American Express Delta Transfer Bonus: 50% and 25,000 MQMs With 100,000+ Point Transfers

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

I can hardly keep up with all of these Delta transfer bonuses! Today Delta and American Express launched yet another 50% and 25,000 MQM transfer bonus (registration required), but this time they are requiring a 100,000 point transfer for the MQMs, (twice the amount required from the last time they ran this promo) good for transfers through September 30, 2011. Is this a good deal? I think it's a pretty good deal if you have some Delta awards in mind and value Delta elite status. However, while the last promotions mandated that you transfer at least 50,000 points to get the 50% bonus, this time you can transfer as little (1,000 minimum) or as many points as you want for the 50% bonus but, as I mentioned, you only get the 25,000 MQMs if you transfer 100,000 or more points. Remember - this is only on your first transfer, so decide how many you want to transfer and then do it, because you won't be able to get the bonus again.

Key things to note:
1) The promo copy reads: "Once you register, you can earn a 50% mileage bonus on any amount of
Membership Rewards® points you transfer into your Delta SkyMiles account. This offer is good for first-time only transfers through September 30, 2011.
First register, then transfer points into miles."
However, the T&C read: "Offer Eligibility: To participate in this offer, eligible members must register online at delta.com/soarhigher. If you are not yet a SkyMiles member, enroll now or call 1-800-323-2323. Offer available to U.S. residents only. This offer is non-transferable and is only eligible for the SkyMiles member receiving this communication directly from Delta Air Lines."

I took advantage of this promotion last fall and then during the last round, when I tried to register it rejected me. However, I was able to successfully register for this promotion, which makes me think I am indeed eligible. I don't plan to transfer 100,000 Amex points to Delta, but I am curious to know what would happen. If anyone is in my situation, feel free to comment below with your experience.

2) American Express Membership Rewards points transfer instantly to Delta and most people have also gotten the 25,000 MQMs within minutes as well. It will take a day or two for your Delta status to reflect the influx of MQMs.

3) Only Membership Rewards points are eligible for this promotion. If you have a Delta branded Amex card (Reserve, Platinum or Gold), those points are automatically banked to Delta. You need to have a Membership Rewards eligible card like Platinum (25k bonus), or Premier Rewards (15k and first year fee waived).

4) Amex charges an excise fee of $0.0006 cents per point, so it will cost $60 to transfer 100,000 points to Delta.

5) Elite status will last through February 2013. See this page for the benefits of Delta elite status.

Hat tip to Gary at View from the Wing!

Terms & Conditions

Terms and Conditions for the Membership Rewards® program apply. Visit membershiprewards.com/terms or call 1-800-AXP-EARN (297-3276) for more information. Participating partners and available rewards are subject to change without notice. To modify your receipt of valuable offers from American Express, please visit americanexpress.com/choice.

Offer Eligibility: To participate in this offer, eligible members must register online at delta.com/soarhigher. If you are not yet a SkyMiles member, enroll now or call 1-800-323-2323. Offer available to U.S. residents only. This offer is non-transferable and is only eligible for the SkyMiles member receiving this communication directly from Delta Air Lines.

Point Transfer Details: Membership Rewards program enrollees will receive one mile for every eligible Membership Rewards point transferred. Allow up to 2 business days for Membership Rewards points to be transferred to your SkyMiles account. Transferred points cannot be transferred back to the Cardmember's Membership Rewards program account. Cardmembers must transfer a minimum of 1,000 Membership Rewards points per transfer. Cardmembers may only transfer points once from the date you register through September 30, 2011.

Bonus Award Information: This offer cannot be combined with other Delta or SkyTeam® offers. Members will receive a 50% mileage bonus on miles transferred in a single transaction from the date you register through September 30, 2011. Bonus miles will be posted up to 6 weeks following the date of transfer. Members will also receive a one-time award of 25,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) toward Medallion status when you register for the promotion and transfer 100,000 points or more (in a single transaction) from the date you register through September 30th. Medallion Qualification Miles will be awarded to qualifying members up to 6 weeks following the date of transfer. Bonus miles and MQMs will be awarded on a one-time basis per qualified Member and will not be awarded more than one time per Member, for example, on newly created SkyMiles accounts (or duplicate accounts) that are subsequently merged with an existing SkyMiles account.

Medallion Benefits: Preferred Seating and Medallion Complimentary Upgrades are subject to availability and may not be available on all flights or in all markets. Complimentary Upgrades for Economy Award reservations and Pay with Miles will be upgraded to First Class beginning at the eligible Medallion tier window based on availability. Excess, oversize, and/or overweight baggage fees may apply.

Mileage Expiration: Under the SkyMiles Mileage Expiration policy, miles do not expire. Delta reserves the right to de-activate or close an account under the following circumstances: fraudulent activity occurs, a member requests an account closure, a member is deceased, a member does not respond to repeated communication attempts regarding the status of his/her account.

Taxes and Fees: Enrollment in SkyMiles is required. Airline tickets are subject to availability. For each conversion of points into the SkyMiles program, a fee of $0.0006 per point, with a maximum fee of $99, will be charged to your Card account. We charge this fee to offset the federal excise tax we must pay on such conversions. The fee may be more or less than the actual amount of the excise tax we pay on any individual conversion. We may offer you the option to redeem points to pay this fee.

Miscellaneous: All SkyMiles program rules apply to SkyMiles program membership, miles, offers, mile accrual, mile redemption and travel benefits, respectively. To review the rules, please visit Membership Guide & Program Rules. Taxes (and if applicable, fees) for Award Travel are the responsibility of the passenger and must be paid at the time the ticket is booked. Award Travel seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or in all markets. Stated destination count includes those served by Delta and its worldwide codeshare partners. Offers, rules and benefits subject to change without notice. Offers void where prohibited by law. Additional terms and conditions may apply. Other restrictions may apply. Please refer Delta customer service representative to 97360412; American Express representative to U414:0001.
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