How I Flew Delta One Business Class For Only $500 Using Points
Last Updated on November 6, 2025 by Erin Donahue
I always wondered which airline would pop my business class cherry, and the honor goes to Delta One for my inaugural premium flight! The best part? I only paid a couple of hundred bucks in taxes and fees for this $8,000 seat. And so can you if you really want to! If you want a breakdown of how I booked this business class seat for only $500 using points, keep reading.
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Can You Really Fly Business Class with Credit Card Points?
Now, if you’re into the points game, there are a multitude of ways to book a business class seat. This is where the gamification of travel alliances and transfer partners comes into play. Historically, I stretched my points across many economy flights, in a quantity over quality approach. As I get older, I simply can no longer sit in economy for long-haul flights, especially traveling to and from Asia. It’s starting to wear on me. I know this sounds completely privileged.
Anyway, the cash price for this business class seat from Edinburgh to New York City was nearly £6,000. Converted to USD, it’s about $8,000. If I were to have redeemed the award seat through Delta itself, it would’ve cost me 250,000 miles. This is a terrible redemption amount! Travel hackers call them Delta pesos for a reason.
I knew there was a better way to go about this. Delta Airlines is in the SkyTeam alliance, which is one of the three major global airline alliances; the other two are Star Alliance and OneWorld. SkyTeam consists of 19 member airlines that offer a worldwide network, and key members include Delta, Air France, and KLM. This matters because when you transfer points from credit card programs to airline partners, you can find better redemption rates than booking directly through the airline.
After doing some comparisons, I booked the Delta One Seat through KLM’s Flying Blue program using 61,000 Capital One Venture X miles plus taxes. 61,000 is obviously significantly less than 250,000, and the math gave me a 12 cents-per-point (CPP) redemption value. In the travel hacking world, anything above a CPP of 2 is a good value, so twelve cents is exceptional!
I also helped my friend score an even better deal. At the time we booked, Flying Blue was running a transfer bonus with Chase Sapphire, so he only had to use 49,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which came out to 15 cents-per-point (CPP). Helping someone else get a steal on their first biz class flight might’ve been more satisfying than my own seat!
Technically, at $500, we overpaid for our six-hour flight on the taxes and fees, but with such a high cents-per-point value, I still feel like a winner.
What’s It Actually Like Flying Delta One Business Class
I always thought I’d be lowkey and chill about sitting in business class for the first time. Since people claim wealth whispers, and all that BS. Have you seen their fugly Birkins and superyachts? I’m gonna be so cringe about it because this is something to be proud of. I’m celebrating this one!
Delta One Pre-Flight Experience
Since I was flying from Edinburgh into JFK instead of departing out of JFK, I wasn’t able to access the private TSA security and Delta One lounge, which are added perks to the premium seat. Delta says arrivals can use the Delta One lounge, but JFK’s Terminal 4 design makes this impossible. Once you clear customs, you can’t go back airside unless you have a connecting flight.
While I didn’t get to enjoy the separate Delta One check-in and lounge, there’s always next time. Knowing that other people paid eight grand for this seat, and I didn’t, is the win for this journey!
What Does Delta One Business Class Include?
The aircraft for this flight is a Boeing 767-300, one of the older ones, with a 1x2x1 seat configuration. I have the heart of a window seat, but the bladder of an aisle seat. However, with this configuration, I got the best of both worlds. Flying back from Edinburgh to NYC, I had six and a half hours to enjoy the good life!
Welcome Service and Seating
When you first board, the flight attendants present you with a complimentary prosecco, mimosa, or orange juice before takeoff. I’m a shots girlie, but one time when I went to Las Vegas, my crew cleared out all the Jameson bottles on board all before 10 am, and I got vertigo, so OJ for me it is!
When I sat down, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the chairs are massage chairs! I had no idea about it, but I kept pressing the button to massage my back throughout the flight.
What’s Inside the Delta One x Missoni Amenity Kit?
This year’s Delta One amenity kit partnership is with Missoni, a renowned Italian fashion brand known for its zigzag patterns. The design teams from both brands created an exclusive pattern and color palette that pays homage to Delta’s 100-year flying heritage.
Inside the kit, Delta One passengers get:
- A pen
- Earplugs
- A toothbrush
- Marvis toothpaste
- Custom socks
- Slippers
- Grown Alchemist skincare products
- An eye mask
My kit actually didn’t have the custom socks and slippers, just regular, degular Delta ones. I wonder if it had to do with the aircraft, seeing as it’s one of the older models. I didn’t mind, though; I’ll use most of these items on my other trips since they’re travel-sized.
Passengers can also expect a Missoni bedding set designed for Delta, which includes a duvet and a sleeping pillow. Now, airlines don’t allow passengers to take the blanket off the plane, but after landing, my friend snuck his out and I live with the regret of not taking mine. Delta will most likely trash them after the partnership ends anyway.
Is the Food in Delta One Business Class Worth It?
Once you’re in the air, meal service immediately starts. It’s multi-course, and includes starters, the main course, snacks, dessert, and a second meal. This experience differs completely from what I’m used to. Rather than me setting up my own food tray, the flight attendant does it for me and then lays out a napkin on top.
Having dined in multiple top-tier restaurants, I’m aware of the treatment you get under the guise of white glove service. However, it felt a little… infantilizing? Am I the only one who feels this way? I was actually more stressed FOR the flight attendants that this is what they have to do!
Not only that, just a quick note on the food itself. If you’ve flown other airlines, especially Asian ones like EVA Airlines, you’ll probably agree that the food just can’t compare, even if it’s an $8,000 business class seat. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement, but again, I didn’t have to pay that price tag, so I’m not a stickler for it. On my flight, I noticed an older woman in front of me, not eating anything. I always find that odd. If you’re going to spend that much money, then shouldn’t you enjoy what you paid for? Maybe that’s what life is like in her tax bracket, assuming she paid full price for the seat, but at the bare minimum, it’s wasteful since the flight crew just throws the untouched food out.
How Do You Actually Book Business Class with Points?
You book business class award seats with points by transferring credit card points to airline loyalty programs. For this trip, I transferred Capital One Travel points to KLM’s Flying Blue program to book my Delta One seat.
- Understand Airline Alliances: The three major alliances are SkyTeam, Star Alliance, and OneWorld. Delta Airlines belongs to the SkyTeam alliance. SkyTeam consists of 19 member airlines that offer a worldwide network, and key members include Delta, Air France, and KLM. This means you can use KLM’s Flying Blue miles, Air France miles, or any other SkyTeam partner miles to book Delta flights.
- Compare Redemption Rates: It’s not always wise to book with the airline directly. In this scenario, Delta needed 250,000 miles, while KLM’s Flying Blue only needed 61,000 miles for the same Delta One seat.
- Transfer Your Credit Card Points to Partner Airlines: Because Flying Blue is a direct transfer partner to Capital One, I was able to transfer 61,000 points that I earned from my Venture X credit card. Flying Blue is also a direct transfer partner of Chase Sapphire, so my friend transferred 49,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points during a transfer bonus promotion.
- Calculate Your Cents Per Point: Divide the cash price by the number of points. Anything above 2 cents per point offers good value on the award seat redemption.
What’s the Best Way to Start Travel Hacking for Business Class?
If you’re serious about flying business class without paying full price, here’s where to start:
- Get a travel credit card with a high sign-up bonus. The Capital One Venture X and Chase Sapphire Preferred, and Reserve cards all offer substantial sign-up bonuses and flexible transfer partners. One caveat to travel hacking is that you have to be responsible paying off the balance in full every month. If you can’t or go into debt, then this isn’t for you.
- Learn the three major alliances. SkyTeam, Star Alliance, and OneWorld. Understanding which airlines partner with each other unlocks better redemption opportunities.
- Watch for transfer bonuses. Credit card companies frequently offer bonuses when you transfer points directly to airline partners. This helps you use fewer points. My friend saved 12,000 points just by booking during a promotional period.
- Be flexible with routes and dates. Award availability changes constantly. If you can adjust your travel dates by even a day or two, you’ll find significantly more options.
Was My First Business Class Flight Experience Worth It?
So that’s my first business class flight! Was the Delta One experience on a Boeing 767-300 cutting-edge? No. The aircraft is outdated compared to newer business class products, and the food didn’t blow me away. What mattered to me, though, was that I finally cracked the code on something that felt impossible for years. Every time I walked past business class to economy, I wondered if I’d ever sit in the front of the plane without draining my bank account. I’m so glad I didn’t have to wait until I was F-U-rich to do it!
The seat cost $8,000 in cash, but I only paid $500. That’s not luck—that’s understanding how credit card points, airline alliances, and transfer partners actually work. Now, I’m just getting started. The only question left is… which airline will I experience first class with?
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