Which Delta AmEx would you get?

[notmyrealname23]

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@K-in-Boston wrote:

@notmyrealname23 two quick things I wanted to address.  

While Delta does not have an award chart, main cabin award fares are at worst essentially tied to revenue prices and would yield a minimum value of 1.2 cents per mile.  Paid upgrades to Comfort+, Premium, First, and Delta One seem to be pegged at 1.15 cents per mile.  For PWM, they are 1 cent if redeemed in 5k blocks (it's 5000 per $50, so $201 would require 25k, and it's better to use 20k to cover $200 and pay the $1 out of pocket so you don't waste 5k SkyMiles on $1 in this example).  PWM really only makes sense if you need MQMs, although for 2021 award fares are earning MQMs and MQDs (a first for a US carrier).  But with frequent award fare sales, you can do much better than 1.2 cents.

As for hyper-expensive tickets needed for companion fares, it's actually the exact opposite.  All L, U, X, T and V fares are eligible for the companion tickets - those are the discounted cheap main cabin fares.  It's actually the expensive last-minute tickets (like full fare Y) that are excluded from companion fares.  Similarly for the Delta Reserve pass, it includes those, the C+ W fares, and the cheaper First Class tickets (not full fare J and F fares).

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I haven't found a ton of Delta award sales where I do a lot better than 1.2 cpm (I suppose they're out there though, and I'll have enough SkyMiles at the beginning that at least a one way to Europe/Asia is possible under the right conditions).

I tend to see this happening a lot though over the years.

https://onemileatatime.com/delta-skymiles-devalues-partner-awards-again/

No notice devaluations don't make me fond of a program, or willing to accumulate large balances in a program just to see the award goal I'm saving for go up in smoke. I'm thus more likely to burn Skymiles for that $80 flight to Vegas or LA (admittedly I've seen some very low cost awards I've booked lately go at something like 1.5-2 cpm- 4000 miles for a one way that's $60-80 is very solid when it comes to Delta).

Also... so if the Platinum certificate's only good on cheap fares, the annual fees you need to pay to get one are $500 ($250x2). That's a pretty steep hill to climb on a domestic round trip coach fare to get positive expected value just from the certificate (though I imagine there are some markets out there where LUTXV fares on a round trip are over $500- I'm thinking markets where Delta has a hammerlock on where you need to go). So it doesn't sound like it's a selling point until you hit year three and beyond (where you only need $250) and the card is thus a long term keeper? Am I misunderstanding something here- like cancelling right after the certificate hits or something?

(If you were getting the certificate as part of the SUB, like for some other airline cards, I'd say it's more of an even deal. I might even do it.)

[summerterrace]

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@notmyrealname23 wrote:

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@K-in-Boston wrote:

@notmyrealname23 two quick things I wanted to address.  

While Delta does not have an award chart, main cabin award fares are at worst essentially tied to revenue prices and would yield a minimum value of 1.2 cents per mile.  Paid upgrades to Comfort+, Premium, First, and Delta One seem to be pegged at 1.15 cents per mile.  For PWM, they are 1 cent if redeemed in 5k blocks (it's 5000 per $50, so $201 would require 25k, and it's better to use 20k to cover $200 and pay the $1 out of pocket so you don't waste 5k SkyMiles on $1 in this example).  PWM really only makes sense if you need MQMs, although for 2021 award fares are earning MQMs and MQDs (a first for a US carrier).  But with frequent award fare sales, you can do much better than 1.2 cents.

As for hyper-expensive tickets needed for companion fares, it's actually the exact opposite.  All L, U, X, T and V fares are eligible for the companion tickets - those are the discounted cheap main cabin fares.  It's actually the expensive last-minute tickets (like full fare Y) that are excluded from companion fares.  Similarly for the Delta Reserve pass, it includes those, the C+ W fares, and the cheaper First Class tickets (not full fare J and F fares).

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I haven't found a ton of Delta award sales where I do a lot better than 1.2 cpm (I suppose they're out there though, and I'll have enough SkyMiles at the beginning that at least a one way to Europe/Asia is possible under the right conditions).

I tend to see this happening a lot though over the years.

https://onemileatatime.com/delta-skymiles-devalues-partner-awards-again/

No notice devaluations don't make me fond of a program, or willing to accumulate large balances in a program just to see the award goal I'm saving for go up in smoke. I'm thus more likely to burn Skymiles for that $80 flight to Vegas or LA (admittedly I've seen some very low cost awards I've booked lately go at something like 1.5-2 cpm- 4000 miles for a one way that's $60-80 is very solid when it comes to Delta).

Also... so if the Platinum certificate's only good on cheap fares, the annual fees you need to pay to get one are $500 ($250x2). That's a pretty steep hill to climb on a domestic round trip coach fare to get positive expected value just from the certificate (though I imagine there are some markets out there where LUTXV fares on a round trip are over $500- I'm thinking markets where Delta has a hammerlock on where you need to go). So it doesn't sound like it's a selling point until you hit year three and beyond (where you only need $250) and the card is thus a long term keeper? Am I misunderstanding something here- like cancelling right after the certificate hits or something?

(If you were getting the certificate as part of the SUB, like for some other airline cards, I'd say it's more of an even deal. I might even do it.)

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Yes it's basically paying $400 for 20k extra miles and a companion pass.  I guess they don't want people cancelling after the 1st year so the companion pass is to keep people paying it.

[Brian_Earl_Spilner]

Started with gold to get back in with amex. Ended up liking delta so I applied for the platinum to get the elevated sub. Didn't really care about the companion pass as I normally don't fly less than comfort+. Upgraded the gold to reserve because the companion pass covers the higher rates. Will probably downgrade the platinum to blue when renewal time comes, if I don't flat out cancel it.

[K-in-Boston]

If one is looking at the card only in terms of 2 years, I suppose the math may not work out as well.  Most of my domestic Main Cabin fares are usually in the $300-500 range, so $250 would be an easy justification for a companion. If one is only doing short hops with lots of competition, it may not make sense.  I'd never use one for BOS-JFK for example where I can pretty much guarantee I'll be going in F round trip for $150 or less.  BOS-SFO or LAX or SEA would make much more sense.

That first year should be covered by a larger welcome offer and often some MQMs as well, and unless you're specifically only looking at 24 months (then close or downgrade) on the Platinum and Reserve it's not really a fair comparison to use 2 annual fees.

[notmyrealname23]

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@K-in-Boston wrote:

If one is looking at the card only in terms of 2 years, I suppose the math may not work out as well.  Most of my domestic Main Cabin fares are usually in the $300-500 range, so $250 would be an easy justification for a companion. If one is only doing short hops with lots of competition, it may not make sense.  I'd never use one for BOS-JFK for example where I can pretty much guarantee I'll be going in F round trip for $150 or less.  BOS-SFO or LAX or SEA would make much more sense.

That first year should be covered by a larger welcome offer and often some MQMs as well, and unless you're specifically only looking at 24 months (then close or downgrade) on the Platinum and Reserve it's not really a fair comparison to use 2 annual fees.

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OK, good, I'm glad my logic seems to be solid. At present, like I said, I don't think shooting for retaining Delta status for 2022 is feasible (the MQD spend on a Delta AMEX is a big opportunity cost against other cards I put spend on), but it seemed like a good idea to try it out in late 2020/early 2021 when Delta was being super generous with status matches (it's always good to peek on the other side of the fence and check out the grass color). The Platinum seems more suited for if I wanted long term retention as a DL elite (and grinding out a good chunk of spend), ditto Reserve.

(I hardly ever pack luggage on domestic trips so the bag fee waiver isn't really much use to me.)

I'm thinking the Platinum BOGO certificate has added value in more secondary airports or hubs where it is more likely Delta has you in the vise grip of higher fares, even in lower fare classes. BOS and SEA have LOADS of competitive routes that tend to drive things down.

[Anonymous]

I did the gold last week because they had the best sign up bonus right now. 

[staticvoidmain]

Gold never made sense to me. I applied for the Platinum way before I knew what myFico was.

My reason being, I can see an immediate negative annual fee for me in the form of companion certs. AMEX is essentially paying me instead of the other way around. That and the ridiculously higher SUB of Plat (miles and MQM) made it a no-brainer for me.

Nowadays, Platinum can get you to SkyClubs / Delta Lounge (for a fee),

whereas it's not even an option for Gold anymore.

[EAJuggalo]

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@staticvoidmain wrote:

Gold never made sense to me. I applied for the Platinum way before I knew what myFico was.

Nowadays, Platinum can get you to SkyClubs / Delta Lounge (for a fee),

whereas it's not even an option for Gold anymore.

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Gold made sense to me when I applied for it in 2019.  First year annual fee waived, SC access and free checked bags for everyone in my party.  Just before it came time to renew in 2020 AMEX and Delta changed the rules and made it not worthwhile for me so I downgraded to Blue.  I'm considering upgrading to Platinum to get the companion ticket since it looks like my wife and I will be able to use it in future years.  My nearest airport only offers ULCCs to a few destinations or any of the three legacies to the hubs.

[digitek]

I put one down for the Delta Plat, too.

Long term it makes sense and will outpace the Gold in value if you use the Annual Companion pass.

There's a business version if you're feeling that route, too.

[Horseshoez]

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@staticvoidmain wrote:

Nowadays, Platinum can get you to SkyClubs / Delta Lounge (for a fee),

whereas it's not even an option for Gold anymore.

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I'm surprised this isn't a widely spoken topic of conversation in this thread.

Back before I burned AMEX with my Chapter 13 I used the Delta Sky Club (and the Northwest club before that) on a regular basis; access to the clubs was, to me at least, well worth the annual fee, and then some.  If/when AMEX ever lets me back in the door I'd gravitate to the Delta Reserve card as fast as I could; not only does this card grant Delta Sky Club access, but it also grants access to the AMEX Centurion Lounges.

In the meantime it looks like I'm going to be relegated to paying $545 per year to buy access to the Sky Club (assuming I start traveling again after this COVID thing is under some semblance of control).