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Delta to Give SkyTeam Elite Plus to Gold Medallions Plus More Planned Enhancements

Oct. 26, 2010
•
2 min read
Delta to Give SkyTeam Elite Plus to Gold Medallions Plus More Planned Enhancements
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Delta recently hosted a bunch of frequent flyers to their Atlanta headquarters for a weekend of fun. Unfortunately I was unable to attend due to a family wedding, but

I heard Delta really pulled out all the stops- including speeches by the CEO and VP of SkyMiles. They also gave away 1 million SkyMiles to a table of 8 lucky attendees who won the trivia game. 125,000 miles each can get you to the Seychelles in business class (as I did this summer using my SkyMiles)!

Anyway- the key enhancements that I heard are coming are:

1) Coming March 1, 2011 Gold Medallion will now be given SkyTeam Elite Plus status. Currently only Diamond and Platinums get SkyTeam ElitePlus, which gives you lounge access to all SkyTeam lounges when traveling internationally and it also gives baggage priority. A nice benefit if you travel internationally on coach fares.

2) Upgrades on Air France are coming. They already announced that System-Wide Upgrades are now available for use on AF (which I love and wrote about here), so now anyone will be able to use miles to upgrade an Air France flight. I'd like to see Medallions eligible for complimentary upgrades when traveling in Europe even though European business class isn't anything noteworthy.

3) Tightened partnership with Alaska Airlines. Reciprocal upgrades and lounge access to be further strengthened and Delta elites exempt from baggage fees.

4) Tightened partnerships with SkyTeam partners Alitalia and Korean coming up next. I would love to see stronger upgrading opportunities using SystemWide Upgrades and miles.

5) A possible increase in the 3 hour Same Day Confirmed benefit. Other airlines allow their top elites to switch to any other flight on the day of departure, whereas Delta only allows you to confirm to a different flight (as long as its the same departure city and arrival destination) 3 hours before the flight takes off. This is a risky proposition if you try to switch to a later flight and all the sudden it books up and you are stranded.

Overall, not earth shattering changes, but enhancements nonetheless, in my opionion. SkyTeam isn't the strong alliance in terms of members, but I do like seeing them integrate and add more reciprocal benefits.

[card card-name='Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express' card-id='22034414' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']

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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.