Delta Air Lines announced Thursday that most of its Delta SkyMiles American Express cards now come with a discount on mileage award flights.
The Atlanta-based airline said as of Feb. 2, those who have Gold, Platinum or Reserve SkyMiles American Express cards can get 15% off the cost in miles for award flights.
The benefit does not apply to those who have the Delta Blue SkyMiles AmEx — which has no annual fee. The Delta AmEx cards that do qualify all have annual fees: The Gold card has a $99 annual fee, Platinum has a $250 annual fee and Reserve has a $550 annual fee.
Delta said the 15% discount on award flights for those cardholders is a permanent benefit, not a limited time offer.
It’s the latest move by the airline to attract and retain more SkyMiles frequent flier members and Delta AmEx cardholders.
The airline last month announced that as of Feb. 1, SkyMiles members get free Wi-Fi on most of Delta’s domestic aircraft.
Delta’s partnership with American Express is a lucrative part of the business that brings in billions of dollars a year for the airline. Airlines generate significant revenue by selling miles to credit card issuers, and Delta brought in $5.5 billion from its AmEx partnership last year.
To get the 15% discount, those with a qualifying Delta AmEx card can sign into their SkyMiles account on Delta’s website or app and choose “Shop with Miles.” When checking out, the miles discount will be applied.
The discount only applies to Delta-operated flights, not flights on Delta partner carriers, and does not apply to taxes and fees.
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