I Swear I’m Done with Delta Amex Cards

Delta Amex Cards

Perhaps the article title is a misnomer.  I still hold one Delta Amex card, so I’m not technically done with them.  But I’ve finally come to the conclusion that my current one will be my last.  My wife recently closed her final one and won’t be returning.  We’re certainly not the first to break up with Delta Amex cards, though.  Better late than never.  Today, I’m sharing why we’re finally done.

Giving Up On Delta Amex Cards

We’re Not Delta Loyalists

Unlike American and United, my wife and I have never held any meaningful elite status with Delta.  Our regional airport offers a variety of options across the big three domestic carriers, plus a few others like Breeze and Southwest.  We aren’t beholden to travel to any Delta hubs.  Rather, we’ve stayed somewhat active with Delta earning and redeeming to mitigate devaluations from other carriers.  But since we keep Delta at arm’s length, anyway, we have no need for elite-related card perks.  Those benefits are great for some, but we’re definitely not the target audience.

Superior Amex Alternatives

In terms of Amex-cobranded cards, the biggest bang for our buck has primarily come from Hilton cards, distantly followed by Marriott.  And Delta ranks substantially behind Marriott options for us.  Frankly, one big reason we have a Delta card at all right now is because I was bored with Amex late last year.  There weren’t any interesting Hilton or Marriott offers at the time.  Instead, I could pick up an elevated offer of 80k bonus SkyMiles on $3k spend within six months on a Delta Gold (first-year annual fee waived), plus my wife would obtain a nice referral bonus.

In a vacuum, I’d take that offer again.  But we have other considerations with Amex.

Amex Limitations

Saying “Amex limitations” is a bit of an oxymoron, as I’ve found they are one of the more flexible card issuers out there.  But Amex does have its own version of bank application rules.  One such policy is Amex generally limits and individual to holding five credit cards at one time.  I’d rather fill those five slots with Hilton and Marriott cards than Delta products.  I probably wouldn’t have picked up that last Delta card if I didn’t have so many available slots, a very rare position for us.

Hilton and Marriott cobranded cards with a normal signup bonus – or even lacking one, in some instances – makes more sense for us than a Delta card.  The five credit card limitation drives home the need to prioritize even more.

An Increasingly-Meaningless Discount

Back in 2023, I ruminated on the new-at-the-time TakeOff 15 benefit on all Delta Amex cards but the no-fee Blue.  Primary cardholders automatically receive 15% off SkyMiles award rates on Delta flights.  I could see the case for either of us holding a Delta card in perpetuity simply for that benefit while also realizing the perk was a shrewd method of Delta control.

We haven’t always held a Delta card since, but we’ve had one for the majority of the time since TakeOff 15 came on the scene.  But the perk is more inconsequential by the day, for multiple reasons.

Despite varying availability, I’m routinely able to find lower domestic award rates on Delta metal through Air France Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.  The majority of my Delta flights are booked with the former, with a bit of the latter.  We actually redeem relatively few SkyMiles.  That leads me to the next reason, related to but also beyond this single benefit.

Delta Award Rates Are Out of Control

Years ago, I loved the simple value I could get from SkyMiles – basic economy flights domestically while enjoying Delta’s superior Sky Clubs.  Unsurprisingly, Delta closed that loophole.  Therefore, I don’t consider those rates anymore.  (Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic awards on Delta metal aren’t basic economy fares, another reason I prefer those options.)

Last year, I worked hard to find a reasonable rate (by SkyMiles standards) for a Delta One transcontinental flight between JFK and LAX.  With TakeOff 15, I still paid a bit over 100k SkyMiles for that one-way flight.  I thought that was a huge amount, but one I didn’t mind using given our healthy SkyMiles balances, our limited use of the currency, and my Delta One curiosity – lounges and otherwise.

Back to today, though.  Looking at dates for the foreseeable future on this route, I found much of the schedule in the 300k range.  I saw some availability in the 200k neighborhood, with a very few select near-term dates at the bargain basement price of 128k.  (All of these prices are inclusive of the TakeOff 15 “discount.”)  Of course, this is just one city pair in a premium class.  But I’m also generally appalled at the award rates I see for Delta Main economy in comparison to their competitors.

Delta award rates have been generally terrifying for years, but it seems we’re reaching a new level lately.

Conclusion

I now question why to even bother collecting the Delta award currency, even at efficient levels via elevated welcome offers – the method we’ve exclusively used in the past.  I value the Amex card slot more than any infrequent TakeOff 15 savings.  Perks from Delta Amex cards loosely apply to us (at best) and award rates are astronomical.  Meanwhile, it’s a pleasure to redeem for Delta flights via other loyalty programs. I’m confounded to see where things go from here with Delta’s loyalty program and their cobranded Amex cards.

Do you continue to hold Delta Amex cards?  Why?