BGR has partnered with The Points Guy for our coverage of credit card products. BGR and The Points Guy may receive a commission from card issuers.Please note: the offers mentioned below are subject to change at any time and some may no longer be available.After more than a year of research and gathering feedback from customers, Delta and American Express have finally relaunched their lineup of seven co-branded credit cards. All of which were given new designs, enhanced benefits and, best of all, higher welcome bonuses as a reward for new signups.As a sign of how big of a marketing effort this is for both companies, this is actually the first time that all seven cards have elevated offers at the same time – some of those offers also representing all-time highs. Naturally, there are tradeoffs to be aware of, such as increased annual fees across most of the lineup, but the new benefit structures by and large mean these cards will represent new added value for many consumers.
“We are excited to bring years of planning and in-depth research to life with new benefits focused on more ways to earn miles, get to status faster and make travel easier,” said Sandeep Dube, Delta’s Senior Vice President — Customer Engagement & Loyalty, and CEO — Delta Vacations.
Read on for a look at each card’s new benefit fix, and how you can use a few (like the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card) to score incredible welcome benefits of up to 100,000 bonus miles, depending on the card.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Annual fee:
$99 (waived during the first year)
Limited-time welcome bonus: Up to 70,000 bonus miles. Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months, plus earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles after your first anniversary of card membership. (Note: This offer expires on April 1.)
New earning structure: 2x on eligible Delta purchases, restaurants and US supermarkets
Other key points: In addition to the perks we noted above, Delta has added the ability to earn an up to $100 Delta flight credit when you spend $10,000 during a calendar year. Sound like a lot? Not really — it only equates to spending $833 per month, not a very hard threshold for many cardholders to hit. This card also keeps other perks like a free checked bag and priority boarding. The annual fee is a little higher, but not by much — only $4. Also worth noting, two previous benefits associated with this card are now unfortunately no more. They are the ability to earn a Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) waiver by making purchases with the card and the ability to buy discounted Delta Sky Club passes for $29 per person.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Annual fee:
$250
Limited-time welcome bonus: Up to 100,000 bonus miles — an all-time high bonus for this card. You’ll earn 80,000 bonus miles after you use the card to make $3,000 in purchases in your first three months, then an additional 20,000 bonus miles after your first anniversary of card membership. (Note: This offer expires on April 1.)
New earning structure: 3x on eligible Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2x at restaurants and US supermarkets
Other key points: We alluded above to the notion that all of these co-branded cards had basically given a makeover, and in this case, we mean it literally. This card not only has a new design and name — it also now comes in a new, metal form. You’ll actually have to formally request one of the new metal-based cards, but still.
Let’s also get some negatives associated with this card out of the way. One, the annual fee has been raised from $195 to $250. Discounted SkyClub passes are likewise climbing, from $29 to $39. For any of you trying to attain elite status, you’ll still earn 10,000 bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles after spending $25,000, and then another 10,000 MQMs when you reach $50,000 in spending in a calendar year, but you’ll no longer earn any redeemable miles as part of that benefit. Now that that’s out of the way, the positives of this card included enhanced earnings rate, such as cardholders now earning 3x on Delta purchases and at hotels (up from 2x). The earnings rate at restaurants and US supermarkets has also doubled, to 2x.
The Platinum Delta Amex is also offering a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit (every four years for Global Entry, and every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck) of up to $100. You’ll also still be able to score an annual companion certificate, and other perks are staying the same, such as your first checked bag free, priority boarding and 20% inflight savings on food and beverages.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Annual fee:
$550
Limited-time welcome bonus: Up to 100,000 bonus miles and 20,000 MQMs — this, too, is an all-time high bonus award associated with this card. How you attain the 100,000 is by earn 80,000 bonus miles and 20,000 bonus MQMs once you’ve spent $5,000 in purchases on the card in your first 3 months. After that, you’ll earn another 20,000 bonus miles after your first anniversary of card membership. (Note: This offer expires on April 1.)
New earning structure: 3x on eligible Delta purchases (up from 2x)
Other key points: A higher annual fee, revamped design and new metal form for the card accompany a slew of new benefits, which include the annual companion certificate which is valid for main cabin, Comfort+ or first class, plus a first checked bag for free and priority boarding. You’ll also be able to score a pair of one-time guest passes for the Delta Sky Club (to complement the existing individual Sky Club membership), as well as complimentary access to American Express Centurion Lounges when flying Delta with a ticket purchased on the card (up to two guests may also enter for a fee of $50 each). The card also offers complimentary upgrades for non-Medallion members and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit (every 4 years for Global Entry, every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck) of up to $100. Among this card’s changes: You’ll no longer be able to earn redeemable miles for meeting certain spending thresholds as part of the Miles Boost. Sky Priority security access has also been eliminated.
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Annual fee:
Good news, there’s no annual fee!
Limited-time welcome bonus: 15,000 bonus miles once you’ve spent $1,000 with this card in your first three months. (Note: This offer expires on April 1.)
New earning structure: 2x on eligible Delta purchases and restaurants worldwide
Other key points: Of the previous cards we’ve mentioned, this is the only one with no annual fee — and also the only one to get revamped with new added benefits with giving up any of the old. Even better for those of you who travel out of the country, the card gets rid of foreign transaction fees and adds access to Pay with Miles so that you can offset part of the cost of a flight with your miles.
This is definitely a strong card for beginners who want to supplement their Delta SkyMiles earnings, as opposed to someone looking for a luxe, flashy card offering.
Now, let’s change tacks and shift to the Delta Amex business cards that likewise all got makeovers, new names, new card art, new perks — and, most important, new welcome bonuses being offered for a limited time. “We are so excited to offer these new products that give consumers and business owners greater value, an enhanced travel experience and more ways to earn rewards,” said Eva Reda, executive vice president, Global Consumer Partnerships, American Express.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
Annual fee:
$99 (this is waived during your first card year)
Limited-time bonus offer: Up to 70,000 bonus miles. Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in your first three months, plus earn an extra 10,000 bonus miles after your first anniversary of card membership. (This offer expires on April 1.)
New earning structure: 2x on Delta purchases, restaurants, US shipping and US advertising in select media
Other key points: This card is adding a $100 Delta flight credit after $10,000 in spending each year, in addition to eliminating discounted Sky Club access and the MQD waiver. Small business owners will no doubt also be pleased with the increased earning rate on shipping and advertising buys within the US.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
Annual fee:
$250
Limited-time bonus offer: Up to 100,000 bonus miles. Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months, plus earn an additional 20,000 bonus miles after your first anniversary of card membership. (Offer expires April 1)
New earning structure: 3x on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 1.5x on single eligible purchases over $5,000 (up to 50k miles per year), and 1x on all other eligible purchases
Other key points: This card should especially appeal to business owners who frequently charge large purchases, many of which will now net them 1.5x. This card also adds a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, though it’s increasing Sky Club access to $39 and cutting the bonus miles you get through Miles Boost (though the bonus MQMs aren’t changing). At the same time, the annual fee has been increased to $250.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
Annual fee:
$550
Limited-time bonus offer: Up to 100,000 bonus miles and 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles. Earn 80,000 bonus miles and 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $5,000 in purchases on the card in your first three months, plus an additional 20,000 bonus miles after your first anniversary of card membership. (Offer expires April 1.)
New earning structure: 3x on Delta purchases, 1.5x on all purchases after spending $150k in a year
Other key points: This card has undergone some of the most changes of them all. In addition to the new earnings structure mentioned above, the card adds two Sky Club guest passes (in addition to your individual Sky Club membership that comes with the card). Cardholders can also access Centurion Lounges when purchasing a Delta ticket using the card, and they’ll also enjoy complimentary upgrades for non-Medallions. Meanwhile, the annual fee rises to $550, and cardholders will no longer earn bonus redeemable miles at the Miles Boost thresholds, nor will you get Sky Priority security access anymore.
