Does anyone have DELTA SkyMiles CC?

[ready123go]

We currently travel to FL 2-4 times each year. Although we aren't particularly loyal to Delta, they seem to work out best, most of the time. I am considering their credit card for the free first checked bag (getting tired of carry-on).

Info here: AMEX Delta SkyMiles

Do you have it? Have you looked into it? Pros? Cons? Like it? Hate it?

TIA

 

[PhillyMc]

I just got it for the free check bag so don't know any pro's or con's yet.

 

[sam_gordon]

I got it last year for our WDW trip, mainly for the free bag(s). Now I'm hoping to get enough miles to pay for a trip next year.

First, I see no reason NOT to get it for at least the first year if you're planning on flying Delta, especially if you're travelling with others. For our trip, we checked three bags each way. With the CC, our baggage fees were $0. If we didn't have the card, we would have paid another $150RT. Since the first year's fee is waived, this is a definite savings.

Second, keep in mind it's ONE free checked bag for each member of your party. So if you're travelling by yourself, you'd need to pay for the second bag. If you're with your SO, you'd have to pay for the third bag.

On the mileage thing, we only travel about every other year. BUT, pay attention to the sign up bonus. Currently, it's 30K miles if you spend $500 on the card in the first three months.

I signed up for the card last year. A couple weeks ago I got an email saying I can get 5K bonus miles by referring someone. So I referred my wife. Now she has a card (which now gets us free bags so I can drop my card before the renewal fee comes up).

Speaking of which, if you'll PM me your email address, I'll "refer" you and that could help my mileage if you're willing. You still get the same "sign on bonus", nothing changes for you.

When it comes time for renewal, balance the $95 yearly fee vs. the free bags. If you're taking 2-4 trips, you save $50 for each trip/passenger. Again, we don't fly much, so I was probably going to drop my card, but got one for my wife.

 

[leidig32]

I also just picked it up for this trip. Got the 30,000 points which equals $300 off the tickets and then one free bag for all of us. The card has saved us $500 off our trip.....VERY COOL

We will probably cancel the card before the renewal date. Then when we are ready next time we will get DH a card and do the same thing all over again. After that we will have to decide if we want to keep the card.

So no real pros and cons yet.....but with no fee for the first year how can you go wrong.

 

[susianew]

I got it a year and a half ago. No complaints, earned a lot of miles. At the one year mark I called to cancel so I didn't get hit with the $95 annual fee and they gave me a $95 statement credit to offset the fee.

I will say that it was hard for me to get the 25k free flights through Delta Skymiles, at least through our airport. I ended up using 37.5k spending per ticket for our summer trip. If you do get the card, AMEX has a pay with miles thing where 10,000 miles = $100 off your DELTA ticket.

 

[msp2mco]

We have had the card for a few years. After the first free year, we downgraded to one of their cards with a lower fee. However, we went back to the one that offers a free checked bag when that offer came out.

I find it difficult to use the miles for free flights unless I am willing to use a ton of miles for a flight I want, but coming from DTW, I think you would have many more options for direct flights.

We have had some glitches with checking bags when our family of 4 has had split reservations even though they were purchased with the card. Then we just tell the ticketing agent what is going on, and they waive the fee.

 

[ready123go]

I noticed no one mentioned the "Companion Ticket" benefit. Supposedly, "Each year you renew your Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card you will receive a $99 companion certificate with no blackout dates and no minimum fare requirements."

Does anyone have any experience with this benefit?

 

[sam_gordon]

I noticed no one mentioned the "Companion Ticket" benefit. Supposedly, "Each year you renew your Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card you will receive a $99 companion certificate with no blackout dates and no minimum fare requirements."

Does anyone have any experience with this benefit?

I started a thread a couple weeks ago asking that question, I'll see if I can find it and link to it. But what it told me was you need to pay for one ticket (not use a mileage "free" ticket) in order to get the $99. It could still possibly be a benefit.

ETA: Here's the link where I asked about the companion ticket... http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2875949

 

[luvsvacations]

I have the card and love it. I also have used the companion ticket - no problem. I am now waiting for my second one in March. I also signed up for the Dining program they have - you earn miles when you go to the restaurants you normally go to. Also you can earn miles at hotels.

 

[jessrose18]

thanks for the info on the companion ticket, i was also wondering about it. i have had the card for about 6 months and used it to buy tickets to europe. I have one and hubby. We combined precious delta miles with the 30,000 bonus to get about 500 off each of our flights with the pay for miles option. I think I will keep 1 card for the future and cancel one of ours.... not sure. I like the card benefits, but to get $50 off you have to charge $5,000 (earn 5,000 miles) its kind of steep compared to other cash back cards, but checked bag fees seem worth it, especially for the first year. I also got a $50 statement credit for booking a delta flight within the first 6 months of having card.

 

[elgerber]

I noticed no one mentioned the "Companion Ticket" benefit. Supposedly, "Each year you renew your Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card you will receive a $99 companion certificate with no blackout dates and no minimum fare requirements."

Does anyone have any experience with this benefit?

I used my companion ticket for our cruise flights last year, but I just tried to use it for this October, last week, and I could not. Out of the 20 or so flights to Orlando that day, only 1 flight was available with the companion cert, and it was late at night, and very early morning on the return. The flights were not direct either.
So, I had to just use the $100 pay with miles discount, but prices are soooooooooooo high this year from MSP, it really hurt to pay that.

 

[bpesch]

I got the card a little over a year ago. Delta is the main airline in my area, so I use them most of the time. It has paid for itself in free bag savings several times over.

My only complaint is that I had to fight for the free bags on two people who were in my party. The issue was I bought their tickets separate from mine because of mileage I used on mine. Even though I used the Delta Sky Miles card for their tickets, they didn't want to give me free bags for them. I fought it and won, but it was a major hassle. So make sure you know the fine print in the rules before buying tickets.

 

[elgerber]

I got the card a little over a year ago. Delta is the main airline in my area, so I use them most of the time. It has paid for itself in free bag savings several times over.

My only complaint is that I had to fight for the free bags on two people who were in my party. The issue was I bought their tickets separate from mine because of mileage I used on mine. Even though I used the Delta Sky Miles card for their tickets, they didn't want to give me free bags for them. I fought it and won, but it was a major hassle. So make sure you know the fine print in the rules before buying tickets.

I had split reservations like that last August, and they had no problem giving me the free bags for all of us, even though there were 4 of us on 3 reservations. I couldn't do it online, I had to go to a person at the airport, but they had no problem with it.

 

[verdi73]

I just renewed my companion ticket for my wife and I to go to Vegas for wedding anniversary. Last year we used it to go Los Angeles to see her parents. Never had a problem using it, but sometimes you have to be flexible with what time you want to leave. The companion fare comes in handy for us for these long haul flights from Atlanta in addition to the no baggage fees.

 

[ready123go]

Thanks for all the replies. Still deciding if it's worth it for us or not.

 

[M2DD's]

I also just picked it up for this trip. Got the 30,000 points which equals $300 off the tickets and then one free bag for all of us. The card has saved us $500 off our trip.....VERY COOL

We will probably cancel the card before the renewal date. Then when we are ready next time we will get DH a card and do the same thing all over again. After that we will have to decide if we want to keep the card.

So no real pros and cons yet.....but with no fee for the first year how can you go wrong.

Do you know how long after you spent the 500$ requirement for your 30,000 points to post to your account?
I need to buy some tickets for our christmas trip ASAP

 

[elsabear]

I have had a Delta Amex for several years now - I never used to travel much, but I am starting to more and more and it seems to work out for me. I found that I could add miles relatively quickly doing things that I regularly did on other rewards programs i.e. shopping online. I also signed up with Energy Plus (and negotiated my rate with that company) so that I get miles every month from my electric bill. One of my favorite ways was by ordering my pet food through PetCareRX, but I see that right now they have no promotions. What I like is the pay with miles option - often you can use it to pay your fare without it having to be the flat award rate, if you know what I mean, and it gives you the option of redeeming for a discount if you don't have enough for the full fare free.

 

[jodifla]

Yes, we actually now have two of them, one for DH and one for me. Just the bag fees pay for the card each year, and then we get two companion free tickets, one for $99 and one free with my platinum card.

We also rack up a lot of miles, and flew to CC this year only having to buy one ticket for the 3 of us. Huge savings if you fly enough and pay attention to the system.

 

[ready123go]

Do you know how long after you spent the 500$ requirement for your 30,000 points to post to your account?
I need to buy some tickets for our christmas trip ASAP

Right away!

I finally broke down and applied for the card. When I applied, they gave me $1000.00 instant credit, which I used to buy tickets immediately after applying. When the card came, I logged on to my account and, if I remember correctly, the credit was there right away. If not that week, shortly thereafter.

They will eventually give a higher credit amount. I assume the instant credit was only $1000.00, because AMEX didn't want to get burned for big charges if the applicant was someone committing credit fraud, as opposed to a legitimate consumer.

I had been going back and forth for a while on applying. I concluded that we usually take at least one trip a year where we check two bags, and so the card could concievably pay for itself.

GL!

 

[bpesch]

I've had the Delta card for a couple of years now. Delta is one of the major carriers in our small airport, so I tend to use them a lot. The only real complaint I have about it is that the primary person on the card has to be traveling in order to get the free bags. My husband has his own card on my account, it's a joint card, and they don't consider him a primary, so I have to fight every single time he travels without me.

They want him to have his own card, which means he has to pay a separate yearly fee. It doesn't make any sense to me, but I fight it each and every time he travels. So far I've been successful in getting the bag fee refunded, but it's a major hassle and I always feel like they are trying to put one over on us.