10,500 DL skymiles for $100 gift card. Does Delta or AMEX ever run specials on these. At this rate it seems pretty high but a good way to burn a lot of miles since can't get any reasonable Low Tier free tickets.

Any thoughts?

These amex cards in the SM Marketplace are brand new if you follow the DL forum. You are actually getting a deep discounted rate as an amex card holder. Some general members are reporting 17k or more miles for the same card. This is a good deal as it is closely aligned with the PWM rate and you can use the amex gift card to puchase tickets that are eligible for mileage accrual and upgrades. I would not expect a sale anytime soon on these amex gift cards.

As a DL-branded Amex holder you can redeem 5,500 SkyMiles for a $50 Amex Gift card. A $100 card takes 11,000 miles not 10,500. Those not holding a DL Amex are reporting redemption rates of 17,500 miles for a $50 card.

If one can ONLY calculate the value of miles by looking at a BC or FC international fare then, no, one probably will never see this as a good use of miles. D'ffrent strokes.

There is a recent thread in the DL forum on this new redemption option: American express gift cards on marketplace

FTR, the other gift cards one can get with SkyMiles go for 5K for a $50 card... again if one holds a DL-branded Amex.

I may have to get that Amex just to burn all these useless DL miles.

Adding to the pile to burn the pile?

Bigger piles burn more brightly.

Incorrect, a $100 card takes 10,500 miles NOT 11,000 miles.

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.

Another option for those with tons of MR: Amex MR > DL > Gift Cards.

I'm going to 'buy' some GC, through DL, because I can't seem to find "LOW" awards on DL when I need them.

Personally, I'm moving my Amex MR to CO because I value those miles > .01 apiece.

Is there any way to deposit these gift cards into a bank account or paypal?

Would there be any fees associated with the deposit?

/Has about 100K skypesos
//Is a DL AMEX cardholder

Just checked and now it does take 11,000 , miles. I'll take four, please.

Glad I got mine before the caught this.

This is so typical. The found an error in OUR favor. They fixed it lickety-split!!! When the award calendar is broken in THEIR favor "we're working on it but it takes time."

Actually I just logged in and I see a $50 card going for 6K now and the $100 card going for $11,000.

Again, glad I got mine before the price increase.