How Best to Increase Miles in my SkyMiles account
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: san francisco
Programs: No airline status whatsoever, Chase URs, HHonors Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 567
How Best to Increase Miles in my SkyMiles account
I've been eyeing this situation for several months and I'm hoping savvier flyers might have some knowledge I haven't stumbled across yet. I recently dropped my status at United, and keep hearing great things about Delta. I fly out of SFO. I'd like to enlarge my SkyMiles account, but the only major transfer partner I see is the AmEx which I already have. We use Chase Sapphire Reserve for all our spending and those points transfer out to many travel providers; booking direct triggers a large discount as well. Are there any non-AmEx credit cards or other earning opportunities to maximize my Delta SkyMiles earnings? Does Delta ever offer percentage bonuses for purchasing SkyMiles? Anybody know of other ways to get to my goal? I'd like to see the account increase by 30 or 50K miles.
#2
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
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I've been eyeing this situation for several months and I'm hoping savvier flyers might have some knowledge I haven't stumbled across yet. I recently dropped my status at United, and keep hearing great things about Delta. I fly out of SFO. I'd like to enlarge my SkyMiles account, but the only major transfer partner I see is the AmEx which I already have. We use Chase Sapphire Reserve for all our spending and those points transfer out to many travel providers; booking direct triggers a large discount as well. Are there any non-AmEx credit cards or other earning opportunities to maximize my Delta SkyMiles earnings? Does Delta ever offer percentage bonuses for purchasing SkyMiles? Anybody know of other ways to get to my goal? I'd like to see the account increase by 30 or 50K miles.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22,929
I don't believe DL has offered any bonuses for purchasing miles in roughly a decade (the last one I can find on FT was in 2011). At any rate, speculative purchasing of miles is almost always a bad idea even with the bonuses. Mileage transfer deals are almost always a poor value as well. One of the DL Amex signup bonus offers is probably the only way to get a reasonable return for the miles.
#4
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 4,677
I don't believe DL has offered any bonuses for purchasing miles in roughly a decade (the last one I can find on FT was in 2011). At any rate, speculative purchasing of miles is almost always a bad idea even with the bonuses. Mileage transfer deals are almost always a poor value as well. One of the DL Amex signup bonus offers is probably the only way to get a reasonable return for the miles.
2 options to accumulate miles:
- get a delta amex CC with sign up bonus and start spending
- get on a bunch of planes
#5
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Just relocated to Phoenix, so I guess that does it for Delta for me
Programs: DL "Annual" GM 2MM, AA lifetime Gold 1MM, Hilton Gold, Hertz President's Club
Posts: 337
My wife and I haven’t flown in more than a year due to the pandemic, but until recently we were putting every expense on our Platinum Delta Amex, including utilities, house payment, groceries, even property taxes. As a result we were earning between 3000-4000 miles a month with no flying. In December we decided the miles weren’t doing much for us and have switched to another card (cash back). But that ploy might suit you, as you will also get a bunch of miles as a signup bonus.
#7
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that said, my son recently got a one-way SJC-SEA in F ($249 equivalent) less than a week out for 13500 miles, so unicorns aren't entirely extinct (for comparison, coach on the same flight was $179 or 9500 miles) ... whether you or anyone else would consider this a good redemption or not, though, isn't up to me
#8
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I've been eyeing this situation for several months and I'm hoping savvier flyers might have some knowledge I haven't stumbled across yet. I recently dropped my status at United, and keep hearing great things about Delta. I fly out of SFO. I'd like to enlarge my SkyMiles account, but the only major transfer partner I see is the AmEx which I already have. We use Chase Sapphire Reserve for all our spending and those points transfer out to many travel providers; booking direct triggers a large discount as well. Are there any non-AmEx credit cards or other earning opportunities to maximize my Delta SkyMiles earnings? Does Delta ever offer percentage bonuses for purchasing SkyMiles? Anybody know of other ways to get to my goal? I'd like to see the account increase by 30 or 50K miles.
https://www.suntrust.com/personal-ba...les-debit-card
It's not particularly lucrative though. You're really going to have to decide if you're Team AMEX/Delta or Team Chase/Someone Else (though you can transfer miles into Air France/Virgin Atlantic and book Delta, so that's something.) The synergy really happens with AMEX though.
Frankly the DL AMEX cards are not best for pure earning compared to AMEX charge cards. The DL Platinum earns 2x on dining, the AMEX Green earns 3x, AMEX Gold earns 4x (other categories like supermarkets are similar). Where they make sense is for the side benefits; free bags, MQD waivers and boosts, Pay With Miles, companion certificates, lounge access. If you're really committing to Delta for status and regular flying the earning tradeoffs might be worth it.
#10
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Especially for buying Delta tickets. Amex Platinum (unbranded) gives 5 points/$, worth at least 5 Delta miles (sometimes there's a bonus). The Amex Delta Platinum gives 2 miles/$.
#11
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,210
Both Flying Blue and Virgin are pretty promiscuous when it comes to credit card transfer partners and can have some Delta metal redemption options that can be far better values than using Skymiles. Example-mainland to Hawaii tickets with FB can be great deal though you may need to call in to find availability rather than searching on the website.
Last edited by beachmouse; Feb 26, 2021 at 12:35 pm
#12
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Cleveland
Posts: 76
I dont think it will get you 30/50k but using shopping and dining portals. Ive gotten 20k in a year on americans shopping portal. I was able to take a roundtrip from cle to lax on delta 2 years ago just using delta shopping portal.
#13
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If you're not planning on elite status or you'll hit the MQD target anyway then it might not be as big a factor (but then you don't care about MQM boosts either- arguably the DL AMEXes might not be worth your time unless you get a lot of value out of free bags, lounge access or the companion certificates).
#15
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AFAIK it's still possible to transfer points from hotel programs to your DL FF account, but I've never done it. Starwood and DL once had elite benefits going in both directions and Marriott Rewards listed DL as a partner for its travel packages, but Bonvoy travel packages aren't as worthwhile. [The idea is to redeem for a combination of a seven night award stay and some "free" miles transferred to your FF account, to be used for the same trip of at some later date.]