Delta and American express have just upped the ante on their American Express Delta Gold card. The minimum spending requirement has also increased.
They now are offering 45,000 Skymiles as the bonus as long as you can spend $3000 within the first three months. That should be no problem for most people, but remember that it is an American Express, which some stores don’t accept.
The annual fee is waived for the first year and after that it is $95. It also comes with a free checked bag on domestic flights. This works for everyone on your itinerary too. So if you have a large family then this can be a huge money saver. They also throw in a $99 companion ticket each year, which essentially means that for $99 someone can join on the same flight as you are taking. That only works out to be a good deal if your flight is pretty expensive.
Now this is a really good offering when compared to their normal 25,000, or even their rare 30,000 offering, but it isn’t the best offer in the industry. Granted, if you are taking advantage of the free checked bags and traveling with a large family then this card can be a huge money saver. Otherwise the Delta redemption is not the most generous airliner. You can see where they fly and the Delta award chart below.
Delta Award Chart
Delta Where We Fly
Delta Partner Airlines
If I were to compare this offering to the Chase SapphireSM Preferred Card I would tell you that the Chase SapphireSM Preferred Card is much stronger of an offer. Let me explain.
- Annual Fees are the same
- Bonus is 5000 points higher
- Sapphire card allots Chase Ulitmate Rewards points. You can actually book on any airline if you would like for airfare up to $615.
- Points are transferrable to Amtrak, United, Continental, Southwest, and more
- Sapphire Preferred also gives you a 7% dividend.
On the other hand you may love Delta, and they fly where you need them to fly. If that is the case, then this is a great card for you. I grew up on Delta, and loved being a member of their Frequent Fliers club at an early age. They would mail me booklets to color. I really miss those days.
I have a friend going to Costa Rica today, so I’m rather jealous. I am hoping that I can get my vouchers booked soon so I have warm temperatures to look forward to. It is too cold in Idaho right now.
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