Upgrading to Delta Platinum AMEX
 

I currently have a Delta Gold AMEX and want to upgrade to the Delta Platinum AMEX. I did a search trying to find the best upgrade options but couldn't find much. On the AMEX website it lists the following terms that I've included below. Has anyone seen any targeted promotions that are better than 5k RDM and 5k MQM to upgrade from DL Gold AMEX to DL PL AMEX? Thanks


"Upgrades from a Delta SkyMiles Options Credit Card to a Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card will receive 15,000 Delta SkyMiles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles upon first purchase. Upgrades from a Delta SkyMiles Credit Card to a Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card will receive 10,000 Delta SkyMiles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles upon first purchase. Upgrades from a Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card to a Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card will receive 5,000 Delta SkyMiles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles upon first purchase. Please allow 8-12 weeks after your first purchase for the bonus miles to appear in your Delta SkyMiles account. First purchase offer expires one year from time of Card account opening. You may be permitted to have more than one Delta SkyMiles Credit Card account; however, you are eligible to receive welcome bonus miles for only one Card account. Additional Cardmembers are not eligible"

Moderator action
 

Moving to Skymiles section where there is a greater concentration of Delta affinity cardholders.

Thanks for the move MIA

I was going to upgrade from gold to plat but decided on opening a new account for the plat card to take advantage of the 5,000 MQM promo for $1,000 spend in first 90 days. Also, keep in mind, if you upgrade from gold to plat you can't use your $99 companion cert because it needs to be paid for with the gold card.

I've been considering upgrading as well since I'm on pace where I might be able to make it to $25,000 spent rather than my usual $15,000. The standard 5,000 RDM+MQM bonus for upgrading is rather underwhelming when they offer an extra 5,000 MQMs for $1k spent on a new card as noted above. Based on what I've read though, if you go the new card route your annual spend is not carried over to the new card, and in that case I'd never make it to the $25,000 spent level for 10,000 bonus MQM. Can anyone confirm this? Also, has there ever been a special promo for card upgrades? I can't recall ever seeing one.

Right. That's why I opened a new account early in the calendar year so I could still hit $25K spend. If I'm just short near year-end, hello US mint coins! :D

I upgraded from an AMEX Delta Gold to AMEX Delta Platinum in May 2010. I had already been issued my $99 companion cert. I just redeemed the cert last month and used my AMEX Delta Platinum to pay for the fare(s) without any problem. I am looking forward to getting my FREE coach companion cert as my AMEX Delta Platinum benefit this year. It's worth more than the cost differential ($150 vs $95) of the cards.

I've been thinking about the upgrade for the same reason, but I'm not due to renew my card until May. If I upgrade now, what would happen? Will I pay the Platinum fee immediately or at renewal and get the free companion cert? Or does the timer restart and I don't get anything this year, but don't pay the annual fee? Or would it be something entirely different?

I also had a Gold card and upgraded to the Plat (upgraded in early January). Like the previous post, I had also been issued by $99 comp certificate which I just used last week (paid for the fare with my Plat card and had not problem).

As far as a better deal than the one you mentioned - I haven't seen anything better. Good luck.

DL Plat Business Card
 

I had an email with an application link sent to me by Delta in December to upgrade from the Delta Gold Business card to the Delta Plat Business card which had a phenomenal bonus attached. The link is still active and has the same terms on the app page. PM me if you want me to send it to you.

Here are the primary points:
For a limited time, with the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card, you can get up to 50,000 bonus miles, including 15,000 MQMs.

1) Get 25,000 bonus miles (5,000 miles count as Medallion Qualification Miles MQMs) with your first purchase.
2) Get 25,000 additional bonus miles (10,000 of which count as MQMs) after you make $10,000 in purchases within your first 6 months of becoming a Cardmember.
3) Under Miles Boost, get 10,000 MQMs when you spend $25,000 each year and another 10,000 MQMs when you spend $50,000 in a calendar year.
4) One free domestic economy companion ticket each year upon renewal.

I upgraded last year 2 months before my Gold renewal and ended up with the Platinum FREE Companion ticket. It will be worth the extra annual fee if I end up being able to use the certificate.
Unfortunately, I updated 2 DAYS after I hit the 25K threshold and missed the MQM bonus, but I ended up spending enough the rest of the year to qualify.

Make sure you have had the card for at least 13 months
 

If you are going to upgrade from the gold card you have had to have had it for at least 13 months, and if you haven't apply for a new card.

I wanted to upgrade my gold card I got in June of last year to a platnium and was told by the Am Ex rep that thanks to the the "credit card reform act" of last year, I wouldn't be able to do it until July. I guess a credit card issuer isn't allowed to raise your annual fee in the first year, and Am Ex will look at charging the $150 annual fee as violating this rule. I was told to wait until July or apply for a new account which I really don't want to do seeing I already have 3 Am Ex accounts and don't want the additional card or the inquiry on my credit to show up.

So yes it's fine to do it now, except for the part where they won't let me. :-( Thanks for the help, tiki and james!

I just got the Plat. a week or two ago. Is the companion certificate actually worth using? I know that Amex is notorious for giving out the certificates that in order to redeem you have to buy a ticket that is more expensive than 2 regular priced tickets. Are these the same or something different?

Different, you can use them on the cheapest fare classes.