So discouraging

We are not big business flyers but do fly a decent amount, and quite a bit long haul, so we have racked up a decent few miles, for tourists anyway. I had always been saving them up for long haul premium economy or business, to get to experience that, but after checking the crazy miles (and taxes) required, I've recently started looking at economy in more medium haul destinations...knowing taxes would be a big impact but if it saved me a few hundred still, then it could be worth it.

All the effort at getting miles makes me very discouraged when I see this, though. I'm on Delta, my partner on FlyingBlue, and with not enough in each to book two tickets to, say, Egypt (from Scotland) for both of us, I was hoping it'd be easy enough to book for myself on Delta, and for him on FB.

FlyingBlue, check the dates & requirements...
40,000 miles & 192.92 euros in taxes/fees. Pleasantly surprised, given the distance.
Delta, check the same dates & requirements...
40,000 miles & 564.80 dollars in taxes/fees!!!

More than double the cost of booking with FB.

Have about 60k in both programmes so maybe worth trying to get more FB somehow and use the Delta ones for hotel bookings instead. I know miles programmes are not really great for a typical tourist but after all the effort put in to getting these miles, results like these in award searches are awful. Sigh!