Delta and United cards with discount on award flights: will others match?

Two of the largest U.S. airlines are now offering their cardholders lower award ticket prices. If you have a Delta Air Lines Card eligible for the TakeOff 15 benefit or a united airlines card which unlocks lower refund rates, you’re probably familiar with this.

We’ve noticed airline programs working to keep consumers spending within their brand by offering co-branded cardholders additional travel benefits, including free checked bags, priority boarding and even lower award prices.

For me, I’m an airline free agent who loves transferable pointsso I don’t carry a co-branded airline card with any carrier. but with dynamic pricing and frequent devaluationsThe benefits of cards that offer access to lower redemption rates are increasingly attractive.

What does this trend tell us about the intersection between airline loyalty and credit cards? Are there other national programs, such as American Airlines Advantage and Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines’ Atmos RewardsAre they likely to continue with their own redemption benefits for cardholders? Let’s delve into the trend and find out what may be on the horizon.

Discounts on Delta and United award tickets for cardholders

Before we delve into what could happen, let’s detail what’s already in place for Delta and United cardholders.

Delta 15 takeoff

Thanks to Takeoff 15Delta travelers with an eligible American Express The co-branded card gets at least 15% off the miles portion of your award ticket, as long as you use your card to pay taxes and fees.

These are the cards with this benefit:

Even if you are not a Delta Amex CardholderYou can see what the redemption rates would be if you had the card.

In this example, a one-way flight between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) would require 20,300 miles without a card and 17,200 miles if you have one.

United Award Discounts

TO TPG data project showed how United Mileage Plus The price of the prize has quite a few nuances. Redemption rates can vary based on multiple factors (such as elite status or whether they have a co-branded card).

These are the Chase credit cards that offer at least 10% off the miles portion of United redemptions:

United Club Business information has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Like Delta, United will show non-cardholders the lowest redemption rates available to United credit cardholders.

For example, an economy award from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to SFO could cost 14,200 miles without a card, or as little as 12,700 miles with one.

Despite wide variations in award prices for certain accounts, it’s generally still good practice to have a United card with an annual fee or have elite status to receive discounts.

Related: How to get the most value from the United MileagePlus program

Pros and cons of airlines’ lowest award prices for cardholders

Advantage: Loyalty is rewarded, making it easier to find deals

Delta fans and United loyalists can get a lot out of this. Even with dynamic pricing, eligible Delta Amex cardholders will get 15% off eligible flights, and those with a United Chase card will get at least 10% off eligible flights.

This is the case even for the lowest annual fee cards in the lineup. He United Explorer unlocks at least 10% off reward redemptions and charges an introductory annual fee of $0 for the first year, then $150. He Delta SkyMiles Gold also comes with a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then charges $150 each year thereafter (see rates and fees).

So, if you have a reserve of SkyMiles or United miles and have an eligible co-branded card, you will automatically receive a discount on award flights. This is certainly a positive for those who frequently book with Delta or United.

Disadvantage: It may be more difficult for “free agents” to maximize points and miles

If you are a traveler without loyalty to a particular airline, you will not be able to access these discounted fares. But in many cases, you will still see them as an option when booking.

While rarely redeem SkyMilesI recently had a decent amount in my account due to some work travel. And the best option for my specific route from my home airport, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) in South Carolina, to Appleton International Airport (ATW) in Wisconsin was a Delta itinerary that connected via Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW).

Since I don’t have a co-branded Delta Amex card, I wasn’t eligible for a discounted award fare and paid 34,200 SkyMiles for the flight, which I transferred from American Express Membership Rewards.

You could have saved about 5,000 Amex points if you had an eligible Delta Amex card, which would have been worth $100 in savings, according to TPG from April 2026. ratings.

Con: Transferable points might be less valuable for Delta and United redemptions

As I mentioned above, I’m a fan of transferable points with solid balances in multiple accounts, including Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt and Capital One miles.

TPG founder Brian Kelly is an advisor and investor at Bilt.

However, when I need to book through Delta SkyMiles or United MileagePlus, I need to transfer more points since I don’t have a co-branded card with either airline, which would give me a discount on award tickets.

It’s worth noting that you can often still find partner award availability at better rates than those offered by domestic airlines. If you want to book a Delta flight, consider checking SkyTeam Alliance member Air France-KLM Flying Blue. For United travelers, Star Alliance couple Air Canada airplane It might be worth looking into it.

This is what I stick to most of the time, as I prefer to enjoy flexibility of transferable points and miles than accumulating rewards in a specific program that could be devalued.

Related: How I Transitioned Cash Back Rewards to My Points and Miles Card Strategy

Will other airline programs follow suit?

American air travelers have a wide range of options when it comes to airlines, with many popular airports and routes overcrowded. And with cash airfare prices rising, there are now more incentives than ever to turn to loyalty for better deals and redeem points and miles to avoid high cash costs.

Card benefits that provide ongoing discounted award rates for cardholders (like Delta’s TakeOff 15) create long-term customer value beyond a lucrative one-time welcome bonus.

So if American Airlines wanted to create another incentive to keep its co-branded cards and become more involved within its ecosystem, it could be advantageous to add a similar ongoing benefit for cardholders.

Alaska’s Atmos Rewards and Hawaiian Airlines could also see value in implementing this card benefit. Atmos Rewards is a newer loyalty program that emerged after the merger of Alaska and Hawaiian, so it could benefit the brand to add a benefit that encourages loyalty and recognition.

Atmos Rewards cards already include some incentives, like priority boarding and free checked bags, but adding the ability to book cheaper rewards could encourage more consumers to apply for their co-branded cards.

Personally, I find better redemption options with the AAdvantage and Atmos Rewards programs than with Delta SkyMiles and United MileagePlus, so these programs may not see an advantage in following the Delta and United formula.

Still, there is a push for brands to maintain long-term customer value, especially through their co-branded credit cards. Beyond airline-specific benefits, we see this trend as cards add bonus spending categories in several external categories, such as foreign transactions, gas, and restaurant purchases.

Discounted reward rates are another way for issuers and loyalty programs to expand their reach through co-branded cards and incentivize more consumers. And, if you get a discount when you redeem your rewards, you’ll have an incentive to engage even more with these airlines’ ecosystems.

Related: Why American Airlines AAdvantage has become my most valuable rewards currency

In a nutshell

Airlines have always competed with each other, but now could be a great time to see more card-specific benefits rolled out to attract new cardholders and engage current program members in their ecosystem.

This is a good trend for those who are very loyal to an airline or are interested in carrying airline credit cards. This is a double-edged sword, as transferable points enthusiasts may be forced to opt for higher redemption rates.

However, if more airline programs implement point discounts for cardholders, it could incentivize points maximizers to add a co-branded credit card to their setups.

If you fly frequently enough with Delta or United and have accumulated a decent amount of miles, it may be time to consider whether adding a co-branded credit card will help you make the most of them.

Related: How (and why) to calculate prize redemption values

For Delta Amex Gold rates and fees, click here.