4 reasons Delta flyers should have a Membership Rewards card

If you often travel with Delta Air Lines, it's probable that you possess a Delta credit card or have contemplated enrolling for one.

Delta credit cards, including the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, offer advantageous travel advantages. These include benefits like not having to pay for checked bags, priority boarding privileges, and a 15% rebate on booking award travel for Delta flights. In the past, I held the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, which proved to be valuable when I traveled frequently with Delta. Even if I only flew with Delta a few times annually, I still found the benefit of having my first checked bag for free to be significant.

There is definitely a plethora of reasons to adore Delta credit cards. However, even if you possess a Delta card that brings you advantages, it may prove advantageous to also possess an American Express Membership Rewards card. Let me explain the rationale behind this suggestion.

Additional Ways To Reserve Delta Flights

If you frequently use a Delta credit card for your purchases, you might have restrictions on utilizing Delta miles to book an award flight. Additionally, since Delta SkyMiles applies a flexible pricing system for their awards, it is quite usual to come across steep rates. However, if you accumulate transferable rewards, you will have greater flexibility and numerous choices when it comes to booking award flights, including those with Delta.

In the end, it is possible to move American Express Membership Rewards points to various airlines in the Delta SkyTeam alliance. Consequently, this allows you to book award flights operated by Delta via these partner airlines, often at more affordable rates compared to booking directly with Delta. Alternatively, if you prefer to accumulate Delta miles, you have the option to transfer your American Express Membership Rewards points directly to Delta. However, please be cautious of the imposed excise tax of $0.0006 per point when completing such transfers.

The Flying Club by Virgin Atlantic is an excellent option for American Express Membership Rewards members who wish to transfer their points. It stands out as one of the most advantageous partners within the SkyTeam alliance for booking flights operated by Delta. Booking Delta flights through Virgin Atlantic enables you to secure great value, especially when it comes to short-haul trips. For instance, you can use 7,500 Virgin Atlantic points to book an economy flight that covers a distance of 500 miles or less. Similarly, flights spanning 501 to 1,000 miles would require 8,500 points in economy class.

You can discover a wider range of awards with Delta SkyMiles, but the prices for short-distance flights are usually more favorable with Virgin Atlantic. As an illustration, during the time of composing this piece, I stumbled upon seven Delta-operated reward flights available through Delta SkyMiles from Atlanta to Charleston, South Carolina, on Nov. 7 (each costing 14,000 miles and $5.60 in basic economy). In contrast, only two of these flights were open for booking via Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (each costing 7,500 points and $5.60 per individual in the Main Cabin economy).

If you're looking to book Delta-operated awards for short flights, it's worth considering checking Virgin Atlantic as you might find a more valuable redemption. For instance, instead of using 14,000 points for a basic economy award through Delta, you could transfer just 7,500 Membership Rewards points and book a Main Cabin award with Virgin Atlantic. Opting for Virgin Atlantic would be a much better choice since you would probably have to redeem more miles if you booked through Delta.

Title: Tips for Securing Delta Awards through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Introduction: Curious about the ideal time and approach to snag Delta awards using the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club? Look no further! Read on to discover the nitty-gritty details for a seamless booking experience. Delving into Delta Awards with Virgin Atlantic: Are you wondering when to schedule your Delta awards flight or the strategy behind securing it with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club? Well, you're in luck! This piece unravels the ins and outs, offering valuable insights to simplify your reservation process. When is the best time to book? Determining the opportune moment to reserve your Delta awards can be a game-changer. By tapping into the recommendations presented here, you can optimize your chances of landing that coveted award booking. How to approach the booking process: Understanding the intricate steps of booking Delta awards through the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is key to a successful journey. Learn about the proven strategies outlined below to ensure a seamless experience. Conclusion: Unveiling the secrets of securing Delta awards through the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is no longer a mystery. Armed with the knowledge presented above, you can now confidently tackle the booking process with ease. Happy travels!

Treat your email with the TPG Daily newsletter

Become part of our community of over 700,000 individuals who stay up-to-date with the latest news, receive detailed guides, and gain access to exclusive offers curated by TPG's knowledgeable professionals.

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card provide cardholders with free entry to Delta Sky Club lounges, Centurion lounges, and U.S. Escape lounges when they are traveling on a Delta flight that is either marketed or operated by Delta on the same day.

In the meantime, individuals who hold the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card have the option to pay a fee of $50 per person for access to the Delta Sky Club. This offer is applicable for those who are traveling on the same day with either Delta Airlines or one of its partner airlines.

It is important to mention that the privilege of entering airport lounges with specific Delta co-branded credit cards is limited to Delta flights only (or possibly a Delta partner airline). Therefore, if you occasionally travel with different airlines, you might find it advantageous to have one of the eligible American Express Membership Rewards cards for access to a wider range of lounges.

To illustrate, the American Express® Green Card offers the benefit of receiving statement credits of up to $100 per year. These credits can be claimed when you utilize your card specifically to buy airport lounge access directly from LoungeBuddy.

Cardholders of The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express are entitled to the following lounge perks:

Therefore, if you possess either The Platinum Card from American Express or The Business Platinum Card from American Express, you are welcome to visit U.S. Escape lounges and Centurion lounges regardless of the airline you are flying with. However, if you hold the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card or Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card, you will only enjoy free access to lounges when traveling on flights marketed or operated by Delta.

Top credit cards for airport lounge privileges

Find Your Perfect Payment Card

The majority of Delta credit cards provide additional rewards when you buy things directly from Delta. There are also instances where you can earn over 1 mile for every dollar spent on particular items from different categories. However, if you currently use a Delta credit card for most of your regular purchases, chances are there's a more advantageous Membership Rewards card available for you to use.

Let's take a glance at the rates of income in various popular expense categories for a few of the widely favored Membership Rewards cards.

As you can observe, numerous American Express Membership Rewards cards mentioned earlier gather additional points when you make flight reservations directly with an airline or through American Express Travel. These cards offer the opportunity to earn extra points on bookings made directly with any airline, not limited to Delta.

In the same way, the American Express Green Card is beneficial for people who travel frequently because it allows them to earn 3 points for every dollar they spend on various travel expenses such as flights, hotels, transportation, and vacation rentals. On the other hand, the Blue Business Plus Credit Card, which does not require an annual fee, is advantageous as it allows cardholders to earn 2 points for every dollar they spend on the first $50,000 during a calendar year.

Think about the things you usually buy that only give you 1 point or mile for each dollar you spend. Take a look at the table above to see if using an American Express Membership Rewards card can get you more rewards. These cards often offer additional benefits and bonuses that can make the sometimes high yearly fee worth it.

Related: Methods for selecting the optimal credit card that suits your needs

Expand Your Choices For Travel Rewards

Chances are, you're already aware that you have the option to use your Delta miles for booking flights on SkyTeam alliance airlines. Nonetheless, if you happen to accumulate American Express Membership Rewards points, you gain access to an expanded array of loyalty programs that offer the opportunity to redeem your points for award travel.

Membership Rewards offers a range of options when it comes to transferring points, with 18 different airline partners available. It's worth noting that not all American Express Membership Rewards transfer partners offer the same value as Delta SkyMiles for your upcoming travels. To discover some noteworthy opportunities, take a look at our preferred options for getting the most out of your Membership Rewards points. Additionally, we recommend checking out our comprehensive guide on how to redeem your Membership Rewards points effectively to ensure you receive optimal value.

For instance, you have the option to convert your Membership Rewards points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue at an equal rate of 1:1. By doing so, you can secure a Flying Blue Promo Reward by utilizing these accumulated miles. Alternatively, you can opt for Air France-KLM Flying Blue to travel from the United States to Europe in economy class, frequently paying fewer than 20,000 miles for a one-way trip. Furthermore, the charges and costs associated with these rewards are typically reasonable.

An alternative option is to convert your Membership Rewards points to Singapore KrisFlyer and use them to book direct flights to Hawaii on Alaska Airlines. This can be done by contacting KrisFlyer Membership Services for award bookings. According to KrisFlyer's Alaska award chart, you can travel between the continental U.S. and Hawaii on Alaska-operated flights for as few as 13,000 Singapore KrisFlyer miles.

Sending your Membership Rewards points over to the British Airways Executive Club can be quite advantageous. By only using 13,000 Avios per journey, you can travel between the United States and Ireland, or even between the mainland United States and Hawaii. Moreover, there are instances where you can obtain remarkable benefits by exchanging your British Airways Avios for short-haul flights to or from Oneworld airline hubs. To illustrate, I discovered a handful of short-haul rewards priced at 7,500 Avios or lower.

There are various ways to utilize your Membership Rewards points to book flights, as evident. I suggest employing a tool such as point.me to explore all the potential options for award bookings with transfer partners of Membership Rewards, once you have a particular trip planned.

Here are some top-notch online platforms to explore when seeking to find out about SkyTeam award availability.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card is a worthwhile investment, even if you don't fly with Delta frequently. It becomes even more valuable as your Delta flight frequency increases. This credit card provides benefits such as free first checked bag and priority boarding in Main Cabin 1 for the cardholder and up to nine companions on the same reservation who are traveling together.

However, even if you have a strong preference for your Delta credit card, it might be advantageous to consider obtaining one or more American Express Membership Rewards cards. The accumulation of points through these cards can grant you access to additional methods of booking Delta flights and offer alternative redemption choices for situations when Delta and its SkyTeam partners may not be the most ideal option for your journey. Furthermore, these cards may provide additional bonuses in spending categories where you currently only earn one mile for every dollar spent. Thus, it is worthwhile to consider acquiring a Membership Rewards card, even if you frequently fly with Delta Air Lines.

Please note that the opinions stated in this blog are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of any financial institution, credit card company, airline, or hotel chain. Furthermore, none of these entities have reviewed, approved, or endorsed the content of this blog.