Guide to Delta business travel

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If you travel for business, you’ll know Delta Air Lines is one of the preferred airlines for heading to major cities and convention destinations (conveniently and affordably, too). Currently, Delta flies to 275 destinations in 50 countries, but it offers service to more than 1,000 destinations and 60 countries through Delta Connection carriers and partner airlines.
As one of the premium U.S. airlines, Delta offers a level of comfort, benefits and customer service that you may not receive with budget airlines — especially if you upgrade to premium seating. Delta offers many options for business travelers of all types, and in this guide, we’ll cover business travel with Delta, along with the best Delta credit cards for business travelers.
Delta business travel overview
Delta Business can help you elevate your business travel — no matter the size of your business — through its travel programs, tools, resources and more. Some of the perks businesses can take advantage of include:
- Access to private travel. With Delta, it’s easy to charter a flight or book a jet for large groups of professionals.
- Delta’s SkyBonus rewards program. In addition to earning miles in the Delta SkyMiles program — which can be redeemed for flights, seat upgrades and Delta Sky Club membership, among other options — businesses can earn SkyBonus points on eligible fares and upgrades. Points can then be redeemed for flights, Medallion status and more.
- Dedicated programs and resources for corporations. Benefits like Corporate Priority can help corporations gain access to priority boarding, better seats and more (terms apply). Corporations can also receive perks like customized offers, exclusive experiences, Delta Sky Club access and more.
- Delta business credit cards. Delta offers three co-branded business credit cards with American Express, all of which can help you (and your employees) to earn rewards (and other perks) on business travel. It’s also worth noting that employee cards come with no additional fee and you can set up customized spending limits.
Does Delta have a business class?
Delta doesn’t actually have a class called “business class” anymore; it considers Delta One, introduced in 2016, to be its new business class. Delta One is an enhanced business class option available on long-haul international flights and select long-haul domestic flights. It offers business travelers private, spacious suites with full-height walls, a door, customizable lighting, a 180-degree flatbed seat, outlets, USB ports and more.
Still, Delta offers business travelers plenty of class choices with different tiers of comfort, service and pricing. For premium business travel, you’ll want to consider Delta One, first class or Premium Select fares. For an elevated Main Cabin experience, you’ll want to consider Comfort+ fares.
Best Delta business credit cards
Delta offers three business credit cards that earn Delta SkyMiles, all of which can help you to earn more miles and exclusive travel perks.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card: Best for luxury business travel
If your goal is to reach Medallion status and receive free upgrades, you may want to consider the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, which offers Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) as part of the welcome offer: You can earn 60,000 miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $4,000 in your first three months of card membership.
As a premium business travel card, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business card comes with a $550 annual fee. For rewards, it provides 3X miles on eligible Delta purchases and 1X miles on all other purchases. Once you spend $150,000 in a calendar year, you’ll earn 1.5X miles on all purchases.
Additionally, this card comes with notable benefits like Delta Sky Club access, complimentary access to Centurion and Escape lounges, two one-time guest passes for the Delta Sky Club each year, up to a $100 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, complimentary upgrades and access to Status Boost, where you can earn 15,000 MQMs after you make $30,000 in eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year (up to four times per year).
Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card: Best for luxury perks without a premium price tag
If you’re looking for some luxurious travel perks, but you don’t want to pay the high annual fee of the Delta Reserve Business card, you may want to take a look at the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, which comes with a $250 annual fee. To start with, you can earn a welcome bonus of 60,000 miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in your first three months.
You’ll also earn 3X miles on eligible Delta purchases, 3X miles on purchases made directly with hotels, 1.5X miles on single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 50,000 additional miles per year) and 1X miles on all other purchases. Major card perks include priority boarding; up to a $100 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry; a companion certificate for one domestic, round-trip Main Cabin flight each year after card renewal; and the opportunity to earn 10,000 MQMs via Status Boost after making $25,000 in eligible purchases during a calendar year (up to two times per year).
Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card: Best for infrequent business travelers
If you travel less frequently for business, or if you don’t want to pay a premium annual fee for a Delta business card, you should consider the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card. This card comes with a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $99 per year. As a new cardholder, you can earn a welcome bonus of 50,000 miles after spending $2,000 in your first three months of card membership. You’ll also earn ongoing rewards: 2X miles on eligible Delta purchases, 2X miles on select U.S. advertising and U.S. shipping purchases, 2X miles at restaurants worldwide (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and 1X miles on all other purchases.
It’s worth noting that you can recoup the cost of the annual fee after the first year with the $100 Delta flight credit alone, which you can earn after you spend $10,000 during a calendar year. Other benefits include your first checked bag free on Delta flights, priority boarding, 20 percent back on eligible in-flight purchases and no foreign transaction fees.
The bottom line
If you travel a lot for business, and you’re interested in flying in luxury, Delta offers amenities and space you may not find with other airlines. And if you use a Delta SkyMiles business credit card from American Express, you can earn more miles and perks to make your business travel with Delta even more comfortable and luxurious.
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