Delta’s new seasonal nonstop between New York JFK and Olbia has made credit-card points more interesting for U.S. travelers planning a trip to northeast Sardinia. The route began on May 20, 2026 and operates four times weekly during its seasonal schedule, creating the first nonstop air link between the United States and Sardinia. But travelers with American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards need to understand an important difference: Amex points can transfer directly to Delta SkyMiles in the U.S., while Chase points cannot.

Amex Membership Rewards can transfer directly to Delta

For eligible U.S. American Express Membership Rewards accounts, Delta SkyMiles is a direct transfer partner. American Express currently lists a transfer rate of 1,000 Membership Rewards points to 1,000 Delta SkyMiles.

This means a traveler who finds an available JFK–Olbia award on Delta can transfer the required Membership Rewards points into SkyMiles and then book through Delta. American Express advises cardmembers to check award availability and the number of miles required before transferring, because transfers to loyalty programs are final.

There is another detail for U.S. cardholders: American Express states that transfers into a U.S. airline frequent-flyer program can incur a federal excise tax offset fee of $0.0006 per point, up to a maximum of $99. Travelers should include that small cash cost when comparing an award with a paid ticket.

Check the Delta price before moving any Amex points

Delta does not use a simple fixed award chart for every flight. SkyMiles pricing can vary by date and demand, so the number of miles needed for Olbia may change significantly from one departure to another.

The practical sequence is to search Delta first. On Delta’s website or Fly Delta app, select the option to display prices in miles and search JFK to OLB—or your home airport to OLB if Delta offers a connecting itinerary. Delta’s flexible award calendar can help identify lower-mileage dates.

Only after finding a flight you are prepared to book should you initiate a Membership Rewards transfer. Award seats and prices can change while a transfer is processing, and moving a large balance speculatively into SkyMiles reduces future flexibility.

Chase Ultimate Rewards does not transfer directly to Delta

Chase currently lists airline transfer partners including Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, British Airways, Iberia, United, Virgin Atlantic and several others. Delta SkyMiles is not on that list.

That means a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve or Ink Business Preferred cardholder cannot simply convert Ultimate Rewards points into Delta SkyMiles to top up a Delta account.

However, that does not make Chase points useless for Sardinia. Travelers can investigate whether a Delta-operated itinerary is available through one of Delta’s airline partners, particularly a SkyTeam-related program such as Air France-KLM Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Partner award availability and mileage requirements are controlled by the partner program and should never be assumed simply because a seat is available for SkyMiles on Delta’s own site.

Chase also allows eligible cardholders to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to participating travel partners, generally in increments of 1,000. Chase notes that transfers are final and that while many process by the next business day, some may take up to seven business days.

Why Flying Blue can matter

Flying Blue is especially worth understanding because it is a transfer partner of both major U.S. flexible-points ecosystems discussed here. Chase lists Air France-KLM Flying Blue as an Ultimate Rewards transfer partner, while U.S. American Express Membership Rewards also supports Flying Blue transfers.

That gives travelers holding both Amex and Chase balances another strategy: instead of automatically sending Amex points to Delta, search Flying Blue for relevant partner itineraries and compare the total mileage and taxes. If suitable award space is available, points from either ecosystem may help build the required balance.

This is not a guarantee that the seasonal JFK–Olbia nonstop will appear as a partner award on a particular date. Partner inventory can differ from Delta’s own SkyMiles inventory, so the search has to be performed before transferring points.

Start with JFK–Olbia, then consider your positioning flight

Delta’s direct Sardinia route departs from JFK. Travelers who live elsewhere in the United States can search their home airport all the way to OLB, but it can also be useful to compare the transatlantic segment separately.

A traveler from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago or another U.S. city might find a through award to Olbia, or might decide to position to New York separately. The second approach creates additional risk: if independently booked flights are on separate tickets and the first flight is delayed, the protection normally associated with a single through itinerary may not apply.

Leave generous connection time if positioning separately, particularly before an international flight that operates only on selected days of the week.

The Olbia route is seasonal

The Delta service is not a year-round solution for reaching Sardinia. Delta announced four weekly JFK–Olbia flights beginning May 20, 2026, and the inaugural arrival in Olbia marked the first nonstop connection between Sardinia and the United States.

Outside the seasonal operating window, U.S. travelers can still use points for itineraries connecting through mainland Italy or another European hub. In those cases, Flying Blue, United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, Avios programs and other transfer partners may become relevant depending on the operating airline and award availability.

Do the math before transferring

A points booking is not automatically better than a cash fare. Compare the cash ticket with the miles required plus taxes and fees. If an award requires a very large number of miles while a promotional cash fare is available, keeping flexible Amex or Chase points for another trip may preserve more value.

The most important rule is simple: search first, transfer second. Confirm that the exact itinerary is bookable with the loyalty currency you intend to use, verify the number of miles and taxes, and then move only the points you need.

For the 2026 Delta nonstop to Olbia, U.S. Amex Membership Rewards holders have the most direct path because they can transfer points straight to SkyMiles. Chase holders need a different approach, using Chase airline partners when partner award space exists or considering other Sardinia routings. Either way, flexible credit-card points can make Sardinia more accessible—but only when the transfer strategy follows the available award seat rather than the other way around.