American Express completely revamped its cobranded Delta credit cards yesterday, adding benefits while increasing both the welcome offers and annual fees. However, on at least two of those cards (the consumer Gold and Platinum) it’s possible to get a better offer when making a dummy booking on Delta’s website. These modified offers each include a $400 statement credit, but with 20K less SkyMiles.
Unfortunately the way that Delta displays the application form while making a paid booking means that we’re unable to provide a direct link to these increased offers, otherwise we’d add them to our Best Offers page. Instead, we’ll list them there as “alternate offers.”
The Deal
- There are at least two “enhanced” welcome offers available on Amex Delta cards that can be accessed by going through the process of making a booking on the Delta website:
- Earn 50,000 bonus SkyMiles when applying for the Delta SkyMiles Gold credit card from American Express and spending $3,000 in the first six months. Also earn a $400 statement credit after making a Delta purchase in your first 6 months of card membership
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- Earn 70,000 bonus SkyMiles when applying for the Delta SkyMiles Platinum credit card from American Express and spending $4,000 in the first six months. Also earn a $400 statement credit after making a Delta purchase in your first 6 months of card membership.
How to access Delta Offers with a Dummy Booking
In order to access these offers, you have to start the the process of making a paid booking on Delta’s website. After you’ve selected which flights you want, scroll down a little and you should see a box with a personalized offer besides the upgrade options. On mobile devices it will be underneath and look like this:
As always when applying for a new card, be sure to take a screenshot of what’s being offered to you. If you’d like to apply, check the box in the bottom-left corner and continue through the booking process (you don’t have to actually book the flights).
When continuing the booking process, a popup will appear where you complete your details and get a decision. Once again, take a screenshot at this point to make sure the offer matches what you’re expecting.
Quick Thoughts
Each of these enhanced offers differs from the respective public version by effectively exchanging 20,000 SkyMiles for $400. That’s giving you 2 cents per mile, well above our Reasonable Redemption Value for SkyMiles of 1.5 cents each (for Delta cardholders). That makes each of these enhanced offers worth about $100 more than the public versions.
Note that the $400 statement credit is only triggered when you make a Delta purchase, but you shouldn’t need to spend all $400 on Delta flights in order to earn it – any kind or amount of Delta spend should trigger it. This would obviously be extremely easy if you have actual Delta flights that you want to buy in the near future. If not, these types of statement credits have also been triggered in the past by paying the $5.60 fee for booking an award flight.
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I bought Delta flights to Europe, applied for the AMEX CC during the payment process, and was approved instantly which also allowed me to pay for those tickets with the new CC. In the moment, my total didn’t include the $400 credit but that payment counted as a “Delta Purchase,” so I got the $400 statement credit a few days later.
I’m getting 60k + $400 offer after $8k spend on a new platinum card via the app. Just another data point.
what was the dates and search and class? Were you signed into the delta app or not? I would love to try and replicate it please
I did this offer last September while I was buying a flight from Delta for November. AMEX didn’t honor it. I even took a screen print. Tried to contact them via chat, was told it would be investigated and would let me know within six weeks, never heard from them. I tried calling them last week, they insist my offer was 60,000 sky miles which they gave me about 2 weeks ago (way after they should have). Asked for a supervisor, told them were “all” in a meeting. Said they would call me within 24 to 48 hours…hasn’t happened. They will do anything to get out giving you a statement credit. This card is getting cancelled.
Has anyone had any luck triggering the Platinum offer via dummy booking? I already have the Gold card and am looking to get the Plat, and I have a flight I need to book, so this would be a great offer. I tried many times in private browsers on a few machines, even with VPN. Tried various routes and fare classes. I can only see the gold offer
I can only see the Gold offer as well. Anyone had luck getting the platinum offer to trigger?
I tried this tonight and only saw $200+50K for the personal gold card – on a browser and not logged into any Delta account. Any trick to getting the $400 offer to show up?
If you use a computer you will get the $400 offer and if you use your smart phone you will get the $200 offer
Is the credit available immediately upon acceptance, or after meeting the minimum spend? As in, can I get a $400 credit for the flight I was about to book when I saw the offer pop up, assuming I wait until I’m approved and then book it.
Yes, you should be able to. That’s why they advertise it during booking.
They didn’t for me. In fact, I have never got it even after repeated calls.
[…] FM notes that the American Express Delta cards have better than public landing page offers for at least two cards during a paid dummy booking:– Personal Gold: 50,000 SkyMiles and $400 statement credit after $3,000 spend and a single Delta purchase in six months– Personal Platinum: 70,000 SkyMiles and $400 statement credit after $4,000 spend and a single Delta purchase in six monthsThe regular offer is 70,000 SkyMiles and 90,000 SkyMiles respectively, so you’re effectively selling 20,000 points for 2 cents per point with these offers. I was able to pull up both variants by switching browsers. […]
[…] HT: Frequent Miler […]
Business gold is offering 40k miles + $400 with the dummy booking. Worse than the 80k miles public offer.
Not once has that link ever worked for me. Even if you call them and tell them that you see a better offer listed, they won’t honor it.
Michael, which link are you referring to not working?
[…] HT: Frequent Miler […]
I’m not sure if anyone will see this question but it doesn’t cost anything 🙂
If you need to transfer points to a program to get an award ticket but it takes several days, is there anyway to hold that award ticket until the points get there?
I’d hate to transfer 300,000 points from Chase or Amex into a program, see the award disappear and then be unable to use the points for something else.
It depends upon the program you are trying to make the booking with. Some programs do allow award holds for short periods of time. Per an OMAAT article from July 2023:
Ana wouldn’t put an award on hold in March/April of 2023. Just a FYI. It was a new account and trying to book a non star alliance partner. Perhaps an account with prior activity or different operating carriers would yield a different result.
Remember that the 70k Gold and 90k Platinum offers are available via referral (at least I was able to see it). Depending upon your situation, 20k SkyMiles + a P2 referral bonus might be worth more than $400.
How do we get the platinum to show up? I just see the gold one
Perhaps try an expensive flight in Comfort plus or above
I had the same question, so I tried a $17,000 ticket… It loaded the Gold offer.
Try using incognito mode and/or a different browser.
Should we expect to hear 1) crickets or 2) tap dancing?
3) Both (because it’s the crickets that are tap dancing!)
If we hold out long enough, might they include a pony?