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I almost chose to publish today’s post as a Rookie Wednesday post but many times those who most need to see the post skip over a post that has a rookie slant to it. So maybe a Monday focus post will be a better choice. First the basics.
When you have reached the $30,000 and as well as the $60,000 spend levels on your co-branded Delta Amex Reserve personal or business cards (#ProTip: not including annual fee), and your statement closes, you should see with no input from your end 15,000 Delta SkyMiles deposited into your account on Delta.com. You are the only one who gets these spendable points. When you see them hit your account, even before you get the email as shown at the top of this post from Delta, you are clear to harvest the MQMs or elite points.
The first step (see big arrows above) is to choose the card you want to claim the MQMs from i.e. a personal card or business card (#ProTip: You can hold BOTH and spend and earn bonus on each card). Then use the link on Delta.com, if you are really nice, you can choose to gift them to someone. Or, you can keep them for yourself! That is what I did this time around. But how long does it take for those points to post? Take a look:
The quick answer is just about instantly. All I did was log off and then log back in to my Delta.com account and the MQMs were posted! But is that it? Nope, there is more to this.
If the MQMs are enough to push you to the next medallion level (and you have the MQD waiver or enough MQDs for whatever level) don’t expect your elite status to update instantly as well. Under most circumstances it will take 1-2 days for all the Delta tech (i.e. fly Delta App etc.) to catch up. Yes this could mean you are still on the upgrade list under you old status for a day or two until the new info propagates throughout the Delta systems.
A few last bits for today. Many ask if Amex MQMs, either from you or gifted to you count towards your lifetime Delta million miler status. The answer is 100% yes! All Delta MQMs truly are created equal and it matters not where you get them – they all count toward your lifetime miles. Also, one more important #ProTip for today – why not call Amex RIGHT NOW and have them set your statement close date for the 1st of the month for your Delta Amex cards – it will make things simpler at year end each year.
Are you enjoying the elite and SkyMiles points perks each year from the Delta Amex Reserve card(s)? – Rene
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
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.
Your pro tip about annual fee is a good one! My wife got burned on that a couple years ago. It’s really a bug that AmEx should fix in their reporting.
For those who don’t know this basic point, you can have multiple cards issues. So if you get a Delta Business Reserve, AMEX will issue additional cards (Platinum cards) in the names of your spouse or whoever. They can use the card, but the spending definitely goes to the original owner’s account.
Is the claiming process the same for the Delta Plat AMEX card when you reach $25K spend? Thanks.
@Rolo – No. It auto dumps into members account 1-3 days after statement close.
I have the Delta/AmEx Business Reserve card. My wife and I both have Delta/AmEx Platinum cards. When we travel together, I can enter SkyClubs free but have to pay $29 for my wife. She balks at that and I hate to abandon her in airport concourses while I get free drinks and food. I think I recall you writing that she could enter free if I got her an authorized user “employee” card on my Business Reserve account but the AmEx rep I called said no. Plan B would be for her to get her own Reserve card and cancel her Platinum card — ideally after issuance of the next Platinum BOGO cert but before billing of the next Platinum fee. Just now, I clicked through the Business Reserve link in your current article but when I further clicked to the Personal Reserve card page it seemed to know who I was and offered only an upgrade opportunity with no signing bonus. Was the AmEx phone rep correct that the holder of an employee card based on my Business Reserve account can’t enter clubs free? Any other comments/suggestions? Thanks.
@Glen – The free Reserve AU card i.e. a Platinum card no free Sky Club. The paid Reserve AU does get free Sky Club. PS – NEVER upgrade unless you have had new card bonus 1x already.