what’s the fastest way to earn miles right now?

If you want to rack up airline miles as quickly as possible, focus on cards that hand you a large welcome bonus for a relatively modest spend and then let you keep earning at a high rate on everyday purchases.

Welcome‑bonus cards that deliver the most miles fast

• Delta SkyMiles Reserve® American Express Card – Earn 100,000 Delta miles after you spend $6,000 in the first six months (about $1,000 a month)  TravelUpdate . This is the biggest single‑offer boost among the cards listed.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® – Get 75,000 points after $5,000 in the first three months, plus a $150 Chase Travel℠ credit if you’re targeted for the special offer  FrequentMiler . The shorter spend window (three months) can make the points come in faster, though the total bonus is lower than the Delta offer.
• American Express Platinum Card – Offers up to 175,000 Membership Rewards points, but the bonus is variable and often tied to higher spend thresholds (e.g., $8,000 in six months)  TravelUpdate . Because of the larger spend requirement, it’s generally slower to hit the bonus compared with the Delta or Chase cards.

How to maximize the earn rate once you have a card

• Delta SkyMiles Reserve pays 3 miles per dollar on purchases made directly with Delta and 1 mile per dollar on all other spending  TravelUpdate .
• The same card also provides recurring credits that can offset other travel costs: $200 Delta Stays credit, $240 Resy dining credit, $120 rideshare credit, and a $120 Global Entry/TSA Pre‑Check credit every four years  TravelUpdate . Using these credits reduces out‑of‑pocket expenses, letting more of your regular spend go toward mileage‑earning purchases.

Quick‑start strategy

1. Apply for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card to capture the 100k‑mile welcome bonus with a $6k spend over six months.
2. Concentrate your $1,000‑per‑month spend on Delta purchases (flights, Delta Stays, etc.) to earn the 3× mileage rate  TravelUpdate .
3. Take advantage of the monthly credits (Resy dining, rideshare, etc.) to lower other travel costs while you meet the spend threshold  TravelUpdate .

By pairing the largest, lowest‑threshold welcome bonus (Delta’s 100k miles) with the 3× earn rate on Delta spend, you’ll accumulate miles the fastest among the options provided.