Yes thanks. I edited my post. This is the first time I've noticed a price break for a higher denomination on any type of card at Marketplace. I'm glad there is a 500 mile savings over redeeming for two $50 cards.

FTR, I ordered mine on Friday (3rd) and they arrived yesterday(7th).

I haven't caught any posts (in any thread) reporting success or failure on using the cards to buy DL tickets. I have no more purchases coming up this year but I would appreciate knowing whether or not one can use these for DL ticket purchases and if one has to call in instead of redeeming on line.

Given a DM on a paid itin earning 2,400 base miles: 2,400 + 3,000 = 5,400 SMs earned from flying. Let's say the fare costs $300 A.I. It would take 31,500 miles worth of Amex cards to pay for this itin. I will be sacrificing the 600 miles for purchasing the ticket using my DL Amex. At first the numbers appear to indicate this is not a good way to game the system. But...

• The $300 goes in my pocket as I am not spending money on the ticket. As a biz traveler I get reimbursed for the receipt price and the form of payment is irrelevant.
• The net sacrifice of miles is 26,700 miles (+5,400-31,500-600) (not far from the low domestic redemption rate for an award seat).
• I'm choosing my itin and not being asked to be "flexible" for an award.
• I must pay for taxes and fees for an award ticket.
• I earn MQMs and MQSs on the itin. At $300 let's just agree that this is not a Y,B, or M fare.
• I have a higher ranking for an UG than an award ticket as my ticket will be a paid fare class and not a "free" fare class.
• I'm closer to a MM threshold than with an award ticket.

Of course the value changes with a different distance and/or $ ticket price.

There are other sacrifices for some. If you count on a DL Amex spending threshold for RDMs and/or MQMs then you are $300 farther away from that threshold. A PM or a DM can cancel an award with no penalty.

There are many threads asking "How do I convert SkyMiles to XYZ program?" And the answer has always been that SMs can not be transferred OUT to any other program. In essence, this could be a workaround. That same $300 in gift cards from 31,500 SMs could be used at a hotel as the form of payment which would earn the guest that hotel's point currency. Not a great rate but certainly it rivals the typical points.com conversion rate. At a Hilton property that $300 equates to 3,000 HH points. In essence that's a 10.5 miles-to-point ratio for SkyMiles-to-HHonors. Not good but still an option. During a HHonors promotion this ratio could change... like right now with the 4X promo for a stay with a Sunday night.