Can Starpoint Trade For Free Delta Tickets?

Aug 14, 2024

It is common for many travelers to wish to be able to fly for free by using their hotel points. Starpoints, the reward currency of Marriott Bonvoy, is among the most versatile and valuable points in the entire industry. However, can you get free Delta flights using Starpoints? Let's take a look.

What Are Starpoints?

Star points are the loyalty points that are awarded to users when they patronize any of the 30 hotels owned by Marriott in the world. You get points for the cost of the room accommodation and according to the elite level of Marriott reward. The base earning rate is 10 points per $1 spent, but the rate is higher for elite members or those who use a branded credit card.

Reward points can also be used for free stays in Starwood hotels beginning from 5,000 points per night. However, Marriott also offers you a wide range of opportunities to transfer points to over forty airline frequent flyer programs. The conversion ratio is normally 3 Starpoints = 1 airline mile. This makes it possible to convert your hotel stays into free flights for your next business trip.

Redeeming Starpoints for Delta Flights

Among Marriott’s more than 40 airline transfer partners is Delta Air Lines. If you can plan it properly, you can transfer Starpoints into Delta SkyMiles and use these later for Delta award tickets. Here are some things to know about trading Starpoints for Delta flights: Here are some things to know about trading Starpoints for Delta flights:

The conversion rate is 3 Starpoints to 1 Delta mile; the transfer is done in 1,000 Starpoint blocks.
Requirements for Delta Mileage: Delta no longer has an award chart. Airline mileage rules change according to the cash ticket pricing, demand, route, etc. With a domestic economy ticket, you should be able to go anywhere from 5,000 to over 100,000 miles round-trip. Usually starting at around 50,000 miles each way, business class flights.
Added Fees: You will still be liable for taxes and fees even if you are using your miles to cover Delta flights. This ranges depending on the flight from around $5 to $100 for domestic flights inside the United States. Fees from domestic airlines are less than those of foreign ones.
One of the most frequent comments about Delta is that it usually lacks adequate award flight availability. Using SkyMiles over your holidays or another hectic season can not help you get the particular flights you want. Choosing a certain day, time, and airport is not very important as it raises the likelihood of the available flights.

Unlocking the Full Potential of Your Starpoints

Yes, you can indeed redeem Starpoints for Delta flights, but it is not always advisable to do so.

Here's why:

It is pathetic that most airline mile transfers have a value of 0.75-1 cent per point or even less where passengers redeem their points for economy flights. On the other hand, the same Starpoints can be worth more than two cents each when used for luxury hotel accommodations.

You will also end up having little say with airline transfers. When the Starpoints are fixed in the Delta miles, they can only be redeemed to pay for the Delta-operated flights.

Last but not least, there is no way to earn a lot of points and acquire a big stash of miles immediately. Only 6,666 Delta SkyMiles could be redeemed for trading 20,000 Starpoints—that did not even cover the cost of a one-way domestic flight. Appreciably accruing meaningful mileage balances entails frequent patronage at Marriott hotels in the long run.

Ways of Using Your Starpoints to Earn Delta Miles

If you still want to pursue earning Delta miles from Marriott stays, here are some tips:

You should connect your Marriott Bonvoy and Delta SkyMiles accounts to make sure the miles transfer correctly. It may take up to 48 hours for the transfers to be completed.
Only transfer your Starpoints to Delta miles when you have a specific redemption plan shortly. Do not assume that there will always be an award available in the future.
You could consider applying for a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless or Brilliant credit card issued by American Express to receive bonus Starpoints from your cardholder spending.
That is why it is safe to accumulate the Delta miles gradually through hotel transfers and wait until you have enough points for the award ticket.
Booking Delta Flights with Points: Other Options
Rather than relying on transfers from Starpoints, you might want to consider these alternatives for redeeming points for Delta award flights: Rather than relying on transfers from Starpoints, you might want to consider these alternatives for redeeming points for Delta award flights:
Sign up for a Delta SkyMiles credit card to get a massive flight reward as a sign-up bonus and miles on your purchases. The Delta Amex card comes in both Gold and Platinum variants and both are rather rewarding.
Transfer flexible points from Chase or Amex. For example, Membership Rewards points earned using an American Express card transfer are at a 1:1 ratio to Delta and do not come with the steep airline rates that SkyMiles will cost.
They can also be used on Capital One, which also transfers to Delta at a 1:1 ratio and does not assess any transfer fees or surcharges. Acquire Capital One miles fast with the welcome bonuses from the Venture and the Venture X.

The Bottom Line

Yes, you are allowed to exchange Starpoints, which you earn from the Marriott hotel for Delta miles. However, it is usually not the most valuable redemption option compared to the other options available for Starpoints, including use in luxurious hotel accommodations or using other flexible points such as the Amex Membership Rewards or Capital One miles.

Plan your accumulation and redemption of points and miles, and it will not be long before you will be flying more with Delta without spending much.

Book your Delta Airlines ticket now! Call +1 833-902-2090