What are the costs associated with Delta’s SkyMiles loyalty program, including credit card fees and elite status requirements?
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Delta’s loyalty program, SkyMiles, is free to join, but the cost of earning and using benefits varies based on the credit card or status tier you choose. The main costs come from co-branded American Express cards and elite status.
Co-Branded Credit Cards (Annual Fees)
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 annually.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: $350 annual fee.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: $650 annual fee.
Elite Status (Medallion Qualification)
- Medallion® Status requires earning 25,000 Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) in a year, which typically comes from high spending or flying frequently.
- Medallion® Executive Status requires 60,000 MQD, usually earned through premium flying or high spending on a Delta card.
- These tiers offer benefits like free checked bags, priority boarding, and upgrades, but the cost is tied to spending or flight volume, not a direct fee.
Key Perks with Fees
- Complimentary bags: The Platinum and Reserve cards include one free checked bag on domestic flights, plus an additional free bag on domestic flights.
- Bonus miles: Welcome offers on cards can include up to 125,000 bonus SkyMiles, but require spending $9,000–$15,000 within six months.
- Statement credits: Some cards offer up to $200 in annual statement credits for hotel or dining purchases.
The cost of the program is effectively the annual fee or spending required to earn elite status, not a sign-up fee. TravelUpdate +1
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$0 Intro Annual Fee, Earn 90,000 MIiles: Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card Review
Over the last few years, Amex has increased annual fees on many of their cards. While they still offer some of the best welcome bonuses on the market, the high annual fees can be a huge barrier for some before they consider a new card. However, one of the great things about this card is that it lets you try it out for the first year for no cost whatsoever. Let’s have a look at the business version of the Delta SkyMiles Gold card by American Express. Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Credit Card The Delta SkyMiles
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(Expired) Delta Amex Cards: New offers of up to 125K SkyMiles + 2nd free checked bag on domestic flights
Today, Amex announced new, limited-time welcome offers that let you earn between 90,000 and 125,000 SkyMiles after approval and meeting the spending requirements of a new Delta SkyMiles credit card. Unusually, the consumer cards each offer the same potential SkyMiles as their respective business cards, but the spending requirements are split into two tiers, each requiring ~75% of the business cards’ minimum spend (normally, consumer cards have lower spend AND lower bonus miles). Delta also announced that cardholders of all six of these cards now get a second free checked bag on domestic flights; an increasingly valuable benefit