Maybe you’re looking to witness firsthand one of the biggest rivalries in football between the University of Michigan and Ohio State Buckeyes. Or maybe you’re thinking of taking in the North American International Car Show or exploring the Great Lakes.

No matter your plans, the Motor City has a lot to offer if you know how to get to Detroit with points and miles in 2021. Here, step by step, is your points and miles guide to Detroit.

Getting to Detroit

Nearest airports

You’ll probably arrive at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, which is located about 21 miles away from the city center.

Once you land at DTW, you can rent a vehicle, hop in a taxi, book a rideshare or use public transportation to get downtown.

Major airlines flying to Detroit

DTW is a Delta Air Lines hub, so Delta has the largest presence in Detroit. But there are other airlines that service the airport as well, like:

Southwest Airlines.

American Airlines.

JetBlue.

Frontier.

Spirit Airlines.

United Airlines.

Air France.

Alaska Airlines.

Lufthansa.

Airfare sweet spots when flying to Detroit

The number of miles you need for a flight to Detroit will vary based on your departure city, airline, season and demand.

But there are a few tricks you can use to find the best points and miles for cheap flights to Detroit. For example, if Delta SkyMiles doesn’t offer good deals on your dates, you can use Air France Flying Blue miles or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points to book the same Delta flights with potentially a better deal.

But check Delta first. The airline sometimes has fantastic flash sales that could make using Delta SkyMiles a great value for flying to Detroit.

Book a Delta flight using Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points

The number of Virgin Atlantic points you’ll need for a seat on a Delta flight is based on the distance you’re flying. Costs are for each segment of your trip, so nonstop routes are usually the best value for your Virgin Atlantic points.

For example, if you’re flying from Chicago, the flight to Detroit is about 245 miles, and based on Virgin Atlantic's award chart, an economy class seat for this trip would cost 7,500 miles each way, plus taxes and fees.

Book a Delta flight using Air France Flying Blue miles

Flying Blue doesn't have an award chart, so the number of miles you'll need for a flight on Delta will vary. For example, flying from New York-JFK to Detroit on July 24 will cost 11,500 miles, plus taxes.

While flying from Los Angeles to Detroit on the same day costs 14,500 miles, plus taxes.

If your travel dates are flexible, search a few different date ranges. Even if your dates are set, a search for alternate dates will give you an idea of whether you’re using the best points and miles for an affordable flight to Detroit.

Book a Delta flight using Delta SkyMiles

Delta award prices will vary based on date, demand and other factors. At times, Delta SkyMiles can offer great award prices to visit Detroit.

For example, a July 24 Delta flight from New York-JFK to Detroit would cost 7,500 miles in basic economy or 11,000 miles in the main cabin. What's more, the taxes and fees are lower than you would pay if you booked this flight with Flying Blue miles.

Travel credit cards to help rack up points and miles fast

If you’re using miles and points to book an affordable Detroit trip, the right credit card could be extremely helpful.

Delta credit cards

Several Delta Air Lines credit cards can help you earn SkyMiles for your trip to Detroit. They include the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card.

Chase credit cards

A rewards credit card not tied to any one airline, like a card that pays Chase Ultimate Rewards® or American Express Membership Rewards points, can get you greater flexibility for booking a Detroit trip, which can mean savings. That’s because these points can be redeemed for travel directly through Chase or American Express, or you can transfer them to airline partner programs.

For example, if you sign up for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you could get a stack of bonus points. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Chase doesn’t partner with Delta, so you can’t convert your Ultimate Rewards® points into SkyMiles, but Chase does partner with Air France and Virgin Atlantic.

As we saw above, those two airlines’ points can be redeemed for Delta flights to Detroit.