AMEX TRIES TO WIN OVER GRUMPY DELTA CUSTOMERS WITH REVAMPED SKYMILES CREDIT CARDS

American Express rolled out several updates to its Delta SkyMiles credit cards Thursday that will give additional benefits to users, part of efforts to soothe sore Delta Air Lines customers who have considered abandoning the airline after last year's SkyMiles loyalty fiasco.

The updates, however, will come with a higher annual fee, which AmEx says it believes the new benefits will more than pay for.

New York-based AmEx is adding $200 flight credits to the cards after a certain amount of spending, $120 to $240 in restaurant credits at restaurants booked with Resy, as well as $120 to $240 in credits to use on rideshare apps like Lyft and Uber. Higher-end cards will also get $2,500 in "medallion qualifying dollars" that will get users closer to reaching elite status on the airline.

Additionally, Delta cardholders will now be able to use companion certificates on a broader array of flights, including to Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America, instead of just the continental U.S. There had been complaints that Delta was overly restrictive on the use of these certificates in the past.