New TakeOff 15 Promotion From Delta and Amex Reduces Award Fares Overnight
On Feb. 2, 2023, some Delta customers woke up to better deals on flight awards through the Delta SkyMiles program. Delta has launched a new benefit called TakeOff 15, which grants an automatic 15% off award fares for Delta flyers with an eligible co-branded Delta credit card.
"Our Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members are some of our most loyal customers, and we want to continue to give them opportunities to travel the world more easily," said Prashant Sharma, V.P. of Loyalty at Delta, in a press release from the airline. "We’re grateful to have a partner like American Express who shares our vision and passion for delivering ingenuity and excellence to our customers."
Is TakeOff 15 worth your while?
The new Delta and Amex TakeOff 15 promotion is a welcome change for Delta enthusiasts who want to get the most value out of their miles and find them rather difficult to use.
Like other U.S.-based frequent flyer programs, Delta SkyMiles does not offer an award chart, meaning the cost of any award can vary from day to day. This program has long been known for offering decent award fares on domestic flights when you can find them, yet award costs for premium seats on international flights are often exorbitant. The new benefit will help reduce the cost for eligible cardholders, since it applies to every award flight, across the board.
The new discount also makes co-branded Delta credit cards even more valuable since frequent flyers can stretch their rewards 15% further with every award fare. Moreover, maximizing the discount should come easy since it applies to all award fares from the airline regardless of date or destination. Signing up for an eligible Delta credit card and linking it to your SkyMiles account is all you need to do to get the benefit.
Which cards offer TakeOff 15?
As mentioned, the new TakeOff 15 promotion applies to all award fares for Delta SkyMiles members who have an eligible Delta credit card. Fortunately, all co-branded Delta credit cards for consumers and businesses qualify except for the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card.
This means you'll now get 15% off Delta award fares with any of the following:
Once you verify your card is connected to your Delta Skymiles account, there's nothing else you need to do to score the TakeOff 15 discount. Just log into your account and search for award fares, and the discount will show up in your search results.
There are a few fine print details to note with the TakeOff 15 promotion. For starters, you can only use it for Delta and Delta-connection operated flights. Also the discount does not apply to award fares you purchase with a combination of cash and miles, or for upgrades you purchase with miles.
Taxes and fees are not included in the discount either, and you must pay for taxes and fees with your co-branded Delta credit card to get the 15% off. Finally, Delta says customers who apply for a new Delta credit card may need to wait up to 24 hours to use this benefit.
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