Ah, Fall! Crisp air, warm sweaters, and sweet apple cider. As always, there are some awesome credit card deals available. The increased sign-up bonuses on the Delta credit cards from American Express and the American Airlines cards from Citi are back! If you haven’t gotten these cards yet, now’s the time to do so. Here’s the complete list of the top credit card offers for October 2017.
Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express
- 25,000 points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months and an additional 10,000 points after spending another $4,000 within the first 6 months
- $95 annual fee, waived the first year
Starwood usually increases the sign-up bonus to 35,000 once or twice per year. We saw a similar bonus last March, but with a lower spending requirement. This time around, you’ll get the same 35,000 points but after spending $10,000 in 6 months rather than only $8,000. Still, I find Starpoints to be among the most valuable points so I’d definitely apply if you can handle the spend. Access to the lounge at Sheraton hotels is an added bonus!
Gold Delta SkyMiles Card from American Express
- 50,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months and a $50 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 miles after spending an additional $1,000 in the first 6 months
- $95, waived first year
Increased offers on the Delta cards happen once or twice per year. If you haven’t gotten the bonus on this card yet, you may want to snag it now as 60,000 miles is the highest offer we’ve seen on this card. You also have more time to meet the spending requirement for the full bonus. If you’ve already gotten the bonus on the personal card, consider the business card which has a similar sign-up offer.
Platinum Delta SkyMiles Card from American Express
- 70,000 miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months and a $100 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase.
- $195, waived first year
Despite the $195 annual fee, this is a decent offer The $100 statement credit can help offset the annual fee. If you are trying to earn status with Delta, the MQMs from this sign-up bonus may come in handy. If you’ve already received the bonus on this card, you can always sign-up for the business version (note: it has a higher spending requirement). And if you’ve gotten all versions of the Delta cards (both business and personal), consider the new Blue Delta SkyMiles card just to cover all your bases.
Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard
- 60,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- $95 annual fee, waived first year
This increased sign-up offer is perfect if you’re looking to earn some American Airlines miles. Keep in mind that you can only get the bonus if you haven’t opened or closed any American Airlines product (excluding business cards) from Citi in the past 24 months. This rule works separately for personal and business cards so you can open the business card even if you’ve recently received the bonus for a personal American Airlines card from Citi (and vice versa). You can also get the same bonus on the business card.
Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard
- 75,000 miles after spending $7,500 in the first 3 months
- $450 annual fee
This increased sign-up offer comes with a hefty spending requirement, but it’s a good option if you want Admirals Club access. The $450 annual fee is actually less than purchasing an Admirals Club membership directly from American Airlines! Keep in mind that you can only get the bonus if you haven’t opened or closed any American Airlines product (excluding business cards) from Citi in the past 24 months. This rule works separately for personal and business cards so you can open the business card even if you’ve recently received the bonus for a personal American Airlines card from Citi (and vice versa).
Barclaycard AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard
- 60,000 miles when you make your first purchase in the first 90 days and pay the annual fee
- $95 annual fee
It’s rare these days to see an offer with such a high bonus without a spending requirement. Even better, the sign-up bonus recently changed from 50,000 to 60,000 miles. You’re essentially “buying” miles for the cost of the annual fee which is $95. This would cost close to $1,700 with taxes and fees if you were to buy 60,000 miles on the American Airlines website. Sweet!
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Card from Chase
- 60,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- $99 annual fee
All three Southwest cards from Chase were at 60,000 points for a while. The two personal cards (Plus and Premier) are now lower, but the business card is still offering this increased sign-up bonus. If you’re going after the Companion Pass, the 60,000 point offer makes it even easier!
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card
- $100 statement credit and 30,000 miles after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
- Companion Fare – Buy one ticket, get one for just taxes and fees (from $22)
- $75 annual fee
The Alaska Airlines credit card has always offered a companion fare as part of the sign-up offer, but previously the companion ticket cost $99 plus taxes and fees. This was a decent deal before and now it’s even better since you can save an extra hundred dollars. Better yet, the statement credit more than offsets the annual fee. This card is churnable so you can get the bonus again even if you’ve had it in the past!
U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve
- 50,000 bonus points worth $750 on travel after spending $4,500 in the first 90 days
- $400 annual fee
U.S. Bank recently introduced an exciting new travel rewards card. But there’s a catch, you can only get the card if you’re a current U.S. Bank customer. While the card has a $400 annual fee, the $325 annual travel credit helps offset it. Other perks include 12 Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi passes per year, 4 Priority Pass lounge visits per year, and a $100 statement credit for Global Entry. You’ll also earn 3x points on travel purchases and mobile wallet spending. This offer will be around for a while so you can always become a U.S. Bank customer, wait a month, and then apply for the card.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
- 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
- $450 annual fee
While the sign-up bonus is smaller, Chase Sapphire Reserve is still one of the best cards around for its travel protection benefits. I still think it’s worth getting this card for the 50,000 point sign-up bonus and possibly keeping it since the annual fee is only $150 if you deduct the $300 travel credit. Note: You can no longer get both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
- 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
- Earn 5,000 points for adding an authorized user
- $95 annual fee, waived the first year
You can no longer get both Chase Sapphire credit cards at the same time. If you’re just going after the bonus and don’t care about card benefits, then I’d recommend getting Chase Sapphire Preferred because the annual fee is waived for the first year.
Chase Ink Preferred
- 80,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months
- $95 annual fee
This is currently Chase’s highest bonus on a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Points are worth 1.25x when redeemed on Chase’s portal. You can also transfer to Chase’s travel partners at a 1:1 ratio. You’ll earn 3x points on travel purchases and business-related expenses like shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, and social media/online advertising. Might as well pay some bills with this card!
Above offers available as of 10/8/17. Click here for the most up-to-date offers.
