There was a lot of excitement recently over the ability to buy Alaska Airlines gift cards at a 10% discount via Costco ($500 gift card for $450). Delta Air Lines is offering a 10% bonus but there’s something unique about the bonus.

The offer is a $50 gift card with purchase of a $500 gift card. The strategy here is to market this as the ability to give a $500 gift of Delta travel for the holidays, and unbeknownst to the receiver you also get something for yourself too. But there’s no reason you can’t buy yourself $550 worth of gift cards for $500.

What’s interesting is the $50 gift card. It isn’t an electronic gift card. Instead it’s “a limited-edition $50 Delta Gift Card made from a retired DC-9 aircraft” (emphasis mine). Only 500 total are available.

The $50 promotional gift cards are made from aluminum cut from various locations on the DC-9’s fuselage and tail. As a result, each card will be unique in color, texture, and thickness and may look slightly different from the card pictured in the photos. The front of the card you receive may be white, blue, or metallic in color, and the back may be metallic or coated with the original green zinc chromate anti-corrosion primer.

That’s kind of cool, actually.

(HT: Demetrius M.)