A large number of credit cards provide hotel statement credits to card members for the benefit. Delta Airlines and American Express’s card family are no different, and one of the lower credits offered on most Delta cards is annual Delta credit.
While this is a valuable benefit that can help offset some of the annual fees charged by the card, many card members forget to use it before the end of the year expires.
So let’s dive into how to use and maximize the credibility of the delta.
What is the credibility of the Delta?
Delta Maintain Credit is an annual statement credit on a prepaid hotel’s selection of Delta Amex cards, or a vacation rental booked through the Delta Hotel Platform offered by Expedia. Depending on your card, it offers $100 to $250 per calendar year.
Which cards provide the credit limit for the Delta?
Six of the seven delta cards get credit; the only person who doesn’t provide credit is entry-level DeltaSkymiles®BlueAmerican Express Card. This is the annual amount broken down by the card:
Related: Current Welcome Offers on Delta Amex Card
Key terms
Here are some important things to note when using credit:
- Only prepaid accommodation is eligible.
- Credit is for each calendar year.
- Credit does not have to be used at once. It can be used in multiple downtimes until the full value is reached.
- There is no minimum night requirement for this credit line, which is an advantage considering the hotel statement credit for some other credit cards, and you will need to book at least two nights.
- If your accommodation costs more than your credit value, it will be applied effectively as a discount.
- If you have multiple Delta cards, you will earn multiple points. However, credit cannot be stacked on the same booking.
- You spend 2 or 3 Skymiles per dollar (depending on the card you have) and the medal eligibility dollars.
If you have an elite hotel status, remember that you usually won’t get any of these benefits or earn loyalty when booking through an online travel agency like an online travel agency. So if you live in a hotel chain with a status, be prepared for your benefits so as not to be respected.
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My advice is to use such hotel points in hotels or boutique hotels that do not have any status in hotel chains that do not have any loyalty programs.
Related: Benefits Large: Why Delta Reserve Amex is my favorite common brand credit card
How to use Delta to keep your credit
Booking with this credit is easy and can be done in just a few simple steps:
- First, visit the Delta website and select the “Accommodation” (for hotels) or the “Vacation Rental” tab.
- Then, enter your destination, date, and the number of nights and travelers.
- Next, select the attribute you want to stay in.
- At checkout, select the prepaid rate to get credit eligibility. Many prepaid rates are fully refundable and can give you flexibility if your plan changes, but avoid “book now, pay at the hotel” because they don’t have prepaid.
- Finally, pay with your Delta credit card.
After you book and pay the hotel through your accommodation in Delta, the terms and conditions state that credit may take up to 90 days to post to your account. However, credit is usually faster than this, usually within four days.
Related: Maximize hotel free night certificates by planning your credit card application
How TPG employees maximize credit
This credit is an easy way to reduce travel costs and when used strategically, it can even cover the entire night’s stay. This is how some of us at TPG make this benefit work.
Making early flights easier
TPG’s senior editorial director Nick Ewen used his honors after a week’s vacation on Prince Edward Island. The next day, he departed from the airport in Halifax, Nova Scotia at 9 a.m., and he stayed at a hotel just a few steps from the terminal. He did not deal with it before dawn, but walked from the room to the airport – about 50 steps from the hotel.
The room costs $252, but thanks to his maximum $200. Delta Reservehe paid $52 since he was a child. It was a stress-free ending of his trip and a wise way to maximize credit value.
Turn a long drive into a short jump
TPG’s premium points and Miles Editor Gabrielle Bernardini used her honors on a family trip to Italy. After exploring the Dolomites, she needed to take an early morning flight from Venice to Sicily. Instead of waking up in the middle of the night for three hours’ drive, she booked one night at an independent hotel just 10 minutes from the airport.
Accommodation costs $184, but she has always trusted her after applying her Delta Delta Goldshe paid only $84. It makes the early days of travel smoother – cheaper.
My plan for free nights in South Africa
As for me, I plan to use this year’s credit for my upcoming trip to South Africa. I’ll be there for a few weeks, so even one night makes a difference.
I chose the Johannesburg Rosebank, Johannesburg for less than $100 a night. I won’t stay elite with Hyatt, so I won’t miss any allowance by booking a Delta booking – I can effectively get free nights by using credit on my Delta Gold.
Related: Why Delta Skymiles Reserve Card Still One of the Best Cards I Add to Wallet
Tips for using the Delta
To get the most value from your annual delta, remember these tips:
- Watch the calendar. Credits are issued for each calendar year and will not end again. Avoid staying at the end of December, because if you book on December 30 or 31, as well as a credit conference in January, you will completely lose your credit for the year. Think of it as a privilege to use or waste.
- The target stays briefly. The best one-night or two-night stay for a credit line is $100 to $250 (depending on the card you have). This will make your out-of-pocket expenses low and it is of high value.
- Compare prices. The speed through the delta is sometimes higher than when booking directly at a hotel. For example, when I look at my South African hotel, the accommodation rate in the Delta is $14 more than booking a Hyatt hotel directly. The small difference didn’t bother me as the accommodation was valid but worth checking.
- Beyond the big chain. Booking a boutique hotel or vacation rental can be a smart move as you won’t miss out on the hotel loyalty or elite privileges you might earn from major chains.
- Consider using it abroad. Hotel prices in some international destinations may be much lower than some TPG employees in the United States, such as I prefer to use this credit abroad, sometimes covering multiple nights.
- Book prepaid. To trigger credit, you must book a prepayment through the Delta Stise website. If you do not prepay, you will not receive a declared credit.
Bottom line
Delta keeps your credit is an easy way to get real value from your Delta credit card. Depending on your card, you get $100 to $250 per year on bookings through the Delta, helping offset the annual fee and may even cover the entire night stay.
Just make sure to use it before the end of the calendar year and give yourself enough time to post a credit. A little bit of planning can turn this often overlooked privilege into an easy victory.
Related: Which credit card should you use for Delta Airlines flights?
