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What Is 10,000 Delta SkyMiles Worth

By David Krug David Krug is the CEO & President of Bankovia. He's a lifelong expat who has lived in the Philippines, Mexico, Thailand, and Colombia. When he's not reading about cryptocurrencies, he's researching the latest personal finance software. 5 minute read

In the case of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, you may enjoy the perks of a business credit card along with the perks of a travel rewards credit card. This card is designed for company owners who fly with Delta frequently enough to justify the $99 annual charge (waived the first year).

Spending on qualified Delta purchases, such as travel and incidentals, as well as advertising expenditures in some U.S. media, shipping purchases inside the country, and dining out at restaurants, earns an unlimited 2 points for $1 spent for Delta SkyMiles Gold Business members.

In addition, you can earn one SkyMile for every dollar spent on any other qualified transaction, with no limit. SkyMiles may be used for Delta flights and other products on the SkyMiles MarketPlace.

Several other business credit cards, like the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard, provide similar perks for business travelers. Its main rivals are the Chase Ink Corporate Preferred and the American Express Blue Business Cash Card, both of which are multipurpose business rewards cards with travel rewards components.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold Business from American Express is remarkably comparable to the Delta SkyMiles Gold credit card for regular consumers. The consumer card is the best choice if you do not own a business.

Important Characteristics

The primary characteristics of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card are the card’s significant rewards program and the continuous perks it provides to Delta frequent travelers.

Welcome Offer

For a limited time, new Cardmembers may receive 70,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000. Promotion expires on 11/9/22.

Earning Delta SkyMiles

Two Delta SkyMiles can be earned for every dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and on certain additional transactions.

  • Advertising in chosen media in the United States
  • Shipping to the US
  • Dining in restaurants

For every dollar spent on additional qualifying purchases, you’ll receive 1 SkyMile.

Delta SkyMiles Redeeming

Delta plane travel is redeemable for SkyMiles. For certain domestic economy one-ways, the minimum required number of SkyMiles for redemption is 10,000, while for additional domestic flight options and greater flexibility in booking dates, the minimum required number of SkyMiles is 12,000.

However, Delta’s redemption tables aren’t completely consistent, and there are times and days when additional SkyMiles are needed (for instance, peak-season weekend flights versus off-season weekday flights to popular vacation destinations).

Redemption values for points typically range from $0.005 to $0.02, but can go either way. The Delta SkyMiles MarketPlace is another option for using your accumulated SkyMiles. The minimum required to redeem your SkyMiles is often about 2,000 miles, despite the fact that their value at the MarketPlace is substantially lower than $0.01.

Delta Travel Advantages

The card comes with several pleasant perks for Delta passengers. When you use your card to make transactions totaling $10,000 or more throughout a calendar year, you’ll be eligible for perks including priority boarding in Main Cabin 1, a free checked bag, and a $100 Delta ticket voucher.

Additional Business Advantages

Many useful perks that aren’t related to travel are included with this card. There are several, but some of them are:

  • Expenses may be easily categorized and tagged for tracking.
  • Computerized Receipt Archiving
  • The option of designating a reliable worker as your account manager (which includes dispute resolution privileges)

Important Fees

For the first year, there is no need to pay the $99 yearly fee. There is no further cost for making a global payment. Late or returned payments can cost up to $39, and cash advances cost the greater of $5 or 3%.

Credit is required.

Excellent credit is required for this card.

Benefits

Benefits of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card include high award redemption values for air travel and no fees for purchases made in a foreign currency.

  1. Generous flight vouchers that may be used for cash. It’s important to keep in mind that the value of your SkyMiles may change at the time of redemption based on factors including the time of day, the season, and the demand for the award. This may be a bargain if you use your Chase Ink Business Preferred card for travel purchases, as you’ll get a set value of $0.0125 each point.
  2. I am grateful for the kind starting proposal. There is a substantial welcome incentive for new cardmembers that can double the number of SkyMiles earned in the first year.
  3. There is no fee for doing a foreign exchange. Using this card in a foreign country will not incur any additional fees. When compared to alternative business credit cards, which offer equal points for airline or hotel stays, this is a nice addition.

Drawbacks

Aside from the hefty annual charge, the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card’s primary drawbacks are its restricted travel rewards and redemption choices.

  1. Charges a fee every year. Following the first year, there is an annual cost of $99. There are a number of business rewards cards that offer minimal annual fees or none at all.
  2. Only Delta and Its Partners Can Redeem and Receive Airfare Rewards. This card has limited redemption options when it comes to vacations. If you reside near an airport that is better served by another airline, you will find it quite inconvenient because you cannot use your collected SkyMiles to redeem for tickets on that airline.
  3. No such limitations apply to general-purpose business travel rewards cards like the Capital One Spark Miles and the Chase Ink Business Preferred.
  4. The SkyMiles MarketPlace Decreases the Value of SkyMiles. SkyMiles have a good value when used for a flight on Delta. When redeemed through the SkyMiles MarketPlace, however, their value is drastically reduced. No one should squander their SkyMiles in the MarketPlace unless they have plenty of points and no plans to fly in the near future. Moreover, if you ever find yourself in such a predicament, you should probably just cease using your SkyMiles Business card completely. Better redemption values may be found in the American Express Membership Rewards program, which includes the Blue Business Plus, Business Green Rewards, and Business Gold Rewards cards.
  5. There are no automatic perks for flying with a certain airline. If you’re trying to get elite rank with Delta, go elsewhere; this card won’t get you there. This is an issue compared to other corporate rewards cards and is a disadvantage for frequent Delta fliers.
  6. Most non-Delta purchases earn points slowly. Spending on qualified non-Delta expenditures such as U.S. advertising in certain media, U.S. shipping, and U.S. restaurant purchases gets just 1 SkyMile every $1 spent. If you place an equal value on each point, then that’s a slower pace than what you’d get with a credit card like Capital One Spark Miles for Business, which gives you two points for every dollar you spend.

Bottom Line

If you’re the type of company owner who prefers Delta, who lives in an area with convenient access to airports that Delta serves, and who flies to places offered by Delta on a regular basis, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is the perfect credit card for you. To a large extent, this characterizes the American entrepreneur community, albeit obviously not everyone.

Those who frequently depart from a different airline’s hub should probably apply for a business credit card offered by that airline. If you’re a business owner and you don’t need to fly much for work, you may want to look into a different sort of credit card for your company, one that offers more flexible benefits.

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