Book cheap Skymiles deals from the East Coast to the Caribbean /

Flight ticket is So currently expensive for several reasons, including the cost of jet fuel. That means deals are harder to come by: travel booking platform Hopper says travel in February, March and April will cost 13% more than last year.

But if you think there are no more flight deals, think again! Even for travelers planning last-minute spring break vacations, there are some solid deals available. If you’re looking to save money and live on the East Coast, there’s a little-known hack to find the best Delta SkyMiles deals on some last-minute tickets.

Delta’s SkyMiles program is both loved and hated by travelers – with many arguing that reward travel with Delta is hard to book and overvalued compared to other airlines. But one of the best ways to use SkyMiles is for round-trip tickets to the Caribbean from the East Coast. These short flights, often less than 4 hours, can be booked with an impressively low kilometer price.

(Looking for another great way to save money on flights all year round without Delta Sky Miles? Sign up for Going.com (use our code VIA20 for 20% off!) and get the best flight deals straight to your inbox.)

Let’s take a look at some of the best SkyMiles deals out there from Delta’s East Coast hubs for early March dates:

New York-JFK to Nassau, Bahamas:

14,000 SkyMiles round trip and $117 in taxes

Cash tickets for the same flight can cost as much as $320 right now, so finding a deal on an international flight for just 14,000 SkyMiles (or 7,000 miles one way) is a bargain for Spring Break, one of the most expensive times to travel . The Bahamas is one of our favorite destinations, and this is also a non-stop flight, making it an excellent choice.

Sample dates: Tuesday, March 7 – Tuesday, March 14

Miami to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands:

From 16,000 SkyMiles round trip and $99 in taxes

While this isn’t a non-stop flight like the JFK-NAS route above, 16,000 SkyMiles to Turks and Caicos is a great deal. You should be able to find availability throughout the month of March and even into April.

Sample dates: Tuesday, March 7 – Tuesday, March 14

Boston to Montego Bay, Jamaica:

From 18,000 SkyMiles round trip and $149 in taxes

Travelers looking to escape the cold of Boston can book this ticket to Jamaica’s Montego Bay for just 18,000 SkyMiles, a great deal if you’re looking for a last-minute getaway.

Example dates: Sunday, March 5 – Sunday, March 14

Washington, DC to Nassau, Bahamas:

From 18,000 SkyMiles round trip and $123 in taxes

Similar to the JFK-NAS deal above, flights to Nassau from DC can hover around $400 round-trip for spring break peak dates. To avoid that, you can only use 18,000 SkyMiles (plus $123 in taxes) to spend your spring break in the Bahamas.

Example dates: Monday, March 6 – Monday, March 13

Atlanta to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

From 50,000 SkyMiles round trip and $91 in taxes

Grand Cayman is one of the most expensive destinations in the Caribbean to fly to, with last minute tickets easily costing over $1,000 round trip. If you have 50,000 SkyMiles (more on how to earn them below), a trip to the Cayman Islands should be a no-brainer.

Sample dates: Tuesday, March 7 – Monday, March 13

How to find the best Skymiles deals

You can find more of the best Delta SkyMiles deals on the airline’s deal finder page. Just enter your home airport and leave the “to” field blank, and you’ll find plenty of options starting lower than you can imagine. You can even filter by region and holiday type to customize the results to your liking.

How to Book Delta Award Flights

To book one of these fares you will need a number of miles in your account. Fortunately, if you’ve ever flown with Delta in the past, you probably have at least a few SkyMiles in your account. If you’ve flown in Main Cabin or above on a Delta-marked flight (and entered your SkyMiles number), you’ll earn at least 5 miles for every $1 spent on your ticket.

And with how low these tickets are, you may have enough to cover the cost of your trip.

If you don’t, you can earn SkyMiles in several other ways.

The easiest way to earn Delta SkyMiles, besides flying, is to open a Delta credit card. These travel credit cards earn sign-up bonuses (often 50,000 SkyMiles or more) once you meet a minimum spending requirement on the card. You also get increased bonuses when you spend in certain categories, such as travel.

How to earn Delta Miles other than flying or credit cards

But if you don’t want to open a travel credit card, there are several ways to earn SkyMiles – and some of them may be options you haven’t considered. Here are some of the best ways to earn miles without a credit card:

• Starbucks: If you’re a coffee lover, you’re in luck. You can earn 1 mile per $1 spent at participating Starbucks stores
• Rideshare: Link your SkyMiles and Lyft accounts to earn 1 mile per $1 on Lyft rides in the United States
• SkyMiles Shopping Purchases: Earn miles by shopping online at over 1,000 stores. Some retailers offer up to 6 SkyMiles for every dollar spent
• SkyMiles Dining: Members earn 1 mile per $2 spent if you choose not to receive email communications from SkyMiles Dining (more if you choose to receive email communications). SkyMiles dinners often have welcome bonuses as well.

Once you have the miles in your account, simply enter your dates (start with the example dates above) and then book your ticket.

Before you book, make a note of which fare class you are in. The cheapest tickets are probably in the basic economy. These tickets have several restrictions, such as:

• Seats are not assigned until after check-in, not together. Instead, your seat will be assigned after check-in (within 24 hours of departure). Seat selection, when available, can be purchased 7 days to 24 hours prior to departure
• No changes allowed. After the 24-hour cancellation period, you cannot change or refund your ticket
• Last on board and not eligible for upgrades to a better stateroom
• No miles earned; no credit for SkyMiles medallion status

If you don’t want to have so many restrictions or think your travel plans may change, consider booking a ticket at Main Cabin, which has far fewer restrictions.

Whichever cabin you choose, these are great last-minute deals if you’re on a budget and want to have more money in your pocket for other activities!