The fastest path to Delta perks

Good morning from Kabul International Airport. 🇦🇫

I’m quite shaken up after ISIS bombed a hotel just two blocks from me while eating dinner last night, killing seven people and injuring dozens of others.

I’m at the airport now and will be in Canada by tonight. Thanks to everyone who reached out to check on me after seeing the news.

And with that out of the way, let’s get into the newsletter:

• ✈️ The fastest path to Delta status

• ✋ Five trips you can book with this one card

• 😉 Coffee can’t fix everything (sadly)

✈️ The fastest path to Delta perks

Status matches are a fantastic way to take your existing hard-earned elite status and multiply it.

Basically, if you have status with an airline or hotel program, you can match it to equivalent status with another program.

International programs often offer status matches that, because of airline alliances, can get you perks on U.S. airlines.

Yesterday, I told you about how you can leverage such a match to get perks on United. And today, we’ll do the same thing with Delta.

Vietnam Airlines is currently offering a status match to elites from both airline AND hotel programs.

Before I get into the details, here’s why you should care about this.

Having elite status with Vietnam Airlines means having SkyTeam Elite or Elite Plus status, which earns you benefits when flying with many airlines around the world, including Delta.

For example, SkyTeam Elite Plus gets you access to Delta lounges in the U.S. when you fly internationally, even in economy class (though lounge access on domestic flights is restricted).

Other perks include free checked bags, priority check-in and boarding, bonus miles on cash flights, and more.

So, how can you take advantage of this?

Well, you can match status from 47 different airlines, but here are the ones that most likely apply to you, along with the corresponding matched tiers for Vietnam Airlines:

As you can see, even having a Southwest Companion Pass can get you top-tier status here, which is great.

Now, the big caveat to be aware of is that this is a paid status match, and the fee varies based on the tier you match to.

If you match your airline status, here is the fee structure:

• Titanium (SkyTeam Elite): $129

• Gold (SkyTeam Elite): $219

• Platinum (SkyTeam Elite Plus): $359

In a new twist, Vietnam is charging higher fees when you match status from Alaska Atmos Rewards, which feels like a personal attack…

For Alaska elites, you’ll pay:

• Titanium (SkyTeam Elite): $159

• Gold (SkyTeam Elite): $239

• Platinum (SkyTeam Elite Plus): $359

Sometimes, I recommend doing a status match to get perks even if you have one or two flights booked. But in this case, you’ll really want to weigh the cost against the potential benefits.

If you fly often with Delta (or have some international flights booked on airlines like KLM or Air France), those checked bag benefits and lounge access alone could make this worthwhile.

It’s also worth noting that you can match your hotel status, though the top tier (Platinum) is exempt from this…

Since so many hotel credit cards offer elite status as a perk, this could be an easy way to match to Gold and take advantage of some mid-tier perks on Delta, Korean Air, KLM, Air France, and other SkyTeam airlines.

✋ Five trips you can book with this one card

As you learned yesterday, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card just launched its all-time best welcome offer of 75,000 miles and a $250 travel credit.

It’s just an all-around good deal. Plain and simple.

But if you’re wondering what exactly that translates to in terms of real-world travel, McKay wrote an excellent article showcasing five different trips you could book with this one welcome offer.

And if you’re excited about the card, you can sign up at the other link below:

That’s all for now, friends. Have a lovely day and see you tomorrow.

Cheers,

34.5553° N, 69.2075° E

With contributions by McKay Moffitt