Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles with Delta Air Lines new ecofriendly Amex cards – CNBC

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Starting today, American Express and Delta Air Lines are introducing brand new, eco-friendly cards to their portfolio. And to celebrate the new Earth-conscious cards appearing in consumers wallets, each card is offering new welcome bonus offers, up to 100,000 Delta SkyMiles. Plus, Delta business cards now have welcome bonuses where you can earn up to 110,000 SkyMiles.

But if you’re interested in earning a valuable welcome bonus, the promotion ends Apr. 13 — so be sure to act quickly.

Here’s what you need to know about the deals, plus what to keep in mind when you’re earning heaps of airline miles.

Sustainability and climate change are on the forefront of many people’s minds and sustainable travel has become important to many. In a Booking.com report from last year, it’s reported that 83% of global travelers think sustainable travel is vital, with 61% saying the pandemic has made them want to travel more sustainably in the future.

While airlines are still one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, they are taking steps to become more environmentally friendly. Starting today, the physical Delta SkyMiles American Express Cards listed below are now certified CarbonNeutral®. They will be made from 70% reclaimed plastic, resulting in 89% less greenhouse gas emissions and 85% less water consumption compared to how traditional plastic credit cards are made.

To celebrate these new cards, there is also raised welcome offers to get your card membership off to an exciting start. Here are the cards and their new offers:

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

With the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card you can earn 70,000 Delta SkyMiles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card within the first three months. If you value SkyMiles at a conservative 1 cent per mile, this bonus is worth $700, although its not much hard to get more value than that.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold card is great for flyers who travel a few times each year with Delta and its partners. You will also receive your first checked bag free, a $100 Delta flight credit when you spend $10,000 or more in a calendar year, *rental car insurance and no foreign transaction fees. (See rates and fees).

The card has a introductory annual fee of $0 for the first year, then $99. (See rates and fees).

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card is offering a welcome bonus of 90,000 Delta SkyMiles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the card within the first three months. If you value SkyMiles at a conservative 1 cent per mile, this bonus is worth $900, although its not much hard to get more value than that.

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum card is a solid choice for flyers looking for a bit more luxury and for those who want help earning elite status with Delta. You’ll earn a complimentary companion pass for one Main Cabin flight each year when you new your card, a $100 fee credit to enroll in either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, Status Boost opportunities to spend your way to Delta elite status and discounts on Delta Sky Club entry fees.

The card has a $250 annual fee. (see rates and fees)

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

With the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card you can earn 100,000 Delta SkyMiles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on the card within the first three months. If you value SkyMiles at a conservative 1 cent per mile, this bonus is worth $1,000, although its not much hard to get more value than that.

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve card is the top-tier consumer Delta card as it comes with premium benefits such as Delta Sky Club lounge access, American Express Centurion lounge access, an annual companion pass when flying on Delta, seat upgrade priority, travel insurance and complimentary concierge service.

The card has a $550 annual fee. (See rates and fees)

Additionally, the business Amex Delta cards are also receiving raised bonuses. The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card will also be transitioning to the CarbonNeutral card later this year, but the other business cards will still have the traditional plastic. So if you’re a small business owner, you may want to consider one of these cards as well. Keep in mind these offers end Apr. 13:

Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card

With the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card you can earn 75,000 Delta SkyMiles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the card within the first three months. The annual fee is $99, but has a $0 Introductory annual fee the first year of card membership. (See rates and fees)

What to keep in mind when earning airline miles

Regardless of which Delta card you choose, earning airline miles on spending you’re already doing anyway is a great benefit. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when you accumulate miles with an airline loyalty program:

• Alliance partners: While these cards award Delta SkyMiles to be used on Delta Air Lines, you can also redeem them with Delta’s partners through their airline alliance, SkyTeam. The airline alliance has 18 other partner airlines including: AeroMexico, Air France, KLM, and China Airlines. For example, if you search on Delta’s website for flights from the U.S. to Paris, France, you’ll see flights on Air France. So with alliance partners, you’re opening yourself up to more possibilities with the airline miles you earn.
• Devaluation: Airlines regularly evaluate their loyalty programs to determine how much ‘risk’ there is in terms of the amount of points sitting in consumers accounts. And if the risk is too high, airlines can simply charge more for their flights, therefore lowering the value of your points. This means that as you earn miles, it’s important to do your best to spend them sooner rather than holding onto them. However, you shouldn’t redeem them for low-value redemptions like magazine subscriptions or gift cards.
• Theft: Loyalty programs and their rewards are worth billions, and that means they are susceptible to theft. There is approximately $1 billion in rewards lost to fraud each year, according to Comarch, a software company specializing in loyalty management systems. To protect yourself and your account, use secure passwords for your loyalty program logins. And be sure to regularly check your balances to ensure your miles aren’t compromised. If they are contact the loyalty program immediately to alert them.

This Delta Amex announcement comes as Spring and Summer travel quickly approaches. So if you’re looking for a travel card to help you save on airfare, one of these cards can help you quickly save.

But before you apply for one of theses Delta cards, be sure you haven’t had one of them before as American Express welcome offers are ‘once per lifetime’. This means if you’ve earned the welcome bonus before on a specific card, you cannot earn it again. But, for example, if you’ve only earned the bonus on the Delta Gold card, you’d still be eligible for a bonus on the Platinum or Reserve card.

But most importantly, before you sign up for a new credit card, be sure you’re in a financial position to have one. Not only should you make sure you can earn the welcome bonus responsibly, but also make sure you have an established budget before you apply.

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*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/ benefitsguide for more details. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For rates and fees of the Delta Skymiles® Gold American Express Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta Skymiles® Platinum American Express Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta Skymiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta Skymiles® Gold Business American Express Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta Skymiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta Skymiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, click here.