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If you’re a Delta flyer, now could be a great time to sign up for these two business credit cards from Amex, as they’re offering higher than usual sign-up bonuses. Currently, you can earn 50,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the first three months with the Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card from American Express and 70,000 miles and 10,000 MQMs after spending $5,000 in the first three months with the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card from American Express.
Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Card
Typically, this card has a sign-up bonus of 30,000 miles when you spend $1,000 in the first three months, so the current offer gets you 20,000 extra miles (though you do have to spend $1,000 more). Based on TPG’s valuations, those extra miles are worth $240, and the entire 50,000-mile bonus is worth $600. While Delta no longer publishes its award charts, depending on your travel dates you could use the sign-up bonus to book a round-trip economy flight within the US. Also note that, as with the standard sign-up bonus, you can earn a $50 statement credit when you make a Delta purchase in the first three months.
The Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Card earns you 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. You also get priority boarding on Delta flights, a first bag checked free and 20% off in-flight purchases. This card has a $95 annual fee that’s waived the first year.
Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Card
This card’s standard sign-up bonus is 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 35,000 SkyMiles after you spend $1,000 in the first three months, but with the current offer you can earn 10,000 MQMs and 70,000 miles after you spend $5,000 in the first three months. You’ll also get a $100 statement credit when you make a Delta purchase with the card in the first three months.
The limited-time sign-up offer does require spending significantly more to earn the miles and MQMs, but it could be worth it. Based on TPG’s valuations, 70,000 SkyMiles are worth $840, and if you can find the lowest redemption rate, that’s enough to book a one-way business-class award from the US to Europe (for 62,500 miles).
While this card has a higher annual fee of $195 that’s not waived the first year, it can be a great pick if you’re working toward Delta elite status. If you were to earn the current sign-up bonus with 10,000 MQMs, you’d be 40% of the way to Delta SkyMiles Silver Medallion, which requires 25,000 MQMs. Plus, with the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Card, you can earn additional MQMs when you meet certain spending thresholds. If you spend $25,000 on the card in a calendar year, you’ll earn 10,000 MQMs and 10,000 bonus miles, and if you spend $50,000 in a calendar year, you’ll earn another 10,000 MQMs and 10,000 bonus miles. If you were to meet the highest spending threshold after earning 10,000 MQMs from the current sign-up bonus, you’d have 30,000 MQMs — 20,000 MQMs short of Gold Medallion status.
Beyond the sign-up bonus and the ability to earn MQMs toward elite status, this card offers priority boarding, a free checked bag and 20% off in-flight purchases. Cardholders also get a companion certificate for a round-trip domestic economy flight each year upon card renewal. You’ll still have to pay taxes and fees, but these max out at $75.
Bottom Line
American Express only lets you earn a sign-up bonus once per card, so if you’ve yet to apply for either of these, now’s a great time to do so. You’ll earn 20,000 more miles than usual with the Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Card, and you’ll earn 35,000 more miles than usual with the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Card. With that latter card, you’ll also earn 10,000 MQMs toward elite status, putting you well on your way to Silver Medallion.
Source: thepointsguy.com