Have a birthday soon? Check your email, Delta SkyMiles members
Check your email if your birthday's coming up and you're a Delta SkyMiles member.
Some TPG staffers have reported that family members received an email from Delta offering a choice of three birthday gifts which could be a nice bonus for a future trip.
TPG executive editor Scott Mayerowitz and senior aviation reporter Ethan Klapper both reported family members received an email prompting them to select which birthday offering they would prefer. The choices are 500 bonus miles, two drink vouchers or up to $500 in savings with Delta Vacations.
When you click on the offer, it takes you to a landing page that explains the promotion. It appears this is a targeted offer sent to certain SkyMiles members 45 days before their birthday. You have 45 days to make a selection once you receive the offer.
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You won't earn a free flight or a trip in Delta One, but who says no to a free birthday gift?
My birthday is months away, so I've received no such offer. Still, if I was presented with these choices I’d probably go with the drink vouchers, which can be redeemed for inflight beverages.
TPG values Delta SkyMiles at 1.41 cents per mile, which means the offer of 500 bonus miles is only worth about $7. Most inflight alcoholic beverages aboard Delta flights fall in the $8-$10 range, so for the two vouchers, you’re getting a $16-$20 value.
This could be good timing since the airline recently added new options to its inflight drink menu.
Your calculation may be different than mine, of course, if you’re looking to book an award flight and find yourself just a few hundred miles shy of what you need for a free flight.
That being said, there are also plenty of other opportunities to earn 500 miles. For instance, if you carry the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, which gets you 2 miles per dollar at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets., a $150 grocery run and a $100 dinner out at a restaurant will earn the same number of miles Delta is offering.
Related: The best airline credit cards with inflight discounts
Putting the offer to use
If you received this offer and are flying with Delta soon, the drink vouchers should appear in your SkyMiles account within 24 hours, according to Delta. They’ll expire 60 days after you receive them. The bonus miles should hit your account within 48 hours.
As for the Delta Vacations promotion, this would go toward the flight-and-hotel vacation packages the airline sells.
There’s a caveat on this particular choice: How much you can save depends on how much you spend. To tap into the maximum $500 discount available in this promotion, you’d have to spend $6,000 or more. If you spend $1,499 or less, you’ll get a $25 discount.
Bottom line
If you’re a Delta SkyMiles member with a birthday coming up, check your email. You could score a couple of free drinks on your next trip or add to your mileage balance.
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023
Rewards Rate
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023