Earn Double Miles for Charges to Delta Credit Cards

I can’t recall another frequent flyer promotion that offered double miles for credit card use, but only if the cardholder redeems a set number of miles. That, however, is the rather quirky premise of Delta’s new Bounce Back promotion.

Offer Details

Between July 1 and September 30, Delta SkyMiles credit card holders will earn double miles for all eligible charges to their cards, except for purchases of Delta tickets, which will earn triple miles.

To qualify to earn the credit card bonuses, SkyMiles members must redeem at least 10,000 miles during the promotion period.

Registration is required.

Deal or No Deal

Delta apparently wants SkyMiles members to redeem their miles. If not, why would they make that a precondition for earning the credit card bonus?

Getting the mileage liability off its books is an obvious financial benefit for the airline. But I suspect that’s not the primary motivator here. Delta has come in for considerable criticism and scrutiny lately, due to a widespread perception that miles are difficult to redeem, especially for cheaper awards.

Delta has assured me—and other journalists as well, no doubt—that the charge of scarce award availability is false. If awards are indeed readily available, as Delta claims, pushing program members in the direction of redemption is one way to get that message out.

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So, backstory aside, is this a worthwhile offer?

If you’re a Delta loyalist who’s already planning to redeem enough miles to qualify for the bonus, and you already have a SkyMiles credit card in your wallet, the extra miles will certainly take you further down your chosen road.

No doubt Delta—or more accurately American Express, which issues the Delta credit card—hopes this promotion will encourage more card sign-ups. And for SkyMiles members who are on the fence about committing to the program’s credit card, this might indeed be a difference-maker.

But for those who aren’t already invested in Delta or SkyMiles, the bonus miles aren’t reason enough to realign their overall loyalty strategy.

Reader Reality Check

If you’re a SkyMiles member, do you plan to register for this offer?

If you don’t already have a SkyMiles credit card, are the bonus miles incentive enough to add a new credit card to your collection?

And if you’re not already a member of the SkyMiles program, is this offer sufficient reason to sign up for the program, and the credit card?

This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.