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Delta offers a number of co-branded credit cards with American Express, all of which can be good choices if you frequently fly the airline. Now could be an especially good time to sign up for one of these options if you haven’t already, since four of them are currently offering elevated sign-up bonuses until July 6, 2016 — in fact, they’re identical to the ones we posted about on this same date last year. Read on for the full details.
Sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the first three months, plus a $50 statement credit when you make a Delta purchase in the first three months.
Key benefits: Earn 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. Priority boarding. Get a first bag checked free on Delta flights (for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation). Save 20% on eligible in-flight purchases. No foreign transaction fees.
Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Analysis: This offer gets you 20,000 more miles than the previously available sign-up bonus, though you do have to spend an extra $1,000 to get them. Based on TPG’s latest valuations, the 50,000 miles are worth $600. Delta no longer publishes its award charts, but depending on your dates you could redeem for a round-trip transcontinental flight in economy.
Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card from American Express
Sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the first three months, plus a $50 statement credit when you make a Delta purchase in the first three months.
Key benefits: Same perks as the personal Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express listed above, plus Amex OPEN Savings benefits.
Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Analysis: If you already have the personal version of this credit card and are looking for an avenue for earning additional SkyMiles, this could be a solid option. While this is an Amex business product, you could qualify even if you don’t have an EIN number if you’re a freelancer or have a side gig; you’d simply use your SSN when applying. Plus, under American Express guidelines you can only earn a sign-up bonus once for each card, so if you’ve already opened the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card but have never held the business product, now could be a great time to sign up and earn the elevated bonus. Just note that Amex recently updated the terms for its business cards so that customers can only earn a sign-up bonus with each product once as well.
Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express
Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) after spending $2,000 in the first three months and a $100 statement credit after making a Delta purchase in the first three months.
Key benefits: Earn 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. Get a first bag checked free on Delta flights (for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation). Priority boarding. Save 20% on eligible in-flight purchases. Get 10,000 MQMs and 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $25,000 on the card in a calendar year, plus earn an additional 10,000 MQMs and 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $50,000 on the card in a calendar year. No foreign transaction fees.
Annual fee: $195
Analysis: This elevated offer is almost double that of the previously available sign-up bonus (5,000 MQMs and 35,000 bonus miles), though as with the new bonus on the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card it requires spending $2,000 rather than $1,000. The miles you’ll earn with this offer are worth about $720, but the MQMs could also add value if you’re working toward Delta elite status. Silver status requires 25,000 MQMs, so if you sign up for this card and spend $25,000 on it within a calendar year, you’ll be just 5,000 MQMs short. You could earn the additional MQMs with paid Delta flights, or if you can comfortably spend $50,000 on the card in a year you could meet the requirement that way. Of course, if you’re in between higher status levels, the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card‘s MQM-earning scheme could also come in handy for reaching the next tier.
Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card from American Express
Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) after spending $2,000 in the first three months and a $100 statement credit after making a Delta purchase in the first three months.
Key benefits: Same perks as the personal Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express listed above, plus Amex OPEN Savings benefits.
Annual fee: $195
Analysis: Just like I mentioned above with the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card, if you already have the personal version of this credit card and are looking for an avenue for earning additional SkyMiles, this could be a solid option. While this is an Amex business product, you could qualify even if you don’t have an EIN number if you’re a freelancer or have a side gig; you’d simply use your SSN when applying. Plus, under American Express guidelines you can only earn a sign-up bonus once for each card, so if you’ve already opened the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card but have never held the business product, now could be a great time to sign up and earn the elevated bonus. Just note that Amex recently updated the terms for its business cards so that customers can only earn a sign-up bonus with each product once as well.
Bottom Line
Delta SkyMiles are often referred to as Sky Pesos due to devaluations over the past few years, and more recent changes like adding a separate fare and award class for Comfort+ seats and raising partner award prices haven’t exactly endeared members to the carrier’s program. Still, with some planning you can get some some solid value out of your Delta miles, and these current offers could be a great way to fast-track you toward your next trip. Plus, the ability to earn MQMs with the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card can definitely come in handy if you’re working toward elite status.
Source: thepointsguy.com