How Much Are Delta Skymiles Worth
Based on the most recent analysis, NerdWallet values Delta Air Lines SkyMiles at 1.3 cents apiece. To determine the value of reward miles, we compared cash prices and reward redemptions for economy roundtrip routes across several destinations and dates. We divided the cost of the cash ticket by the cost of the reward ticket to determine a cent per mile value for each flight, then averaged this value across several flights and dates. Read more about how we arrived at these figures.
This is therefore a baseline value for Delta miles, based on real-world data collected from hundreds of economy routes it is not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 1.3 cents or more in value from your Delta miles.
» Learn more:Better understand the value of Delta SkyMiles
How Do You Get Approved For A Delta Credit Card
The best way to get approved for a Delta credit card or any travel card, for that matter is to have a good-to-excellent . If your score is below this threshold, you can take steps to raise it by paying your credit card bills on time, keeping your utilization below 30% and holding off on making new applications for credit.
Who The Delta Reserve Amex Card Is Best For
The Delta Reserve Amex is best for avid Delta flyers who want a luxurious experience when they fly. Additionally, consider that if you fly to and from a few select airports, it will be in your best interest to see if they have a Delta SkyClub or Amex Centurion lounge location. If the airports you frequent don’t, you may not be able to use to benefits to the fullest potential.
If you currently have multiple rewards credit cards, the Delta Reserve Amex would be a great fit for you. Because the card only rewards Delta purchases higher than one point per dollar, it is best to pair this card with another rewards credit card. The Reserve could be worth keeping for the travel benefits alone while you put most of your spend on another card to maximize your points earning.
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Delta Skymiles Platinum American Express Card: Standout Rewards Among Airlines
You have to be a Delta frequent flyer for this card to be worth the cost, but it has some of the best benefits.
Jaclyn DeJohn
Editor
Jaclyn is a CNET Money editor who found the sweet spot between her love for numbers and words. With several years covering business, personal finance and economics, she has consulted small businesses on their content strategies along the way. She is also experienced in real estate investing and contracts. Her tech interests include Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company and Neuralink.
Earning Delta Medallion Status
Some airline credit cards participate in additional loyalty programs that can earn you extra perks. With your Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express card, you can earn Medallion Qualification Miles, or MQMs, that help you earn Delta Medallion Status. There are four Delta Medallion Status tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond.
With each tier, you earn increasing benefits, and higher tiers earn you more rewards miles on your Delta SkyMiles account. You can also build up your account to earn perks like complimentary upgrade status, waived baggage fees, bonus miles, Sky Club membership, gift cards and more.
You’ll reach different status levels by earning various combinations of the below:
- Medallion Qualification Miles: Distance flown and your fare class. You earn 10,000 bonus MQMs for spending $25,000 in a calendar year on your card, up to two times. So if you spend $50,000 or more in a calendar year, you’ll earn 20,000 bonus MQMs.
- Medallion Qualification Segments: The number of flights you take, excluding Basic Economy.
- Medallion Qualification Dollars: Your annual spending on Delta and partner airline flights.
A waiver can take the place of MQD requirements and can be earned with your card.
Remember to always input your Delta SkyMiles frequent flyer number when booking your Delta flights with the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card so that your earnings can be credited to your account.
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Final Thoughts On Maximizing The Card’s Benefits
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a great pick for regular Delta flyers who cant justify a higher annual fee card. Perks like the free checked bag, ShopRunner membership, rental car coverage and purchase protections can more than cover the cards annual fee if you take full advantage of them. Terms apply.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, see this page.
Re: What Is Considered Eligible Purchase For Amex
Enharu – Have you heard/read any cases, where BB has been shot down for VR?
I have same SSN for both BB and Amex accounts. But, I searched and was not able to find any issues with BB Yet!
wrote:
pretty much everything.
transactions that are not eligible for rewards are balance transfers, cash advances or cash equivalent transactions, interest and/or other fees.
Would a “cash equivalent transaction” also include the purchase of gold & silver bullion coins from eBay or precious-metals dealers ??
Could such purchases raise any red flags with AmEx or others? – or are they coded like any other product purchase ??
wrote:
pretty much everything.
transactions that are not eligible for rewards are balance transfers, cash advances or cash equivalent transactions, interest and/or other fees.
Would a “cash equivalent transaction” also include the purchase of gold & silver bullion coins from eBay or precious-metals dealers ??
Could such purchases raise any red flags with AmEx or others? – or are they coded like any other product purchase ??
if you are buying from ebay you are paying with paypal so they don’t see what you are buying and no purchases are not the same as punching cash out at the atm even if you are buying currency.
wrote:
Enharu – Have you heard/read any cases, where BB has been shot down for VR?
I have same SSN for both BB and Amex accounts. But, I searched and was not able to find any issues with BB Yet!
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Why You Might Want The Delta Skymiles Gold American Express Card
A welcome offer, plus a bonus for big spending
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card starts off with a welcome offer that could be enough to cover your next flight: Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $50 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership. Terms Apply.
Youll also get an extra $100 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 in a calendar year. Terms apply. If youre using this card for big travel purchases or everyday spending, that could be a relatively easy bar to clear.
Good ongoing rewards
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card earns 2 miles per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets, in addition to the 2 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases. Terms apply. This gives you a reason to use the card for more than just airfare and free checked bags.
Free checked bags
Instead of just offering a first free checked bag for one or two travelers on your itinerary, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card gives you baggage waivers on the first checked bag for up to nine people on your reservation. That’s enough waivers to cover the whole family from “The Brady Bunch,” including Alice.
» MORE:Airline credit cards that offer free checked bags
Priority boarding
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Examples Of How Many Delta Miles Are Needed For Free Flights:
- One-way flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas: 6,500+ award miles
- One-way flight from New York City to Chicago: 7,000+ award miles
- One-way flight from Los Angeles to New York City: 8,000+ award miles.
- One-way flight from New York City to Seattle: 8,500+ award miles
- One-way flight from Miami to Boston: 10,500+ award miles
To get a free flight for the fewest number of Delta miles, you’ll want to book the flight far in advance, and be open to different dates. In many cases, you could pay at least 10,000 miles less for a flight if you’re flexible on your departure date.
If you’re a loyal Delta flyer and looking to earn miles faster for more free flights, you should look into a Delta credit card. The Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express is an excellent option with a signup bonus of 30,000 miles after you spend $1,000 in the first three months. And if you make a Delta purchase within that same timeframe, you’ll earn an additional $50 statement credit. Altogether, that’s worth roughly 1-5 free Delta flights.
There are several good Delta credit card deals available right now. The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card are both offering big bonus miles deals. The Amex Delta Platinum card offers 50,000 miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles for spending $2,000 in the first 3 months, plus up to $100 back in statement credits for purchases at U.S. restaurants made in the first 3 months.
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Do I Get Mqm Just For Being A New Cardholder
If you havent yet held an American Express card, youre eligible for that cards welcome offer.
First Checked Bag Free
Just for having the Platinum Delta Card you get a first checked bag free, which would otherwise cost $30 one-way per person:
- This benefit is limited to the primary cardmember and anyone traveling on the same reservation with them
- You dont have to pay for your flight with your Delta Amex, though you do need to have your SkyMiles number in the reservation.
This is a great value, given that youll usually pay $60 per person roundtrip for a checked bag. If youre traveling with someone then youre looking at $120 roundtrip in fees.
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How Does The Delta Reserve Card Compare
For the very frequent Delta flyer, theres the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card , which has a $550 annual fee . What differentiates this card?
- The card offers Delta SkyClub and Amex Centurion Lounge access when traveling on Delta same day
- The card offers a companion certificate that is valid for first class as well
- The card allows you to earn up to 60,000 MQMs per year
- Having the card gets you upgrade priority over those in the same elite tier and fare class who dont have the Reserve Card
Delta Skymiles Gold Card Review
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For those who travel often with Delta, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express delivers benefits that can easily justify its annual fee. Cardholders earn 2 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases, restaurants, and U.S. supermarkets, along with 1 mile per dollar on everything else. It has a generous and easy-to-earn one-time offer, and cardholders receive a host of perks on Delta, including a free checked bag on each flight and a $100 Delta credit after spending $10,000 each year.
Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
| $0 for the first year, then $99 | |
| Rewards Earning Rate | Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn 1X Miles on other eligible purchases. |
| Foreign transaction fee |
The Delta Skymiles Gold Card is not one of our top-rated airline credit cards. You can review our list of the best airline credit cards for what we think are better options.
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Other Cards To Consider
If the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card doesnt meet your needs, there are other cards that can earn valuable Delta SkyMiles.
The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card is one step above the Delta SkyMiles Blue Credit Card. With the Delta SkyMiles Gold Credit Card, youll earn 2X miles on qualifying Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S supermarkets and 1 mile per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. While you wont score more points on purchases at restaurants, youll enjoy a free checked bag when flying on Delta when your SkyMiles number is included on your reservation, which can save you up to $60 round trip. The annual fee is $99 .
If you like to fly Delta but plan to fly other airlines as well, consider a card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. With this card, youll earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on all other purchases. You can also transfer these miles to a list of airlines: Aeromexico, Air France-KLM, Air Canada, Alitalia, Cathay Pacific, Avianca, Emirates, Etihad, EVA Air, Finnair, Hainan Airlines, JetBlue, Qantas, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines. The cards annual fee is $95.
In-flight Savings, No Annual Fee
Does American Express Delta Skymiles Blue Card Have Good Customer Service Or Satisfaction
American Express Delta SkyMiles Blue Card customer service can be contacted via phone, through mail or online. Cardholders traveling more than 100 miles from home can also access the Global Assist Hotline for emergency assistance 24/7. Additionally, the company ranked first in the 2020 Credit Card Satisfaction Study from J.D. Power.
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How Do Airline Credit Cards Work
Airline credit cards reward users with points or miles from an airline’s frequent flyer program, which can be redeemed for flights with that airline. Sometimes you can transfer those points to one of the airline’s travel partners, though this option varies from airline to airline.
Airline credit cards operate like loyalty programs in that you stay in a closed-loop rewards system. You earn rewards when you purchase flights on the airline, and you can use those points for future bookings. Some airline credit cards also reward cardholders for making purchases at restaurants, grocery stores or other categories, but given the average reward rate of airline credit cards for those categories, we generally advise paying for those purchases with a cash-back credit card or general travel rewards credit card.
Here Are The Best Delta Airlines Credit Card Promotions:
If you’re not familiar with Medallion Qualification Miles , know that they go toward earning you Medallion status in the SkyMiles loyalty rewards program. In addition to the cards’ MQM spending bonuses, you also earn MQMs based on the distance flown with Delta, Medallion Qualification Segments based on your number of flights and Medallion Qualifying Dollars based on the money you spend on Delta flights. Medallion Status comes in four different tiers and the higher your status, the better perks you get on Delta flights. Medallion Status benefits include travel/vacation discounts, waived fees, complimentary upgrades and more.
After a thorough Delta credit card comparison, the Gold Delta SkyMiles card is the best Delta Airlines card because it offers 40,000 miles for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months, plus up to $50 back in statement credits for purchases at U.S. restaurants made in the first 3 months. The Gold’s card’s annual fee of $0 for the first year is a huge plus, especially if you plan on spending a lot during those first 12 months.
When comparing Delta credit card offers, it’s important to focus on annual fees, initial bonuses and extra perks. That’s where the biggest differences are.
Even with the higher statement credit from the Amex Delta Platinum card, travelers will get the best value from the Delta Gold Card card, especially in the first year.
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Delta Skymiles Reserve Card’s Fees
While the annual fee on this card is high, other fees are typical for the industry. This includes not having to pay foreign transaction fees on purchases made abroad, which is standard among premier travel credit cards.
To see rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Card, please see the following link: rates and fees.
Delta Medallion Qualifying Dollar Waiver
In order to earn status with Delta, you need to earn a certain number of Medallion Qualifying Miles or Medallion Qualifying Segments , and you also need to earn a certain number of Medallion Qualifying Dollars .
With the Delta Platinum American Express you can receive a waiver of the MQD requirement for qualifying spending:
- Spend $25,000 on the card within the qualification year to get an MQD waiver for Silver, Gold, or Platinum status
- Spend $250,000 on the card within the qualification year to get an MQD waiver for Diamond status
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