This spring, the Delta SkyMiles American Express card launched a perk where cardholders and eight fellow travelers receive their first checked bag free on Delta flights. As I explained in a story back in May:

Need a bag to check? The first 200 people who turn in their used, but still functional, carry-on bag at the Minneapolis Aquatennial will get a voucher for a new, full-size bag which can be redeemed at the American Express Lounge. Just drop off your bag on Saturday, July 24 between 5:30 and 11pm at the corner of West River Parkway and Portland Avenue. You don't need to be a SkyMiles cardholder to get one.

That's good news for FlexPerks loyalists. That's the card issued by U.S. Bancorp after the Northwest merger to replace its popular WorldPerks credit card. American Express and U.S. Bancorp are in a fierce battle for the wallet share of those customers.

FlexPerks has been rated the best card for travel rewards by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine and a recent article about reward cards by a New York Times reporter that we featured in our Sunday travel section had the author chucking her Delta SkyMiles card for the FlexPerks card because she was able to get a ticket for 20,000 miles with the FlexPerks card and had no luck finding a ticket at that level with the SkyMiles card. That's a complaint I hear a bunch from my readers, btw.

But while you don't need AmEx plastic, I predict you'll need a lot of patience to wait in line. Don't look for me, resting my sweaty self on the Ricardo carry-on I inherited from my Dad, who got it when he hit some career milestone and was allowed to pick a prize from the corporate gifts catalog (do companies even do that anymore?).

Nope. I'm too impatient, even though the payoff is big. Time is money, right? But that's for another post.

The used bags will be donated to Sharing and Caring Hands.