM — to Europe to connect to an AirBaltic intra-Europe flight.
But what about just the intra-Europe flight? Some of the best uses of Delta SkyMiles don't touch the United States. So, I excitedly checked route after route to determine intra-Europe award pricing on AirBaltic. And that's where the catch comes in.
Limitations on AirBaltic SkyMiles redemptions
So far, you can only redeem Delta SkyMiles for AirBaltic flights on a connection from a transatlantic award flight on Delta, Air France, or KLM. If you try to book just the intra-Europe AirBaltic flight, Delta will show no results — even if that exact flight is bookable as part of a larger itinerary.
That's a bummer for travelers who want to use their SkyMiles for intra-Europe flights, perhaps as part of a larger itinerary. The good news is that you still have a solid option for booking these flights.
How to Book Intra-Europe AirBaltic Award Flights
Delta isn't the only airline that's recently cozied up with AirBaltic. Flying Blue launched a partnership with AirBaltic in August 2022. Like with Delta, awards are dynamically priced with some options as cheap as 8,500 miles one-way — such as this example from Berlin to Riga:
Other intra-Europe routes and dates aren't nearly as great of value. For example, this award from Amsterdam to Tallinn costs 15,000 Flying Blue miles plus almost $100 in taxes and fees vs. just a $160 cash cost of the flight:
You aren't limited to just booking intra-Europe AirBaltic flights with Flying Blue miles. In fact, booking through Flying Blue may be a better option than Delta SkyMiles for transatlantic flights.
Remember that itinerary from New York to Tallinn above for 80,000 Delta SkyMiles one-way? Well, you can book the same option through Flying Blue for just 44,500 miles one-way. Taxes and fees are only moderately higher through Flying Blue ($108 vs. $28 via Delta):
What's even better about this booking option is that Flying Blue miles are even easier to generate than Delta SkyMiles. That's because Flying Blue partners with practically every transferrable point program:
That means you can book an award flight from Berlin to Riga for 8,500 Capital One miles or 15,000 Amex Membership Rewards points to fly from Amsterdam to Tallinn.
Bottom Line
It's never bad news when travelers get another redemption option for their points and miles, so we are happy to see Delta add AirBaltic redemptions using SkyMiles. However, the award prices that we're seeing so far and the restriction on booking nonstop AirBaltic flights intra-Europe certainly put a damper on our excitement.
Delta is well known for constantly tweaking its program. So, it's certainly possible that Delta will expand this redemption option to include nonstop flights and/or decrease the award pricing. Just make sure to check other booking options — such as Flying Blue — to see if you'll pay fewer miles for the same award.
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