The Good
The current offer which ends on 11/8/2017 is the best yet. There was a similar offer of 70,000 SkyInches and 10,000 Medallion Qualifying Miles, back in July, but required spending $4,000 in 4 months rather than $3,000 in 3 months. The $100 credit for a Delta purchase was also offered.
Other good things:
The annual companion certificate.
70,000 SkyInches = $700 when you Pay with Points
Priority boarding
One free checked bag
The Bad
The $195 annual fee is not waved the first year.
This card only gives you 2 miles per dollar spent directly with Delta, other cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserved and Amex Platinum give you 3X and 5X respectively.
This card only offers discounted, not complementary access to Delta’s Sky Clubs.
You only get 1X on all non-Delta purchases.
The Ugly
It’s hard to get value out of SkyInches, other than those times when Delta has “flash sales,” If you are lucky, the sale may include destinations and dates that work for you.
The Pay with Points value for SkyInches is 1 cent per point.
Delta’s “priority boarding” in practice is not that great.
We have not used Delta’s annual companion certificate, but from what we have read it is plagued with restrictions. This companion certificate is nothing like Southwest’s which is one of the best deals in travel, if not the best.
Final Thoughts
This card is clearly best for loyal Delta flyers, who do not have other premium credit cards. For instance, if you have the Amex Platinum, instead of a discount you get complementary access to Delta’s Sky Clubs. Your earning is also 5X MR (or 3X UR with the CSR) when you purchase directly from Delta.
