It feels rare these days that an airline would help travelers find flights for cheap. Generally speaking, an airline’s goal is to maximize profit so pointing you towards cheaper points and/or miles flights would seem counterintuitive right? Well, think again as the Delta Discover Map just does that.
Delta Air Lines recently launched its Delta Discover Map. It’s an interactive map that allows you to explore flight deals to some of Delta’s top destinations. In addition, the Delta Discover Map gives you details on any potential travel requirements. Not bad Delta!
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Best Credit Cards to Earn Delta Air Line Miles
American Express and Marriott are the two programs that partner with Delta Air Lines. Points earned in these programs can be transferred directly to Delta to book award flights. In addition, miles earned from co-branded Delta credit cards can also be used to book award flights. Interesting cards to consider applying for include the Amex Gold Card, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, and Amex Delta Gold.
The Amex Gold Card earns 4x points at restaurants and US grocery stores. You earn 6x points at Marriott with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant. Amex Delta Gold cardmembers earn 2x miles at restaurants and US grocery stores. These cards also have additional perks and benefits that may make each worth its annual fee.
How to Use the Delta Discover Map
Start your Delta Discover Map search by entering your origin. The interactive map initially displays cheap flights in North America by the number of miles. By clicking the radio button “Display Featured Flights in Miles”, the map updates destinations by the fewest number of miles from your origin.
Filter your results further by adding a Destination Airport, Region, Travel Availability, and/or Destination Type. Regions include North America; Central, South America, and the Caribbean; East + Southeast Asia, Australia; Europe, Africa, the Middle East.
Travel availability shows you which states/countries are “Open to visitors,” “Open with restrictions,” or “Restricted Entry.” Destination Type allows you to further refine your destination to Beach, City, Food, History, or Outdoors.
Continue filtering your destination with the “Show Only Destinations With” and “Exclude Destinations Requiring”. Show Only Destinations With shows which Non-essential shops, Hotels, Restaurants, Bars and cafés, and Museums are open. Exclude Destinations Requiring shows destinations that require Quarantine, COVID-19 Test | Vaccination, Forms or applications, Face coverings, Social distancing, or Health Insurance.
Delta Discover Map Destinations
Once you’ve hammered out the filters that make sense for you, the right side of the Delta Discover Map shows the Destination results. These results can be sorted by the fewest number of miles/cash or destinations in alphabetical order.
Each destination has the cheapest travel dates on the left, the list of travel requirements in the center, and the number of miles/cash for a Basic Economy Round Trip flight on the right. With a destination picked out, click the red “Search Flights” button under the number of miles/cash cost of the flight.
From there, you’re re-directed to Delta’s calendar search page. Finalize your flight booking and pay the associated cash or taxes/fees once you’re ready to book a flight.
Delta Discover Map Limitations
Presumably, Delta Air Lines intends to build out this tool to include flights other than Round Trip Basic Economy flights in North America. As of today, these are the only flights that populate when you use the Delta Discover Map.
Another item I’d like to see added is the ability to see taxes and fees without having to click the “Search Flights” button. Similar to Marriott, you would have the ability to see your all-in cash and miles costs on one page.
Overall, this move by Delta is one in the right direction. While the tool doesn’t have every bell and whistle you’d like to see, the tool has a solid foundation. If Delta’s end goal is to help its customers book travel, it nailed it with the Delta Discover Map.
What do you think about the Delta Discover Map? What features would you like to see added? Please let me know in the comments below or by sending me an email on my contact page.
Disclaimer: If you click and/or sign up for a credit card through certain links on this site or any of my related social media platforms, I may make a commission from that click-through. The editorial content on this page and the user comments are not provided by any of the companies mentioned and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are mine alone.
