With HUGE Delta / Amex offer ending in days – What is the best card to go for before it’s gone?

Right now I hold my Delta Amex Reserve (business) card and have for many many years. I will be spending 60k on it by year end to harvest the bonus MQMs and SkyMiles (30k+30k) plus spending $25,000 on the card (or across all my Delta Amex cards) does help me with upgrades (the ¼ million spend is for the Diamond waiver – not for the upgrade helper).

But is it worth keeping this card? Is it perhaps smarter in the years moving forward to downgrade my Delta Amex Reserve card to a Delta Platinum card and then simply, long term, keep one business and one personal Delta Amex Platinum card? Let’s look at the pro’s and con’s and what choice I should make. Plus, I will consider situations that are not just “all about me” 😉

First off, yes, you can hold BOTH the personal and business Delta Amex Platinum cards at the same time. You can then spend 50k on each and harvest a total of 4 spend bonus point offers each year (10k+10K MQMs and SkyMiles).

Another warning point is NEVER EVER downgrade until you have got the new card bonus for whatever card you are downgrading (or upgrading) to. By making a switch, rather than applying for a new card, you burn your 1x lifetime shot at new card bonus points. Please don’t make this horrible mistake.

Next, there is Sky Club access and the shot at using a Choice Benefit to enter the club for me and guests. In my particular case not needed but downgrading to the Platinum Delta card excludes me from this option.

For years now the Reserve card has meant more upgrades (to 1st class). Some say it does not make a big difference but I know, 1st hand, it does make a major difference. The problem is not the card and the perk but the fact that if Delta sells all the upgrades for just a few bucks out from under a loyal elite then I never have the chance to use this valuable partner card perk. That is something, sadly, to consider. 20×2020 is no friend to Amex card holders.

Bogo changes. Let’s face it the 1st class Bogo (buy one get one free), when you can spend it, is an amazing value. But the change to allow coach Bogo certs (that the Reserve card can be used for), including with your +1, makes one consider risking booking an off-day to fly vs. paying up for 1st class. Then again, what are the chances that will work (see why this makes you a little crazy)?!

More bonus MQMs via spend. Sure the Reserve card does give you the chance for many more MQMs but since Amex is offering a 3rd bonus spend for many personal cards this makes me frustrated that the business or OPEN side does not offer this. I was able to get reps to load in the bonus code for my one personal Platinum card. Since I can, with partner flights, knock out most of my MQD requirements I still find I do need MQMs so this is a factor.

Lastly one of the biggest reasons to go for and hold the Reserve card vs. the Platinum is the ability to send or transfer bonus earned MQMs to someone else. For me, who almost every year rolls over 125,000 MQMs, Being able to send to my wife, or to a friend, 30,000 MQMs a year is HUGE and really matters. This alone can be a solid reason to hold the card – period.

Bottom line is this limited time offer is almost up (ends in just a few days).  If you are needing either SkyMiles or MQMs NOW is the time to act – not in Nov / Dec when you are freaking out because you are short! – René