The stingiest domestic airline suddenly turns generous with free mileage award availability to Asia. Amex Rewards and Starwood Preferred members: take note.

I am the first one to confess that one of FCF’s shortcomings is that I do not include enough articles on Delta, an airline that has a huge loyalty program—more than 90 million SkyMiles members—which I find astonishing given how little Delta repays for that loyalty.

Upgradable economy fares are often higher than published Business Class fares; only round-trip mileage awards are offered for 2014; and overall there is a dearth of upgrade opportunities that, on other programs, are standard.

Well, this is the month to have ‘SkyMiles’ because FCF’s PHD (Personal Help Desk) has uncovered numerous routes with great mileage-award availability, including a rich vein of availability to Asia.

Here are nine reasons why you should give Delta a look now:

1. Good Mileage Availability: Delta currently is very generous with award seats on 13 routes—now through November—to Asia.

Survey of Award Availability in Business Class on Delta for One Traveler to Asia (Two travelers are often the same)

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2. Low Mileage-Ticket Taxes: Generally only $35 to $50. Can be $500+ on these routes with some other international airlines, like Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

3. Two Cities for the Price of One: Delta allows one free stopover per award, so if you really want to squeeze value out of a mileage award ticket, you can add a second destination for free. But the stopover must be en route to your destination. For instance, Tokyo on the way to Singapore from Los Angeles. If you have to make a connection anyway, why not get a second city gratis?

[aside headline="For FCF Subscribers Who Live Abroad (or in U.S. Cities Not in the Examples):" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]This article has global relevance because almost anyone in Asia can book Delta mileage awards and save on Business Class travel. You want to know the 13 routes and the months that they have favorable mileage award availability in Business Class.[/aside]

Or, Honolulu on the way to Tokyo from New York. For 120,000 miles round-trip, you get a Business Class ticket to Hawaii and to Tokyo (normally $9,000+). The free stop in Hawaii would normally cost you about 90,000 miles were it booked as a separate ticket from New York on Delta. (For the person who doesn’t like long flights, here’s a way to break them up.)

4. Open-Jaw Awards: You can fly to one city and depart from another (i.e. fly to Hong Kong take a cruise to Tokyo, and depart from Tokyo back to the U.S.).

5. Large U.S. Route Network: Makes it easy to connect from many U.S. cities—Kansas City, Phoenix, Washington, DC, etc—to a Delta hub (Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, and Seattle) for travel to Asia at no extra cost because Delta does not charge more miles for domestic connecting flights. Detroit to Shanghai costs the same as Washington, DC-Shanghai, which involves flying to Detroit to catch the international flight.

6. Almost All Business Class Seats Lie-Flat: Delta’s entire international fleet will have the new flat-bed Business Class seat by this summer. Currently only six A330-200’s and six A330-300’s need to be refitted with the new seat (all B767’s and B777’s have the flat-bed).

7. Easy Access to Miles: Via Amex Rewards (miles often post the same day, but can take up to 48 hours at times) and Starwood (up to five business days). Don’t have either? You can sign up for an Amex Membership Rewards earning card in no time, and buy up to 500,000 points, at 2.5¢ each, and save up to $3,771 on these flights to Asia.

Sample Savings Via Buying American Express Membership Points for Delta Free Mileage Award Tickets in Business Class

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8. Reasonable Mileage Cost: Delta charges 120,000 miles (until May 31) to 140,000 miles (as of June 1) for travel to Asia, which is about what most U.S. carriers charge. American charges 100,000 miles to Japan, 110,000 to China, 100,000 to Seoul, and 110,000 to Hong Kong; United wants 130,000 to Japan and 140,000 to the rest of Asia (and even more for partner flights).

9. Return On Miles to Asia Is Often Good: On Detroit-Beijing, fares are usually high—$6,324 or more in Business Class. Based on the cost, 120,000 miles (through May 31), the return is 5.3¢ per mile ($6,324 divided by 120,000).