There are tons of credit cards on the market, but how do you know which card is the best fit for you?
Here are 3 things to consider:
1. How frequently do you fly?
2. Do you usually fly solo or with a partner?
3. What airlines operate from your local airport?
The Delta American Express SkyMiles card has some great perks, (more about that below) but it also comes with stringent rules for using your companion pass and a hefty annual fee ($250). If you are a frequent flyer, who fly's with a companion, and Delta operates flights from your primary airport hub, then this is the card for you!
In addition to the Platinum card, I have also had the Delta Gold AMEX card. While the Platinum card does have a heftier fee, I've found that, if you frequently travel with someone else this card is superior to the Gold AMEX card.
The Good
Lets start with the Good, which far outweigh the bad for this card:
First checked bag free
No foreign transaction fees
Fee credit for global entry or TSA PreCheck
Main Cabin 1 priority boarding
20% back on in-flight purchases
You can apply Delta eCredits towards the purchase of the main ticket or the taxes and fees for the companion ticket
Delta Sky Club access ($50 per person)
Free* (*$250 annual fee) companion pass.
You can receive an advance of airline miles
Delta AMEX Earning Guide | |
|---|---|
Earning Potential | Description |
3X Miles | Delta purchases |
3X Miles | Hotel purchases made directly at hotel website |
2X Miles | Restaurants |
2X Miles | Supermarkets (U.S. Only) |
1X Miles | All other purchases |
AMEX recently added some new perks for card members:
When you book award travel using miles, you will now see a 15% discount automatically reflected in the pricing
The Bad
The primary downside to this card, is the limited availability for flights in certain markets. When reading the fine print, you will note that the ticket has to be a certain class of service (Seats are only available in L,U,T,X,V classes of service and may not be available on all flights or markets). In addition:
You still have to pay taxes and associated fees for your companion (up to $80)
You can only use the companion pass to travel within the 48 contiguous U.S. (No -Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Puerto Rico..... nada, none, not happening)
Earn 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000.00 in eligible purchases by the end of the calendar year (December 31st).
Companion certificates are only good for 1 calendar year, if you don't use them within that timeframe- they expire.
Even with all the bad listed above, I still have this card and still find it useful. Most recently, I used the companion pass to book a roundtrip flight from Birmingham, AL to Los Angeles, CA and saved roughly $700. I have also used it to book flights from Lexington, KY to Seattle, WA ($650 savings) as well as a flight from Louisville, KY to San Francisco, CA ($500 savings).
Everything in Between
The best thing about the Delta Skymiles program is that miles NEVER expire. Other airline award programs require you to fly at least 1 leg each calendar year to maintain your miles, but not Delta! Plus, right now, Delta is offering a 90K mile sign-on bonus through this referral link! That's enough to get you to Tahiti AND BACK!
Please note, I may receive affiliate benefits from links contained within this page.
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