The Best Limited-Time AMEX Card Offer Might NOT Be That Obvious
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Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.These 5 AMEX cards are currently offering their best-ever sign-up bonuses:
The offers in the table below are no longer available.| Card Name | Sign-Up Bonus |
|---|---|
| Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express | 50,000 Delta miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening Additional 10,000 Delta miles after you spend an additional $1,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening $50 statement credit when you make a Delta purchase with the card in the first 3 months from account opening |
| Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express | 50,000 Delta miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening Additional 10,000 Delta miles after you spend an additional $1,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening $50 statement credit when you make a Delta purchase with the card in the first 3 months from account opening |
| Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express | 70,000 Delta miles and 10,000 Medallion qualifying miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening $100 statement credit when you make a Delta purchase with the card in the first 3 months from account opening |
| Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express | 70,000 Delta miles and 10,000 Medallion qualifying miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening $100 statement credit when you make a Delta purchase with the card in the first 3 months from account opening |
| Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express | up to 35,000 Starwood points You'll earn 25,000 Starwood points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. And 10,000 more Starwood points for spending another $4,000 on purchases within the first 6 months. |
But these offers are only available for a limited time!
The AMEX Starwood deal is available to folks who sign-up by November 1, 2017. And to earn a best-ever sign-up bonus with any of the limited-time AMEX Delta card offers, you must apply by November 8, 2017.
If your goal is to earn Delta miles, there are a few reasons you might actually consider applying for the AMEX Starwood small business card.
4 Reasons to Consider the AMEX Starwood Offer
Link: Best Offer Ever: 35,000 Points With AMEX Starwood Small Business Card!
Link: Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express
Through November 1, 2017, with the AMEX Starwood small business card, you’ll earn 25,000 Starwood points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. And 10,000 more Starwood points for spending another $4,000 on purchases within the first 6 months.
So you’ll earn a total of 35,000 Starwood points after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements totaling $10,000.
The $95 annual fee is waived for the first year.
For some folks, this deal might be better than the AMEX Delta card offers. Here’s why!
1. Have More Travel Flexibility!
If you apply for an AMEX Delta card, you’re restricted to earning just Delta miles. I’d much rather earn flexible points, like Starwood points! Because these points give you a variety of redemption options, including:
- Free stays at 5,700+ Starwood AND Marriott hotels around the world
- Inexpensive hotel stays using the Cash + Points perk
- Transferring points to 35+ airline partners like American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, and more
- Nights & Flights packages
- SPG Moments (like Broadway shows or professional sporting events)
You can check out this post with all of the favorite ways Million Mile Secrets readers like to use Starwood points!
2. Turn the AMEX Starwood Sign-Up Bonus and Minimum Spending Points Into 55,000 Delta Miles
You can turn Starwood points into airline miles, which is an amazing perk. Besides a great transfer ratio (usually 1:1 with most airlines), you get 5,000 bonus miles for every 20,000 points you transfer.
If you sign-up for the AMEX Starwood small business card and meet the tiered minimum spending requirements, you’ll have at least 45,000 Starwood points (35,000 points from the sign-up bonus + 10,000 points from minimum spending).
Because of the 5,000 mile bonus benefit, you can transfer 45,000 Starwood points and get 55,000 Delta miles!
This isn’t quite as many Delta miles as you’d get with the limited-time AMEX Delta card offers. But it’s very close!
And you don’t have to transfer all of your Starwood points to Delta. You can transfer some points and keep a stash for any of the other redemption options I mentioned earlier!
3. Get More Return for Your Everyday Spending
Lots of folks (including Million Mile Secrets team member Joseph) use the AMEX Starwood card for purchases that are NOT in a bonus category.
Because the 5,000 bonus airline miles you get for transferring 20,000 Starwood points effectively means you’re earning 1.25 airline miles per $1 with the card. This is better than the 1 airline mile per $1 you earn on non-bonus spending with the AMEX Delta cards.
And sometimes there are targeted spending promotions with the AMEX Starwood small business card that can earn you even more valuable Starwood points!
4. This Might Be the Last Time We See the 35,000-Point Offer!
Following the Marriott-Starwood merger announcement, I said the AMEX Starwood cards could potentially be discontinued in the future.
I don’t have information this will happen any time soon. But the chain is expected to merge loyalty programs in 2018. And it’s possible they could do away with the AMEX Starwood business card, which is why it might be a great time to take advantage of the best-ever offer!
The AMEX Delta Card Offers Are Still Great If You…
Link: These 4 Best-Ever Delta Card Offers Won’t Be Around Forever
Link: Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
Link: Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express
Link: Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
Link: Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express
Until November 8, 2017, you can earn the highest-ever public sign-up bonuses on the AMEX Delta cards. One of these cards might be a better fit in your wallet than the AMEX Starwood card for these reasons.
1. Want a Free Checked Bag
With the AMEX Delta cards, you get a free checked bag for yourself and up to 8 other people traveling on the same itinerary. You get this perk automatically on paid and award flights.
You’re not required to pay for the flight or award ticket taxes & fees with an AMEX Delta card. You just have to be an active cardholder and link your Delta SkyMiles number to your reservation.
Delta charges $25 per checked bag each way. So if you’re traveling with a friend or family member on the same reservation, this benefit can save you $100 round-trip!
2. Use Delta Pay With Miles
AMEX Delta cardholders can redeem Delta miles for paid tickets using Pay With Miles at a rate of 1 cent per mile. And there are no blackout dates when you book this way. Plus, you’ll earn miles for your ticket!
The increased sign-up bonuses on the AMEX Delta cards are worth $600 or $700 in Delta flights! (60,000 or 70,000 Delta miles X 1 cent per mile).
This is a nice benefit, especially because Delta no longer publishes an award chart!
3. Can’t Meet $10,000 in Minimum Spending Requirement
To earn the total 35,000-point sign-up bonus with the AMEX Starwood small business card, you’ll have to spend $10,000 on purchases total.
But to unlock the sign-up bonuses with AMEX Delta cards, you don’t have to spend as much. The minimum spending requirements range from $2,000 to $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months, depending which card you apply for.
Remember to check out my post with 40+ ways to complete minimum spending requirements, which might give you methods you haven’t thought of before!
Bottom Line
There are several AMEX cards currently offering their best-ever sign-up bonuses.
You can earn 35,000 Starwood points with the AMEX Starwood small business card when you sign-up by November 1, 2017. And there are terrific AMEX Delta card offers, but you must apply by November 8, 2017.
It depends on your travel goals, but I think the AMEX Starwood small business card might be the best of the current limited-time deals. Because Starwood points are flexible and extremely valuable! You can even convert Starwood points to Delta miles (or lots of other airline miles!)
That said, the AMEX Delta cards are still great because the sign-up bonuses can get you at least $600 or $700 worth of Delta flights. And AMEX Delta cardholders can save money on baggage fees!
Which limited-time AMEX card offer are you applying for?
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