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Limited Time: 50k and 60k Delta Offers. Which is Better?

June 4, 2016
|In Delta, Sign Up Bonus Valuation
|By Scott Grimmer

MileValue is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Note: Some of the offers mentioned below may have changed or are no longer be available. You can view current offers here.


Until July 6, 2016, the Delta Gold card is offering 50,000 bonus Delta miles and a $50 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in your first three months.

Until July 6, 2016, the Delta Platinum is offering 60,000 bonus miles, 10,000 status miles (MQMs), and a $100 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in your first three months.

This is the largest bonus I’ve seen on the Platinum card. I’ve seen up to 70,000 on the Gold card, but this is still quite high for a card that normally offers only 30,000 miles.

Screen Shot 2016-06-04 at 3.53.35 PM

Quick Facts

  • Sign Up Bonus:
    Platinum: 60k miles, 10k MQMs, and $100 statement credit after spending $2,000 in first three months
    Gold: 50k miles and $50 statement credit after spending $2,000 in the first three months
  • Category Bonuses: 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases
  • Value of Delta Miles: Worth 1.3 cents each to me
  • Free Checked Bag for you plus up to three others on same Delta reservation
  • No Foreign Transaction Fee
  • Annual Fee:
    Platinum: $195, not waived (so a net of -$95 after statement credit)
    Gold: $95, waived for first year (so a net of +$50 after statement credit)
  • You can only get the bonus once per lifetime on Amex cards. Example: if in the past, you have had only the Gold, you are ineligible to get the bonus on the Gold, but you can get the bonus on the Platinum

Sign Up Bonus

The Delta Gold card is offering 50,000 bonus Delta miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. You also get a $50 statement credit after your first Delta purchase in the first three months. All Delta purchases, including gift cards, are activating the statement credit.

The Delta Platinum is offering 60,000 bonus miles and 10,000 status miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. You also get a $100 statement credit after your first Delta purchase in the first three months. All Delta purchases, including gift cards, are activating the statement credit.

I value Delta miles at 1.3 cents each, so the Gold’s sign up bonus is worth $700 to me. (50,000 * .013 + 50)

I value the Platinum’s sign up bonus at $685 plus the value of the MQMs. (60,000 * .013 + 100 – 195)

MQMs (Medallion Qualifying Miles) are not redeemable for anything; they are simply the counter by which Delta determines your status. You normally earn them by flying, but getting the Platinum card can save you some butt-in-seat miles.

Screen Shot 2016-06-04 at 4.04.41 PM

The value of the MQMs depends on your plans for Delta status. I have no interest or path to Delta status. I have 0 MQMs for the year, and that probably won’t change, so I’d value 10,000 MQMs at $0. However, if you are 10,000 MQMs short of Delta Diamond, the value of the 10,000s MQM could easily be a few thousand dollars because of the extra upgrades and other benefits you’d receive compared to being a Platinum member.

If you’re deciding which card to get, the big difference is how important Delta MQMs are to you.

Category Bonuses

You get two miles per dollar on all Delta purchases with both cards. I’d rather use the Citi Prestige® Card, which earns 3x ThankYou Points per dollar on all air travel and hotel purchases (including Delta purchases.)

Other Benefits

The card comes with the standard checked bag benefit that most airline cards offer. This one is good when you fly Delta, and is also good for a free checked bag for up to three others on the same reservation as you.

The Platinum card also comes with a chance to earn bonus MQMs every year. After you spend $25,000 on purchases on your Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card in a calendar year, you earn 10,000 MQMs and 10,000 bonus miles. And, after you spend $50,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in the same year, you earn an additional 10,000 MQMs and an additional 10,000 bonus miles. That’s a total of 20,000 MQMs and 20,000 bonus miles in a calendar year.

Foreign Transaction Fees

The cards have no foreign transaction fees.

No Annual Fee

The Gold card has a $95 annual fee. It is waived the first year.

The Platinum card has a $195 annual fee. It is NOT waived. In the first year, it is partially offset by that $100 credit for making a Delta purchase in the first three months, but this card is still $145 worse out of pocket than the Gold card. (The Gold card is +$50 because it has no annual fee the first year and a $50 credit, and this card is -$95.)

Remember Amex’s Rule

You can only get the bonus on each Amex card once per lifetime. These are two separate cards, so you can get the bonus on each. But if you have had the Gold card before, you are locked out of its bonus. If you have had the Platinum card before, you are locked out of its bonus.

Bottom Line

There are big sign up bonuses on the Delta Gold and Platinum cards. If you don’t value Delta status, these are similar offers. If you value Delta status, get the Delta Platinum card.

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Editorial Disclaimer: The editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuers. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuers, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuers.

The comments section below is 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 questions are answered.

9 Comments
Drew
June 4, 2016

You did not include analysis of the Companion Pass on the Delta Platinum card. This signup has the CP, right?

Reply
Scott Grimmer
June 4, 2016

I couldn’t find details, but many years ago I tried to use a Delta companion pass and it required such an expensive fare class that it was not worth it. I assume this is similar unless someone finds evidence to the contrary.

Reply
Raquib
June 7, 2016

Do you have a public link to the Platinum offer?

Reply
Five Best Uses of Delta SkyMiles | MileValue
June 16, 2016

[…] I compared the 50,000 mile Gold and 60,000 mile Platinum offers here, and discussed which is better … […]

Reply
WolffRR
June 17, 2016

If you have the old, generic Delta Skymiles Amex, do you have to cancel it before signing up for either of these?

Reply
Scott Grimmer
June 18, 2016

Is it a Gold or Platinum card? If not, you’re good.

Reply
Delta Gold and Platinum Cards are Ideal for People Who Live in These 9 Cities | MileValue
June 23, 2016

[…] Read my post about both offers to see which is more suited to you. […]

Reply
Delta 50k/60k Offers End Wednesday, Everything You Need to Know | MileValue
July 2, 2016

[…] I compared them fully in this post. The upshot is that the offers are about equal if you don’t care about Delta status, and the Delta Platinum is much better if you do. […]

Reply
Fly China Eastern Double (!) Bed to Asia with Miles | MileValue
January 29, 2018

[…] The Gold personal and Gold business cards are offering 50,000 bonus miles for spending $2,000 in the first three months. The Platinum personal card is offering 60,000 bonus miles with the same spending requirement. Which is better for you? […]

Reply

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