Let's get this out of the way: This isn't for everyone. But it's a fun and surprisingly valuable way to use your Delta SkyMiles – and kick off your next trip. Yes, you really can buy champagne with SkyMiles.
Like most airport lounges, you can get a free glass of sparkling wine, beer, and cocktails from the Delta Sky Club. But Delta has something special:Â special drink menus at select Sky Clubs around the country, allowing you to pay up for premium drinks like top-shelf cocktails or bottles of champagne … or redeem SkyMiles for them.
Generally, we'd scoff at using miles for anything other than flights. But using SkyMiles to buy a bottle of champagne or (other premium drinks) is genuinely a good way to use your SkyMiles. Every SkyMile is worth 1.5 cents when buying drinks in the Sky Club – more value than you get when redeeming SkyMiles on many flights or cabin upgrades.
That exchange rate means you can buy a $90 bottle of nice champagne for 6,000 SkyMiles and kick off your trip with some nice bubbly without forking over a bunch of cash. You can even tip your Sky Club bartender using SkyMiles.
But what champagne can you buy? Where? And how?
Champagne for SkyMiles? Yes.
The list of champagnes you can buy in the Delta Sky Club rotates frequently.
Generally, you've got your pick of a few options, from a cheap but decent sparkling wine to a top-shelf bottle of vintage Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame. In the past, some Sky Clubs have even sold fan-favorite bottles of vintage (and pricey) Krug – though that's been gone for a few years. Dom Perignon has disappeared, too.
And you've got options on quantity, too: A glass, get a split bottle, half bottle, or the whole thing. Of course, you can also buy other wines, beers, premium liquors, and even specialty cocktails with your SkyMiles, too.
After a big menu refresh in September 2022, here's the list of what's available in most Sky Clubs with premium drink service:
- Une Femme the Betty, Blanc de Blanc (250ml can): 400 SkyMiles or $6
- Mionetto Rosé Prosecco (187ml Split bottle): 400 SkyMiles or $6
- Laurent-Perrier La Cuvee Brut (375ml half bottle): 2,400 SkyMiles or $36
- Chandon Garden Spritz (750ml bottle / 5oz glass): 3,200 SkyMiles or $48 / 800 SkyMiles or $12
- Grut Brut Rosé (750ml bottle): 2,400 SkyMiles or $36
- J Vineyards Brut Cuvée 20 (750ml bottle): 2,400 SkyMiles or $36
- Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut (750ml bottle): 6,600 SkyMiles or $99
- Lanson Green Label Organic Brut (750ml bottle):Â 8,000 SkyMiles or $120
- Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé (750ml bottle): 8,000 SkyMiles or $120
- Veuve Cliqcuot La Grande Dame (750ml bottle): 16,600 SkyMiles or $249
Check out the current list of alcohol available at the Sky Club on Delta's website.
Let's be honest here: While there's undeniable value here, Delta's cash prices are quite inflated. You can generally buy a bottle of Moët & Chandon for $60 or less from the liquor store – sometimes under $50. Delta charging $99 for Moët is only fair when you consider airport pricing.
Still, there are some great options at different price points here. The half bottle of Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée for 2,400 miles is a strong option if you just want a glass or two. You won't find a nicer bottle of champagne in a U.S. airport lounge than Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame – though at 16,600 SkyMiles a bottle, it's certainly not cheap.
To order, just walk up to the bar and tell the bartender you'd like to order some champagne – and pay with SkyMiles. After flashing your ID, the bartender will likely ask to scan your boarding pass for your SkyMiles number to charge your account.
If you get a bottle, they may also give you a bucket of ice if you’d like to drink your bottle away from the bar.
You can also order other premium drinks using SkyMiles, including wines, liquor (like a pour of Johnnie Walker Blue Label for 2,200 SkyMiles), and even craft cocktails. We've even seen some special alcohol selections or seasonal cocktails available.
Still, there's something fun about popping a bottle of champagne before your trip in the lounge.
Read up on how to access the Delta Sky Club!
Which Delta Sky Clubs Sell Champagne?
Unfortunately, you can't just waltz into any Delta Sky Club and get a bottle.
Only select Delta Sky Clubs have a full bar with the ability to buy champagne with SkyMiles. You'll have to look for Sky Clubs with “THE BAR” service. Here's the current list, as of August 2023.
- Anchorage (ANC)
- Atlanta (ATL):Â Most Atlanta Sky Clubs have THE BAR service
- Austin (AUS)
- Boston (BOS)
- Chicago-O'Hare (ORD)
- Cincinnati (CVG)
- Detroit (DTW):Â Concourse A Sky Club
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
- Kansas City (MCI)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Miami (MIA)
- Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP):Â F/G Concourse Sky Club and the new Sky Club in the G Concourse
- New Orleans (MSY)
- New York City (JFK): Both Sky Clubs in Terminal 4
- New York City-LaGuardia (LGA): Terminal D and the new Sky Club in the Sky Way
- Newark (EWR)
- Orlando (MCO)
- Phoenix (PHX)
- San Diego (SAN)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Seattle (SEA)
- Tampa (TPA)
- Washington, D.C.-Reagan (DCA)
- West Palm Beach (PBI)
While it's not available at every single Sky Club, many of Delta's flagship lounges have full bar service where you can buy champagne and other drinks using SkyMiles. And for the most part, all the new lounges Delta is building have them, too.
Bottom Line
This won't appeal to everyone. But it's a fun way to use SkyMiles to start any trip. And believe it or not, it's a more-than-solid way to use your SkyMiles.
It didn't make our list for the best way to redeem SkyMiles for nothing!
Low on Delta SkyMiles? Learn all the ways to earn SkyMiles in 2023!