Delta and Ticketmaster Now Offer SkyMiles with Ticket Purchases

Delta and Ticketmaster teamed up to reward SkyMiles members one mile per dollar spent with the ticket giant when using the link delta.com/ticketmaster.

To celebrate the announcement, the offer is upped to three SkyMiles per dollar spent through August 31.

Sadly, neither Ticketmaster’s infamous service charges nor parking fees qualify to earn SkyMiles. Only a ticket’s base price is eligible for the bonus.

Is the Delta and Ticketmaster Promotion a Good Deal?

Free SkyMiles are fine — when nothing else can be earned. But you might consider another option.

Ticketmaster participates with several cash back portals. While around 1% (roughly the same value as a SkyMile), Ticketmaster’s cash back earnings can be compounded using special bonuses the portals offer.

Even with the special introductory rate (through August 31) of three SkyMiles per dollar, there may be more value available.

Say, for example, you purchase $200 worth eligible tickets from Ticketmaster by using the Delta link. You’d earn 200 SkyMiles, worth about $2 (hence their “SkyPennies” nickname).

Now, if you’re a “New (Ticketmaster) Customer” through TopCashBack, you earn 1.5% cash back, or $3.

Or if you’re a “Returning Customer” (“an individual who has not purchased through Ticketmaster in the past 24 months”), that scores you 1% or $2 in cash.

“Active Customers” who have used Ticketmaster in the past 24 months earn just .5% or $1. (Rakuten appears to offer 1% on ticket sales, FYI. Frequent ticket purchasers will want to use that portal.)

So depending on how much you spend on tickets, cash back portals might be as rewarding, if not more.

Plus, you can earn a little bit more.

Rene blogged he earns a 5% bonus by selecting Visa debit cards as his TopCashBack payout.

Using that practice, the same $200 ticket purchase is now worth at least $3.02, $2.01 or $1.005. I say “at least” because if you spend thousands each year through cash back portals, that 5% bonus becomes more than a penny or two.

If you drop a chunk of money on tickets — and let’s face it, event tickets aren’t getting cheaper — cash back portals are the way to go.

And let’s not forget about additional discounts or promos offered through cash back portals, such as these Ticketmaster specials currently live on Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates).

The three SkyMiles per dollar promotion through the end of August is a decent deal — even more so for “Active Customers.” After that, I’ll probably stick with the cash back portals.

Not Like the Lyft – SkyMiles Promotion

This isn’t like the ongoing Lyft – SkyMiles promotion rewarding you one SkyMile per dollar spent with the service (two points spent on rides to/from airports, BTW). Once your SkyMiles number is linked to the promo, you’re set.

As an added bonus, Rakuten awards $.25 cash back per Lyft ride initiated through the Rakuten app. That’s on top of your one (or two) SkyMiles earned per dollar spent. Cashback + promotional miles + credit card points = always a good thing! 😉

The Ticketmaster promotion, however, must be launched through the Delta-provided link and can’t (at least in my experiments) earn cash back through any portals or their toolbar apps.

Is This the Ticket?

What’s your take on the Ticketmaster – SkyMiles promotion? Please share your thoughts in the Comments section! – Chris