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There are two 50,000 point signup bonuses expiring soon. Both offers are much better than ‘normal’ for the cards, so if you’re open to a new Chase card (United) and a new American Express card (Delta) now could be the best time to act.
United Explorer has a 50,000 point signup bonus through September 2nd.
The spend requirement is just $2000 within 90 days, there’s no fee the first year ($95 thereafter) and the card comes with primary collision damage coverage for rental cars.
You even get an additional 5000 miles for adding an authorized user and making a purchase within the same 90 day period.
Some folks can even get the card with a $50 statement credit — it’s something that Chase is offering through the purchase process of United tickets.
Meanwhile, through September 8 Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card (expired) from American Express offers 50,000 bonus miles after $1,000 in purchases within 3 months and a $50 statement credit after making a Delta purchase within that period as well. The annual fee is $0 the first year then $95.
The Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card (expired) from American Express also offers 50,000 bonus miles (and 15,000 elite qualifying miles) after $1000 spend within 3 months. There’s also a $100 statement credit after making a Delta purchase within that period. The card has a $195 annual fee.
While I’m not a fan of Delta miles generally, or their recent and pending award chart changes, 50,000 miles do have some good uses.
I earn most of my Delta miles via the Suntrust Delta debit card which still gives me 1 mile per dollar. And I recently booked a couple of business class award tickets to Australia (on their partner Virgin Australia when availability was out of this world good).
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Note that the Gold Skymiles AMEX NO LONGER comes with a $99 companion certificate. The Platinum version still includes it but doesn’t waive the $195 annual fee the first year.
The Amex, if you’ve ever gotten miles from Amex, you’re ineligible to ever get it again.
I got my Delta Amex gold miles back about 20 years ago.
Then I got 50k points for the Amex Platinum.
My understanding is no chance of getting Delta miles ever again by signing up to the card. Flyertalk has accounts of people being told on the phone they would get miles and then them revoking the deal.
For those who follow their credit score more diligently than I do, is the credit ding from grabbing a card and cancelling it within a year worth the ~60,000 points? No imminent cars or house purchases.
What is the current situation on getting the points if you had the card in the past, and are there many different versions to get around this? I think I got united 2 years ago and delta maybe 4+ years ago.
I thought the end of the world happened when United devalued the MP program and started charging 5X the original points for partner flights? I just don’t get it, 8-9 months ago many bloggers were saying use up your MP points because they are worthless!! So why do we care about 50K MP points..
Tony- because referral links trump good advice! 🙂
I do not love my United miles the way that I used to because partner first class awards are so much more expensive. At the same time, availability for business class through Star Alliance to Europe and Asia is unrivaled, United still doesn’t hit you with fuel surcharges, and their award chart for business class isn’t completely out of whack with most other Star Alliance options when accounting for the fuel surcharge issues.
I now prefer Chase, Amex, and Starwood points by a wider margin. And I currently prefer my American miles.
But a 50k signup bonus with low spend requirement is still a no brainer. Snark notwithstanding.
“But a 50k signup bonus with low spend requirement is still a no brainer”
Especially for those who already have Delta miles, but not enough for the award they want. Topping off with 50K miles, and no fee the first year, sounds like quite a deal to me.
The only problem being the question of whether or not someone with ANY type of AMEX card, say an SPG, will actually have those bonus miles awarded.
There is that problematic ““If we identify you as currently having an American Express® Card account, you may not be eligible for this welcome bonus offer”.
AMEX is notorious for giving you a card, letting you make the spend, then refusing to give you the sign up bonus. Even when an AMEX CSR had assured you that you qualified, AMEX simply says “the CSR was mistaken”. No bonus miles for you….
I just applied for the chase marriott a month ago how long do I have to wait until I can apply for another chase card like this one?