Editors Note: This new benefit is now live! Read our full story here.Â
It appears that a new benefit originally thought to be coming to the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card may soon be available for almost all of Delta's co-branded credit cards.
Earlier this month, news inadvertently broke from American Express on a new benefit coming to the Reserve Card when the bank quietly updated some of the terms of its official application page for the Reserve Card to add a new benefit it's calling “TakeOff 15,” promising a 15% discount when booking an award ticket with Delta SkyMiles on Delta-operated flights.
To date, no official announcements have been made, and representatives from both Delta and American Express have not responded to requests for comment.
Within hours of publishing our original story, American Express even removed the mention of the TakeOff 15 benefit altogether.
But on Tuesday, a new post surfaced on the Delta Air Lines subreddit showing new marketing materials hitting mailboxes advertising TakeOff 15, a 15% discount for the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card.
Additionally, the fine print posted along with the mailer suggests that this new TakeOff 15 benefit will be available for both consumer and business versions of Delta Gold, Platinum, and Reserve cards – not just the Reserve card as we originally reported.
The Reddit user also shared the terms and conditions of this new TakeOff 15 benefit included in the mailer. They are as follows:
- TakeOff 15 Eligibility: Basic Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum, and Reserve American Express Card Members, as well as Basic Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum, and Reserve Business American Express Card Members (each, an “Eligible Card”), can get at least a 15% discount off the mileage portion of an award ticket (the “TakeOff 15” benefit).
- Additional card members are not eligible.
- Available only if the entire itinerary is on Delta and Delta Connection carrier-operated and ticketed flights booked at delta.com or the Fly Delta app.
- Not available on flights operated by other carriers.
- Not available for Pay with Miles, Miles + Cash, seat upgrades purchased after the initial flight booking, or other Delta products or services.
- Discount only applies to the mileage portion of the award ticket fare and does not apply to applicable taxes and fees, which must be paid using the eligible card.
- Members must be logged into a SkyMiles account linked to an eligible card to receive the TakeOf 15 benefit discount
- The mileage discount will be greater than or equal to 15% of the overall miles portion for the award ticket,
- An award ticket is a ticket issued by Delta pursuant to the SkyMiles program rules, by which SkyMiles members may redeem miles and pay applicable government-imposed taxes and fees in exchange for air transportation.
- All award ticket rules apply, as set forth on delta.com and in the specific terms incorporated into your award ticket.
- Award travel is defined as travel using an award ticket.
- Award travel seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or in all markets. SkyMiles account balance must have sufficient miles for the entire award ticket being purchased.
- TakeOff 15 benefit is not combinable with certificates, Delta Credits, Delta gift cards, vouchers, or with any other discounts or promotional offers.
Our Analysis
After poking around on Delta's website, we can confirm that current SkyMiles cardholders aren't seeing these discounts while searching at delta.com just yet, but the fact that these are hitting mailboxes leads us to believe the benefit will be launching soon.
Is this new TakeOff 15 benefit part of a bigger change to the suite of Delta's co-branded credit cards? Will Delta be rolling out a limited-time offer for their co-branded cards soon and couple this new benefit with that announcement? We simply don't know the answers to these questions yet, but the fact that this benefit appears to be launching on all of the Delta cards (with the exception of the no-annual-fee Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card) is great news.
It's also interesting that the terms and conditions say, “Basic Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum and Reserve Business American Express Card Members can get at least a 15% discount off the mileage portion of an award Ticket.” While the benefit is being marketed as a 15% discount on Delta-operated award tickets, this seems to leave the door open for certain card versions potentially offering bigger discounts – whether that be a part of the welcome offer bonus or through other limited-time promotions.
Will SkyMiles Platinum and Reserve cardholders get more than a 15% discount, even if for a limited time? Only time will tell. But, the writing seems to be on the wall for Delta and American Express to be launching this new TakeOff 15 benefit in the coming days.
Want more travel news like this? Subscribe to our free daily newsletter!
Bottom Line
It appears Delta's new TakeOff 15 benefit rumored to be coming to the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card will soon be available for all SkyMiles cardholders.
While the benefit isn't available yet, with consumers receiving targeted mailers advertising the 15% discount on SkyMiles award tickets, we should know more from Delta and American Express soon.
15% off 4,500,000 miles for that premium select seat to Mexico, yes!
Are the prices for Europe coming down any time soon? no one can travel with the prices that Delta is changing right now, I’ve travel 46 times to Greece, but this year the prices will keep me from going, very disappointed at Delta, my choice slways
I was literally salty to cancel my delta amex card and i probably still will because Delta miles are overpriced compared to the competition. But this tiny bone thrown by the widget and the gladiator is worth considering.
The greatest devaluation came when they made the threshold spend bonuses on Reserve and DL Platinum Cards all MQMs only, no more redeemable miles as well.
Pay with miles is still far the best way to go. This doesn’t seem like much of a discount when you still pay a lot and are using miles also. I calculated just one international trip ( main cabin) and used the shop with miles-15 percent discount. Used 68,000 miles and still would pay over $400 then same trip using pay with miles and used 65,000 miles and paid just over $12.00. Not much a benefit at all. I hope they don’t take away the pay with miles benefit!