Hi all,
After hitting the SUB on the Delta Gold Amex, I find I'm not really using it much and would like to downgrade to the no-AF Delta Blue when the AF hits later in the year. However, given the once-in-a-lifetime rule, downgrading to the Blue would mean I could never get a SUB on it ever again. Would it be worth applying for the Blue earlier and hitting the SUB such that I'm not losing any opportunity by downgrading the Gold? I know 10k miles aren't much but they're 10k miles I didn't have to fly/pay for.
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Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but the way I always understood it is that you can only get the signup bonus once in a lifetime. So if you downgrade to the Blue and don't get the signup bonus, you're still eligible for the signup bonus at some point in the future.
No, I believe you're ineligible for the signup bonus if you have or have had the card at any point in the past. Doesn't matter if you met a signup bonus with it or not.
wrote:
wrote:
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but the way I always understood it is that you can only get the signup bonus once in a lifetime. So if you downgrade to the Blue and don't get the signup bonus, you're still eligible for the signup bonus at some point in the future.No, I believe you're ineligible for the signup bonus if you have or have had the card at any point in the past. Doesn't matter if you met a signup bonus with it or not.
Correct. If you have ever had the product, you are ineligible for the signup bonus, regardless of whether you got a bonus when you had it the first time. AThis is how the once in a lifetime rule works on most Amex products.
Something to watch out for on the Delta Blue card, though, is the rules on that card are even more strict. Not only do you not get the bonus if you've had it before, but you are also ineligible for the bonus if you've had any of the other Delta personal cards in the previous 90 days.
When you pull up the application page, you'll want to look on the right side under the card image for the tl;dr on bonus eligibility.
Sometimes, Amex will send out (usually targeted) offers that leave out the no history requirement for the bonus. This is rare, but if you see it it's worth taking advantage of. I recall about a month ago seeing offers for the Gold and Blue cards without the lifetime language. I didn't signup at the time because I was inside 2/90.
Honestly, 10,000 miles is not enough for me to get crazy with timing on canceling my Gold and apping for the Blue when the time comes, so I'll probably just downgrade it.
Oh I see good catch, I didn't know having anything from the Delta family excluded you. I suppose I'll just go with the downgrade too
wrote:Oh I see good catch, I didn't know having anything from the Delta family excluded you. I suppose I'll just go with the downgrade too
Either that or cancel and wait 90 days.
wrote:I'm new to amex so this is a real question rather than statement as I'm not sure if they can do this. But .After 90 days is up with that card. Can you just get the delta blue. Wait amother 90 or so days .And then just transfer the limit from your delta gold and close it out at that point? Maybe someone else can clue you and I both in. Lets see
When the earlier posters say “more strict” think “no bonus while another Delta Card in your wallet”. When you close the Delta Gold, that limit goes away. Waiting 90 days to app Delta Blue means a new SL. No limit to transfer from the Delta Gold.
The OP is possibly also in the first year, meaning some limits on transferring limits.
If I valued the SUB on the Blue and was thinking of closing the Gold, I would not worry about the transfer of limits. Regardless of SL on a Blue app 90+ days after closing the Gold, the AMEX 3x CLI can be used to eventually rebuild the limits.
But I don’t value the Blue SUB over any AMEX Delta Card so won’t be going through this hassle.
