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Among points nerds, metal credit cards have long been a status symbol. There’s a certain je ne sais quoi about letting your Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire clatter onto the dinner table when splitting a bill among friends. But a credit card made out of a retired Boeing 747 plane? That’s a conversation starter on a whole new level. American Express and Delta are bringing back the option for Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card members to get credit cards made from repurposed airplane metal.
“We deconstructed the plane to build the card,” Anthony Cirri, EVP, head of Global Consumer Lending and CoBrand at American Express, told AFAR about the card’s first release in 2022. Now through June 5, 2024—while supplies last—the new limited-edition Boeing 747 cards are crafted with 33 percent metal sourced from two retired Delta Boeing 747 planes. There are twice as many available this time due to previous high demand.
“We’re excited about the fact that this will be a conversation piece,” said Dwight James, senior vice president, Customer Engagement & Loyalty for Delta Air Lines, and CEO, Delta Vacations. “When you take your friends out to dinner, they’re going to want to ask, ‘What is this card? Tell me more about it.’”
Typically, these cards are made from purple metal or 70 percent reclaimed plastic. For those who opt in, the new card design is white metal with a silver illustration of the 747 on the front alongside information about the plane, including the miles flown and date it was retired. (The previous version of this card was black.)
Known as the “Queen of the Skies,” the Boeing 747 was the first wide-body jet when it debuted in 1969. U.S. passenger airlines have all retired these double-decker planes for newer models, and Boeing also stopped producing the iconic jumbo jets at the beginning of 2023, after delivering its last 747 to Atlas Air. If you can get your hands on one of these credit cards, you will own a piece of aviation history.
How to get the Boeing 747 credit card
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card members will have exclusive access to these Boeing 747 credit cards from April 25 through June 5, 2024, while supplies last. If you’re an existing member, you can log into your account and opt to swap your current card for this limited-edition design. New members can find more information about how to obtain this card below.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
If you don’t already have the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card, there are a few more reasons why it’s worth signing up for now—beyond the limited-edition Boeing 747 card design. This premium card comes with the highest level of perks of all Delta consumer cards and is currently offering a solid introductory bonus.
- Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first six months of account opening.
- Annual fee: $650 (see rates and fees)
- Earn miles: Earn three miles per dollar on purchases made with Delta and one mile per dollar on everything else.
- Free checked bags: Receive a free checked bag on Delta flights.
- Airport lounge access: This card gets you into Delta’s Sky Clubs when flying the airline and the Centurion Lounge both at no cost when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card. You will receive four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year. After that, you may bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 per person, per location. Effective February 1, 2025, card members will receive 15 visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Sky Club visits each year, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, and each calendar year thereafter.
- Elite status boosters: Achieve elite status simply through credit card spending. Receive a head start on status with $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) each Medallion Qualification Year. You can also earn $1 MQD for each $10 of purchases made on your card in a calendar year.
- Companion offers and anniversary bonuses: Receive a First Class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate for domestic, Caribbean, or Central American round-trip flights each year upon renewal of your card.
- Statement credits: Each year, earn a $240 Resy statement credit (up to $20 per month on eligible Resy purchases), a $120 rideshare credit (up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers), and an annual statement credit of up to $200 after using your card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com. Enrollment required.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit: Yes
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card
The perks for the personal card are great, but if you’re a business owner, the welcome bonus is even higher right now for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card.
- Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases within the first six months of account opening.
- Annual fee: $650 (see rates and fees)
- Earn miles: Earn 3 miles per dollar on purchases made with Delta, 1.5 miles on eligible transit, U.S. shipping and office supply store purchases, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
- Free checked bags: Receive a free checked bag on Delta flights.
- Airport lounge access: This card gets you into Delta’s Sky Clubs when flying the airline and the Centurion Lounge both at no cost when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card. You will receive four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year. After that, you may bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 per person, per location. Effective February 1, 2025, card members will receive 15 visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Sky Club visits each year, the total eligible purchases on the card must equal $75,000 or more between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, and each calendar year thereafter.
- Elite status boosters: Achieve elite status simply through credit card spending. Receive a head start on status with $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) each Medallion Qualification Year. You can also earn $1 MQD for each $10 of purchases made on your card in a calendar year.
- Companion offers and anniversary bonuses: Receive a First Class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate for domestic, Caribbean, or Central American round-trip flights each year upon renewal of your card.
- Statement credits: Each year, earn a $240 Resy statement credit (up to $20 per month on eligible Resy purchases), a $120 rideshare credit (up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers), and up to $250 per year as a statement credit to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com. Enrollment required.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit: Yes
Whether you’re an existing card member who wants to exchange your purple card for airplane metal, or an aviation enthusiast who also flies Delta enough to warrant the perks these premium cards offer, now is the time to act. You only have until June 5 to capitalize on the new design—and if you’re a new card member, you can also nab up to 75,000 bonus miles thanks to the welcome offer.
While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time, and may have changed or may no longer be available. This article was originally published in June 2022; it was updated on April 25, 2024, with current information.