Delta and American Express have a suite of co-branded credit cards, and we’ve just seen these products overhauled. While the cards are receiving new perks, we’re also seeing annual fees increased, so these changes are a mixed bag. Let’s go over all the details.
In this post:
Delta Amex card annual fees increasing
Let’s start with the bad news, which is that Delta Amex card annual fees are increasing for applications as of February 1, 2024:
- For the personal and business version of the Delta Amex Gold Card, the annual fee is increasing from $99 to $150, though continues to be $0 for the first 12 months
- For the personal and business version of the Delta Amex Platinum Card, the annual fee is increasing from $250 to $350
- For the personal and business version of the Delta Amex Reserve Card, the annual fee is increasing from $550 to $650
These increased fees apply for new cardmembers effective immediately. Meanwhile for existing cardmembers, the new fees will apply for your first renewal date on May 1, 2024, or later. Obviously this is a negative change, but credit card annual fee inflation is nothing new.
Delta Amex cards receive new statement credits
Delta Amex cards are getting new statement credits, and the details differ with each card type, with business cards getting more rewards than personal cards. Here are the details:
- The personal version of the Delta Amex Gold Card will get up to a $100 annual Delta Stays credit
- The business version of the Delta Amex Gold Card will get up to a $150 annual Delta Stays credit
- The personal version of the Delta Amex Platinum Card will get up to a $120 annual Resy credit ($10 per month), up to a $120 annual rideshare credit (up to $10 per month), and up to a $150 annual Delta Stays credit
- The business version of the Delta Amex Platinum Card will get up to a $120 annual Resy credit ($10 per month), up to a $120 annual rideshare credit (up to $10 per month), and up to a $200 annual Delta Stays credit
- The personal version of the Delta Amex Reserve Card will get up to a $240 annual Resy credit ($20 per month), up to a $120 annual rideshare credit (up to $10 per month), and up to a $200 annual Delta Stays credit
- The business version of the Delta Amex Reserve Card will get up to a $240 annual Resy credit ($20 per month), up to a $120 annual rideshare credit (up to $10 per month), and up to a $250 annual Delta Stays credit
Just to cover a few important points about these credits:
- Delta Stays is Delta’s hotel travel portal, and you can apply that credit toward prepaid hotels and vacation rentals
- The Resy credit applies for purchases at Resy restaurants in the United States; enrollment is required
- The rideshare credit applies for Uber, Lyft, Alto, Curb, and Revel; enrollment is required
Delta Amex card companion certificates gain flexibility
Both the personal and business version of the Delta Amex Platinum Card and Delta Amex Reserve Card offer an annual companion certificate. The cards are maintaining that perk, but with more flexibility.
Rather than being valid exclusively for travel within the lower 48 United States, these will be expanded to be usable for travel to Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. That’s some fantastic new flexibility, since these are all destinations where you can potentially get even more value from your certificates.
Delta Amex business cards get new bonus categories
While fairly minor, the three Delta Amex business cards are getting new spending bonus categories:
- The business version of the Delta Amex Gold Card will earn 2x miles per dollar spent on shopping and advertising, on up to $50,000 of spending annually (and then 1x miles)
- The business version of the Delta Platinum Card will earn 1.5x miles per dollar spent on transit, U.S. shipping, and purchases greater than $5,000, on up to $100,000 of spending annually (and then 1x miles)
- The business version of the Delta Reserve Card will earn 1.5x miles per dollar spent on transit, U.S. shipping, and U.S. office supply stores, with no limits on spending
Delta Amex Gold cards see Delta flight credit boost
Historically both the personal and business version of the Delta Amex Gold Card have offered a $100 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 in a calendar year. With this new change, you’ll now get a $200 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 in a calendar year. That potentially makes spending $10,000 on this card per year pretty lucrative.
Bottom line
Major changes have been announced for Delta Amex cards. The annual fees on these cards are increasingly considerably, though the cards are also getting new perks.
Companion certificates are more flexible, and we’re seeing new credits introduced. The challenge with many of these Amex card credits is that it can be hard to use them efficiently, especially those credits awarded on a monthly basis.
At the end of the day, Delta does a great job getting people to spend on its portfolio of co-branded credit cards, and I imagine these changes might just make spending on the cards even more popular, at least for those who don’t cancel the cards due to the fee hikes.
What do you make of these Delta Amex changes?
I have the personal card to use to pay for any Delta Flights as this gives my wife and I no baggge costs. For both of us, this isover 100 dollars for a return trip. However for 150 dollars, as I fly Delta rrely, it is not worth it. So long Delta.
Although the delta stays credit can make the annual fee decrease and the Hertz status is nice, it's basically a ploy to keep you spending not only on Delta flight but Delta vactions as well.
Delta clubs needed more restrictions, so I understand limiting the access for the Amex Platinum, but removing unlimited access for the Reserve was in bad taste since the United cards and AA cards still give you access including with...
Although the delta stays credit can make the annual fee decrease and the Hertz status is nice, it's basically a ploy to keep you spending not only on Delta flight but Delta vactions as well.
Delta clubs needed more restrictions, so I understand limiting the access for the Amex Platinum, but removing unlimited access for the Reserve was in bad taste since the United cards and AA cards still give you access including with guests. Now being 650, I think switching to the Platinum card is the much better option if you want a premium card from Amex and want to use Delta clubs as there are other airlines out there.
Will begin to research other cc offers. Have the platinum and wife has gold but price increases doesn't make economic sense for us. Added perks like icing on a rather hollow cake. 2+ decades with Delta Amex will soon be history.
Using the $150 hotel credit before canceling... this is absurd!
When I first had a Delta Platinum there were plenty of flights you could use the companion ticket on. For the past several years I've never been able to use one. The flights never have the right class code to qualify. So expanding it to more locations is worthless unless they also allow more class codes to qualify. The companion tickets also are too limited in terms of advance notice and length of stay.
...
When I first had a Delta Platinum there were plenty of flights you could use the companion ticket on. For the past several years I've never been able to use one. The flights never have the right class code to qualify. So expanding it to more locations is worthless unless they also allow more class codes to qualify. The companion tickets also are too limited in terms of advance notice and length of stay.
My only reason to have the card is for free bags, but it turns out I'm flying United almost every time anyway, so I'm cancelling.
I have the gold card and I have never appreciated the $99 fee. Now with it going up 50% I will be cancelling.
There are many other better credit cards out there.
It's not these credits are terrible. It's just that it takes mental gymnastics to keep the track of the credits and their utilization each month. I have like a handful of cards with ride share credits now. It would be nice to just pool this into one balance each year to draw down.
What can you use Resy credits to pay for? I thought Resy was a reservation platform like OpenTable. Are people using Resy to pay for restaurant reservations? Hoping there is some other use for these credits, as credits for restaurant reservation fees seems incredibly niche (though I guess this would be in line with the Amex Coupon Book Breakage strategy)
Reserve card now has benefit of complimentary upgrade even if no status. Good luck with this though. I think we are talking lottery odds here.
Does anyone know if the hotel stay credits are effective immediately and are they based on calendar year or membership year?
Calendar year. Read the section on the delta stays credit from delta biz gold.
I'm constantly redeeming DL miles for domestic flights. There are good deals to be had there and the 15% off redemptions caused me to keep the card when the program changed. I get far more than $550 in value from that. The increase in fees is at worst a wash for me, as I use lots of rideshare for work and use Resy restaurants occasionally. I'll try DL stays... and the first year $100 credit is nice.
What kind of deals? I never see any that aren't priced at 1c/pt.
Remember - these cards earn worthless Skypesos that you can barely use for anything. I'd think long and hard about getting one of these cards, especially compared with much more lucrative rewards elsewhere.
If I renew my Delta Reserve at the end of 2024 does Delta add SkyMoron to my boarding passes and SkyMiles Profile?
So even though I never carry a balance, my interest rates got hiked last year. Now the annual fee is getting hiked as well. Delta isn't my first choice of airlines despite DTW being my home airport. And article with options for those of us looking to keep an AMEX card but wanting to dump Delta would be very helpful.
We had the Delta Platinum and Reserve.
While we are happy with the flexibility of the certificate, the increased fees for credit card coupons is a bust.
We just called to cancel them.
They offered us miles, but passed. Our renewal dates were in April.
I’m still annoyed that Gold Card Members still don’t get access to the Sky Lounges. Especially now that the fee has been raised to $150/year.
From bad to worse!!!!!!!!!! time to stop using these dumb cardsthat get used for 1 percent of all c\c transactions in the usa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I rarely use the Gold flavor and now I don't see it worth keeping with the fee hike.....Buh Bye
Terrible. No value. I will cancel.
Just as soon as I get back from my upcoming trip, dumping the platinum card. Don't use rideshare, don't eat out much and sure as hell don't stick anyone flying with me in MC for the companion cert.
Buh bye
Am I to understand that for the Delta stays credit there is no minimum purchase ? Just an open 150 credit? So if I book a hotel via Delta Stays that is $145, after the statement credit would be "free"?
I don't see a way to book only a hotel with Delta vacations. It has to be a flight/hotel combo, or hotel/car rental. So it doesn't seem it can work for a single night stay.
Just for hotel use https://delta.com/stays not Delta Vacations
In fact, the credit doesn't work on Delta Vacations.
I'm used to the coupon book that Amex does and finding some worthwhile options, albeit worth 50% of face value, and some options that are worthless. These monthly credits are completely worthless to me. Makes it an easy decision to cancel my card when the annual fee hits.
Anyone been able to circumvent popup jail applying for a new delta personal card today or recently? haven't received a personal card SUB in years and put a couple hundred thousands on all my cards in the last 12 months. Any suggestions?
Note that the expansion of companion certificate destinations only applies to new certificates, not any you may already have.
I was wondering about that, but the email from Delta seemed to indicate otherwise?
"Alongside these Card benefit updates, which you may begin enjoying now, ..."
I had to search the FAQ section on the website. Only valid for certificates issued after February 1st.
Oh, great, both my partner and I JUST received or certs. They expire next January.
Any good deals on just to book a hotel for Amex Gold Card credit. The website shows the price per person instead of full price. Search results also bad, when i search for London Gatwick (LGW), it shows Heathrow and other central London at the top of the result, no way to filter by distance.
My renewal is end of the year, might have to cancel the card if I don't get a good return.
Any good deals on just to book a hotel for Amex Gold Card credit. The website shows the price per person instead of full price. Search results also bad, when i search for London Gatwick (LGW), it shows Heathrow and other central London at the top of the result, no way to filter by distance.
My renewal is end of the year, might have to cancel the card if I don't get a good return.
Will lose the Main cabin and check baggage privilege. Finally I will have to use the Amex platinum to reimburse $200 baggage fee.
I take back my previous comment about the search results. To get the hotel credit, you have to visit Delta.com/stays not delta vacations. Delta.com/stays is powered by Expedia and the results are much better than delta vacation website.
Bwahahaha... The Entertainment Book lives on! Seriously, though, did their execs hop over to amex or something? Just like the og, there will be people who get fantastic value out of this. Most will be duped by the flashy dollar amount and crushed by the fine print.
There are a lot of negative reactions here, but I think it makes the business reserve card quite compelling. Sure it’s a coupon book, but if the uber credit can be used for Ubereats, it’ll be useful. The resy credit isn’t amazing, but whatever. The prepaid hotel credit is actually useful though, it’s basically what you get with the Venture X, and no one complains about that. If you value those perks, they provide a...
There are a lot of negative reactions here, but I think it makes the business reserve card quite compelling. Sure it’s a coupon book, but if the uber credit can be used for Ubereats, it’ll be useful. The resy credit isn’t amazing, but whatever. The prepaid hotel credit is actually useful though, it’s basically what you get with the Venture X, and no one complains about that. If you value those perks, they provide a major discount on the card, without removing any of the benefits the card used to have. They might’ve added a $100 to the fee, but they also added $500 of coupons, while also enhancing the core benefits.
Yet another reason to cancel the reserve card
The Resy, Uber, and Delta stay credits are useless for us but the expansion of companion certificates is good and we’ll likely get more value out of them now. 1 trip to Alaska, Hawaii, Caribbean will easily pay for couple of years worth of the Platinum card.
Adding in Mexico, Caribbean and Hawaii on the companion certificate is interesting. The question will be how available will those seats be. In the past it's been hard to use them but maybe with more flexibility. I'm going to maybe keep for 1 more year and see if it's worth while to keep the card. I'm skeptical. I figure I can use the Reserve $100 credit so it's a wash in year 1. The coupon...
Adding in Mexico, Caribbean and Hawaii on the companion certificate is interesting. The question will be how available will those seats be. In the past it's been hard to use them but maybe with more flexibility. I'm going to maybe keep for 1 more year and see if it's worth while to keep the card. I'm skeptical. I figure I can use the Reserve $100 credit so it's a wash in year 1. The coupon book is so frustrating and something I very much do not want - especially the food delivery ones: Here is $10 in credit for using a service that jacks up cost of menu, adds a service fee, and tipping. The service fees and increased menu costs are more than the credit.
The Gold cards seem to be winners in this update! For $150 AF, you get $150 credit for hotel/airbnb stays (which would be easy for most ppl who travel once or twice a year - which would also be the target population of this card) and once you spend $10k, you get $200 flight credit, which you can easily use for a Delta flight (which again, would be easy for those who travel once or...
The Gold cards seem to be winners in this update! For $150 AF, you get $150 credit for hotel/airbnb stays (which would be easy for most ppl who travel once or twice a year - which would also be the target population of this card) and once you spend $10k, you get $200 flight credit, which you can easily use for a Delta flight (which again, would be easy for those who travel once or twice a year and use Delta flights - which would be a target population of this card)
The Platinum and Reserve coupon book is so very sad :( I wouldn't wast my money on those cards, unless I needed those for specific purposes (like status boost, etc.)
Existing Delta Reserve cardholders were just e-mailed with two, one-time benefits
- $100 flight credit
- $1,000 in extra MQD (for $3,500 total)
Exactly. Surprised Ben missed this — not sure it’s enough to make me hold on to the card, but it’s better than nothing.
Companion cert expansion to Hawaii and Central America is very much worth the extra $100. The coupon book is a nuisance.
I also received an email as a reserve biz cardholder that one time only I will receive an extra 1,000 MQD boost (3,500 from the card) and a $100 flight credit to use this year. They're generous at least
Love this. Will I use the Resy credits - maybe?? But as a Minneapolis based flyer the companion certificate easily saves me $500-1000. Have upcoming plans to travel to the Caribbean and Delta is much preferred to American.
lollllll why would anyone use these cards?
AmEx = coupon booklet
SkyMiles = no value whatsoever
It's sickening. It'd be hilarious if so many people weren't deluded enough to buy into these...
No value? I've redeemed 35K for a nearly $2,000 trip to Sydney before. Just because you can't find value doesn't mean they have no value to others. AMEX cards are great. I earn over $800 in annual benefits, more than covering the AF, not to mention savings thousands on AMEX offers annually on my Plat.
Yes! I remember redeeming 35k to fly in the shiny new Delta MD-11!
Didn't realize the 359 I flew in December 2022 was an old MD-11.
Wow, Delta is really flailing over the past year. Unfortunate, I was rooting for them - at this point though, it seems the other two likely have better longer term outlooks.
Relative to the Citi AA Executive Card's 10X on the AA hotel and rental car portal, the Amex Delta Reserve is a sad, pathetic joke. My wife and I have four Amex Delta cards of various flavors. With these changes, I don't see us holding on to anything other than one Gold when everything comes up for renewal.
I'm not grandfathered into the old fee for another year based on renewal date, but I'll see what value I reasonably get from the credits and companion certificate between now and then. Can always downgrade to no-fee Blue and see if they offer a good upgrade bonus back to Gold or Platinum.
I was all set to cancel my Plat until I got to the companion pass updates. The restrictions on it were always my biggest gripe with the card, but now it's actually pretty easy to use. Will hang onto it for another year and then see.
Coupon cards on steroids. Cancelling the personal delta platinum, $350 is too much for such a low multiplier card.
That was my initial thought. I still may, but the companion pass update might be worth it if I can get the wife to Mexico with it.
Bye bye Delta. Cancelling my Reserve card.
Yup, I have been on the fence for the last couple of years, but I think this is the year when I finally cut the card. IMHO, the value is just not there.
Amex cards are turning into coupon cards
AMEX cards are very easy to get more than the AF in value from the monthly/quarterly/yearly benefits.
While it is true that one can recoup more than the annual fee, those perks (obviously) lock you into specific purchases which I feel is a disadvantage. Personally, I have shed all annual fee cards in favor of broader cash back cards that encompass a wider array of purchases than many travel specific cards.