No Result
View All Result
Eye of the Flyer
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • 0% Intro APR Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • 0% Intro APR Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result

Rookie Wednesday: The perks and RULES of the Delta AMEX cards + Q&A

René by René
February 4, 2015 - Updated on September 23, 2020
in Credit Cards, Rookie
21
Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc. has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Eye of the Flyer and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.


RenesPoints Rookie

Welcome to a weekly feature on the Renés Points blog. Each week this series covers in a “rookie” way either a Delta or travel related theme and attempts to break down to a basic level each topic. You can read up on all the previous posts HERE. Now on to this week’s feature.

3 delta amex cards

So many posts are inspired by reader questions. As a Delta frequent flyer, I “know” the rules but I have to admit the one time I flew American last year I had a ton of rookie type questions as their program is nothing like Delta’s. So let’s dive in and knock out a ton of common rules and questions folks often ask.

First what cards can you get? Currently, and if you are reading this not on the 4th of February, today, 2015 please check as things can change on a dime, you can get the new card bonus only once ever for the personal cards. All three of the personal Delta AMEX cards are viewed as the “same” card for the new card bonus. The Delta AMEX business cards are all viewed as separate and unique products. As long as you canceled 365+ days ago, for that specific card, you can get that new card bonus again.

make sure your delta amex card shows up at my delta and in my wallet on delta-com

Delta, unlike many airlines, does NOT need you to actually PAY for the ticket with the Delta AMEX card for you to get the perk of a free bag for you and up to 8 more on your itinerary. The important thing is to make sure you have your card in your “My Delta” info as you see above.

Another question is if you pay for a ticket for say your sister or mom do they get your Delta AMEX card bag perks? No, unless you are flying with them. The same thing goes for priority boarding i.e. zone 1 boarding. You have to have them with you on the same PNR or itinerary to get that perk. Having said that, if you are on separate PNRs and let the gate agent know they are with you when you board zone 1 there should be no problem. For bags free, be sure to LINK reservations and I would even confirm, and print confirmation, from DeltaAssist that they are noted in the records that they are linked together.

Next question is about the new card bonus MQMs from either the Delta Platinum or Reserve card. Can you send them to someone else? No. They go to the Skymiles number entered into the card application.

Now with the Reserve card, once you do spend $30,000 and again at $60,000, you can send those BONUS MQMs to whoever you want. You have some time after you earn them to choose what to do. I have a post HERE (E18) that shows the steps. You will normally see the points available about 1-3 days after your AMEX statement closes. The key thing to look for is the bonus SKYMILES that go to you (they cannot be sent to someone else). Once those bonus Skymiles hit your account that is the alert to you that your MQMs are also ready to be redeemed.

The Platinum card, once you earn $25,000 and $50,000, again it is the number used on the card application that gets those bonus MQMs. Both the bonus Skymiles and MQMs go to that account only. You will normally see the points post automatically about 1-3 days after your AMEX statement closes.

Also, as reader Justin remind us us in the comments, the annual fee does NOT COUNT towards your yearly spending goals. Be sure to always over spend by that amount or more. Another warning, be careful with returns. If you have a return or even a AMEX warranty claim that will also count against the spend totals for the year and could leave you short of your goal!

The BOGOF or Buy One Get One Free certificate from the Platinum and Reserve cards. These are issued year two about 1-3 weeks after your year two annual fee is billed to you. You then have a little over one year to spend and fly them (i.e. you must complete the trip before the expiration date). “Officially” you have to hold the card to use them and pay with the card they came with. However there is some nice wiggle room here 😉 Lastly, you can NOT combine say a bump voucher or other voucher to pay for the BOGOF ticket. It must be paid in full with a Delta AMEX card.

As we talked about with the free bag, it is all important if you want more upgrades from holding the Delta Reserve card that it show up in your “My Delta”. I, because am overly cautious and don’t really trust Delta IT that much, have my AMEX Reserve card as the ONLY card in “My Wallet” just to make sure.

These are the main questions I often get regarding the Delta AMEX card perks and what does and does not work. Have I missed any? Don’t see the answer to your question here? Look in the comments below and I will be sure to cover them there. – René
.
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by American Express. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express.
.

Gold Delta SkyMiles®
Credit Card from American Express®
Click HERE for more info

 

Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc. has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Eye of the Flyer and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.


Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Related

Tags: Rookie
Previous Post

Delta 767-300 domestic seat review – 2015 Delta Mileage Run

Next Post

Check out my interview on the “Hawk Talk” podcast – all about points, blogging & more!

René

René

René de Lambert is a contributing writer for EyeoftheFlyer.com - He is an avid Delta and SkyTeam flyer who has held Delta’s top Diamond Medallion status for many years and flown millions of miles.

Next Post

Check out my interview on the "Hawk Talk" podcast - all about points, blogging & more!

Comments 21

  1. Gordon says:
    8 years ago

    I booked an upcoming work trip using the Plat BOGO certificate just last week. I was able to pay the first date and second fees with my company Non-delta Amx card.

    Reply
    • rene says:
      8 years ago

      @Gordon – 🙂 Yes.

      Reply
  2. Chad says:
    8 years ago

    If I had the delta platinum card last year and upgraded to the delta reserve card this year will I still get my free companion ticket from the platinum? If so I haven’t seen it yet.

    Reply
    • rene says:
      8 years ago

      @Chad – No. If you had waited until the cert hit your account, THEN UPGRADED, you would have had it. 😉

      Reply
  3. Justin says:
    8 years ago

    Another important note, the spending thresholds do NOT include your annual fee. The $95, $195 or $450 will not be included to hit your threshold to earn your MQM bonus. Yes, this became an issue for me.

    Reply
    • rene says:
      8 years ago

      @Justin – YES a VERY important point. YES! So important I will go back and edit post to put that in. I talk about it each year and should have included it. Txs. Also some have had a AMEX warranty claim count against them (I had that issue but had time to fix)!

      Reply
  4. Mitch says:
    8 years ago

    Does the Reserve card still act as a tie-breaker within the same Medallion level and fare class? Haven’t seen that mentioned in a while.

    Reply
    • rene says:
      8 years ago

      @Mitch – You bet ya. One of the reasons that I, as a Diamond Medallion, will ALWAYS hold the card. I don’t like coach.

      Reply
  5. David R. says:
    8 years ago

    I’m diamond for the first time this year and have the reserve card, but #KeepDescending hits reality this month. Last year ATL/SFO yields 8556 miles. This year’s “improved” SkyMiles 2015 yields 4026 miles. That’s 113% more miles last year than this year for the same flight.

    Reply
  6. Mark R. says:
    8 years ago

    I used my Reserve BOGO cert. to get two F seats DTW-SAN next month for $1,100 (as a GM I am zero on getting upgrades – too PMs & DMs ahead of me).

    Reply
  7. Young_Tho®ough says:
    8 years ago

    Also to note from my experience last year, returns and credits are handled separately. So thankfully while returns do count against spend none of the AMEX Sync offer credits counted against the spend! Same with any retention credits since they are treated like the renewal fee. Any other credit types to considered? Disputes/credits I can’t remember because I lost my dispute 🙁

    Reply
  8. Dan says:
    8 years ago

    Hi Rene,

    I’m hoping you can clarify Amex’s new member bonus policy.

    I currently hold a business version of the DL Reserve card and would like to add a personal version of the same card for the first time. Given that I previously held and closed a personal DL Platinum card, would I receive the signup bonus of 10k MQMs for the personal Reserve card? The Amex reps weren’t very helpful when I called and asked.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • rene says:
      8 years ago

      @Dan – officially NO! but YMMV and if you are willing to risk the few point hit to your credit score you can try. worst case you get the card and no new card bonus. http://www.DeltaPoints.com/bpc

      Reply
  9. dotti cahill says:
    8 years ago

    i have the amex delta etc card and am diamond and when i checked in the other day for a flight from aspen to msp etc it said $25 for first class(i was ) to check a bag DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA nuts really what does it take to get a free checked BAG on the way out the cargo hold had a whole so the luggage went onto another plkane to vail then aspen butdid not tell us till 30,000 feet up ?????

    Reply
  10. John says:
    8 years ago

    I’m a PM w a platinum Amex. Is it really worth it to upgrade to reserve?? Amex site makes it sound great but the comments aren’t all that in comparison.

    Reply
    • rene says:
      8 years ago

      @John – It can be if:
      .
      1) You want and will use BOGOF in 1st class
      2) You want more UGs as it is tie breaker
      3) You want Skyclub access when you fly Delta
      4) You spend 60k to get 30k RDM & MQM bonus each year
      .

      Reply
  11. Pingback: Rookie Wednesday: A look back on what we have covered so far (and beyond)! - Delta PointsDelta Points
  12. Rich says:
    8 years ago

    Hi Renee,

    I have a Delta Amex platinum card. I had a regular AmexGold Business card but I cancelled the regular Amex Gold Business card earlier this year after I got the new cardmember bonus. If I get the Amex Reserve, do I still get the new member bonus? And secondly, can I get MQM bonuses for BOTH the Amex Platinum and the Amex Reserve In the same calendar year?

    Reply
    • rene says:
      8 years ago

      @Rich – All 3 Delta personal cards are viewed as the SAME CARD by AMEX as far as new card bonus. A 3 business cards are unique products.
      .
      http://www.DeltaPonts.com/bpc

      Reply
  13. Diane says:
    7 years ago

    I need help hitting spending thrsholds for this year… last year I paid ahead on cable and utility bills. Our bank will not allow amex for mortgage payment. We did pay taxes with amex. I would like to pay off mortgage to get the miles if there was a way. Any help and guidance is appreciated.

    Reply
    • rene says:
      7 years ago

      @Diane – Look at the other ideas in the post. Kiva loans, Visa Gift cards and so on.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

➤ Search Eye of the Flyer

No Result
View All Result

Subscribe

Subscribe To Our NewsletterJoin our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

GREAT Travel and Cash Back Card Offers!

Eye of the Flyer may receive a commission from the links below. See our Privacy Policy

See CardRatings’ Top Credit Cards for This Month!

Ink Cash Credit Card

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Limited-time promotion: BEST EVER OFFER! Earn $900 bonus cashback (90,000 points) after spending $6,000 in purchases within three (3) months of card membership approval. Learn here how to apply.

Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card Limited-time promotion: BEST EVER OFFER! Earn $900 bonus cashback (90,000 points) after spending $6,000 in purchases within three (3) months of card membership approval. Learn here how to apply.

Learn how to apply for the NEW Capital One Venture X card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the new must-have “it” card for travel lovers! Earn 75,000 bonus points (worth at least $750 in travel) after spending $4,000 in purchases within three months of card membership approval. Plus, enjoy up to $300 annually in statement credits for travel purchased through Capital One AND 10,000 bonus points every year, after the first anniversary. The $395 annual fee can EASILY be earned back (here’s how) — and then some! Learn now how to apply!

The Ink Business Preferred cardEarn 100,000 bonus Chase Ultimate Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on purchases during the first three months of being an Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card member! Earns 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. (Earn 1X per $1 on all other purchases.)

  Earn cash back with Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) Earn cash back with TopCashback! RebatesMe Earn cash back with DOSH!

✍ Editors Disclaimer | lock, login, protection, secure icon Privacy Policy | $ Advertisers Disclosure

 

Subscribe

Subscribe To Our NewsletterJoin our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉

Copyright © 2021 Eye of the Flyer

No Result
View All Result
  • BANK & Travel Cards ★
    • Credit Cards
    • Travel Rewards Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
    • Small Business Credit Cards
    • 0% Intro APR Cards
    • Balance Transfer Cards
    • Bad or Poor Credit
    • No Credit
  • Rookie
  • Elite Mileage Runs
  • Merchandise
  • αbout US ✉

Copyright © 2021 Eye of the Flyer

Cleantalk Pixel

Subscribe To Our Newsletter


Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!