Which Credit Card Is Best for Delta Flyers?

If you fly a few times a year and prefer Delta over other commercial airlines, it might be a good idea to have a Delta credit card. With some Delta credit cards, you’ll get special perks whenever you fly with the airline in addition to the opportunity to earn Delta SkyMiles every time you use your card.

Depending on how often you fly and your general preferences, however, one Delta credit card may be better for you than the others. Here’s what you need to know about each and how to pick the best airline credit card for you.

Delta personal credit cards

There are four consumer Delta SkyMiles cards from which you can choose, each with varying annual fees and benefits:

• Delta SkyMiles^® Blue American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card

Each of these cards is a little bit different in how you earn bonus miles, so be sure to investigate the details on each so that you can match the bonus rewards potential to your personal spending habits. You’ll also get a chance to earn a welcome offer with each card, although the bonus amounts vary, and some cards offer Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) in addition to standard rewards miles.

Most of these cards also offer extra perks like helping you avoid Delta baggage fees, priority boarding, discounts on in-flight purchases, no foreign transaction fees, and complimentary or discounted Delta Sky Club access. Some go even further. 

For example, with the Delta SkyMiles Gold, once you have put $10,000 of purchases on your card within one calendar year, you earn a $200 Delta Flight Credit. You can use this credit to offset the cost of airfare on your next Delta trip.

Here’s a summary of features to compare:

Card	Annual fee	Welcome bonus	Reward rates	Free checked bag	Priority boarding	MQD Boost
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card	$0 Terms apply	Earn 10,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 6 months	2X miles on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and 1X miles on all other eligible purchases	No	No	No
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, $150 per year thereafter Terms apply	Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months	2X miles on qualifying Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S supermarkets; and 1X miles per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases	Yes	Yes	No
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card	$350 Terms apply	Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months	3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and at hotels; 2X miles per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets; and 1X miles for every dollar spent on all other eligible purchases	Yes	Yes	Yes
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card	$650 Terms apply	Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months	3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and 1X miles for all other eligible purchases	Yes	Yes	Yes

Some of the cards also provide some premier benefits. With the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card, for example, you’ll receive one domestic main cabin round-trip companion certificate every year — you just have the pay the taxes and fees. Depending on how you redeem that certificate, it could be worth far more than the card’s $350 annual fee.

With the Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve card, you’ll receive a companion certificate that’s good for main cabin domestic fare — and that’s in addition to complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club lounge whenever you fly with the airline.

Check out more details at our Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Review.

Delta business credit cards

You also have three Delta SkyMiles business cards to choose from:

• Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve Business American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles business cards are also issued by American Express and are similar to some of the Delta SkyMiles consumer cards. However, you’ll notice there is no Amex Delta SkyMiles Business Blue. Instead, the Amex Delta SkyMiles Business Gold acts as the introductory card in this lineup.

Each card comes with a unique welcome offer and valuable earning categories. You also get extra perks, though they vary by card. All three cards offer free checked bags and priority boarding, but only two of them also offer a way to earn bonus MQDs.

Here’s a summary of features to compare:

Card	Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card	Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card	Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
Annual fee	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, $150 per year thereafter Terms apply	$350 Terms apply	$650 Terms apply
Welcome bonus	Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases in your first 6 months	Earn 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases in your first 6 months	Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 in purchases in your first 6 months
Reward rates	2X miles per $1 spent on eligible Delta and restaurant purchases, and on eligible U.S. shipping purchases and eligible U.S. advertising in select media up to $50,000 per category, per year. Plus, 1X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases	3X purchases made directly with Delta and hotels, 1.5X miles on eligible transit and U.S. shipping purchases, plus single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more; and 1X mile per $1 spent on other eligible purchases	3X miles for eligible purchases made directly with Delta; 1.5X miles on eligible transit, U.S. shipping, and U.S. office supply store purchases, plus all eligible purchases after you spend $150,000 in purchases in a year; 1X miles on other purchases
Free checked bag	Yes	Yes	Yes
Priority boarding	Yes	Yes	Yes
MQD bonus	No	Yes	Yes

Similar to the consumer Delta SkyMiles cards, the annual fees tend to increase as you move from the Gold to the Platinum to the Reserve. However, you also get plenty of other benefits added along the way, which could include an application fee credit of up to $120 every 4 years for Global Entry or up to $85 every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck, an annual companion certificate, or complimentary Delta Sky Club access.

How often you fly Delta and which benefits are valuable to you will likely determine which of these cards would be the best fit. The Amex Delta SkyMiles Business Gold has both the free checked bag benefit and priority boarding. These perks alone could offset the annual fee even if you fly Delta infrequently. But you also get 20% savings on in-flight purchases and a $200 Delta voucher if you spend $10,000 on your card in a calendar year.

For more frequent Delta fliers, the premium perks on the Amex Delta SkyMiles Business Platinum and Reserve cards could make more sense. Companion certificates can easily offer hundreds of dollars of value and you get more travel insurance benefits than what the Amex Delta SkyMiles Business Gold has to offer.

Find more details at our Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card Review. 

Earn more Delta SkyMiles with general travel rewards cards

The primary benefit of getting a Delta-branded credit card is the chance to get special perks every time you fly with the airline.

But if you’re looking for opportunities to earn more rewards on Delta flights, it may be worth getting a general travel rewards card instead — specifically, a card that allows you to transfer your rewards to Delta or one of the airline’s partners.

With Delta partners, such as Virgin Atlantic, you can book Delta flights with miles you have with the partner airline. So even if you’re not transferring to Delta, you can still get on Delta flights.

These cards can also give you some extra flexibility with your rewards compared with Delta SkyMiles cards. Instead of forcing you to use your points or miles to book Delta flights, you can typically also book other types of travel or transfer your points to other airlines and even hotel brands.

So unless your top priority is getting free checked bags, priority boarding, and other Delta-specific benefits, a general travel rewards card may be a better choice. Just be aware that you may end up paying a higher annual fee. But depending on how you earn rewards and use benefits, it’s possible to make up for that cost in value. Here are some to consider:

Card	Annual fee	Rewards rates	Transfer ratio	Other benefits
The Platinum Card® from American Express	$695 Terms apply	5X points per dollar spent on eligible airfare (on up to $500,000 per calendar year, after that 1X) and eligible hotel purchases, and 1X points per dollar on all other eligible purchases	1:1	Complimentary access to Delta Sky Club lounges when flying Delta, plus Priority Pass and Centurion lounges (enrollment required for select benefits)
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	$550	5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 3X points on other travel and dining & 1X points per dollar on all other purchases	1:1 to Virgin Atlantic	Complimentary access to Priority Pass lounges; $300 annual travel credit
American Express® Gold Card	$325 Terms apply	4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, after that 1X), 4X at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X), 3X on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com, 2X on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com, and 1X on all other eligible purchases	1:1	Up to $120 dining credit (enrollment required)

Points transfers work by moving your points from one credit card rewards program to another. Depending on the program, the transfer can be instant, or it can take a day or two. If you’re trying to plan a trip now, make sure to check the fine print to understand how long it will take for the transfer to complete.

Which card is right for you?

The best credit card for Delta miles depends on your spending habits, travel plans, credit score, and preferences about fees and features. Here are some questions to ask yourself before making this decision.

How often do I fly?

Frequent flyers would get a lot more benefit from a Delta credit card than people who fly just once or twice a year. The last thing you want is to rack up rewards and then rarely use them, so consider a card that offers perks you can actually use, such as a cashback credit card.

If you fly a lot, though, any Delta credit card or at least a general travel credit card is worth thinking about.

Am I loyal to Delta?

If you live near an airport that serves as a hub for Delta and like the idea of sticking with one airline, it might be worth it to have a Delta SkyMiles card. That way, you can ensure you’ll get special perks every time you fly.

If you’re not particularly loyal to Delta and want to just get the best deal every time, a general travel card that gives you more flexibility could be the best travel credit card choice.

Do I travel light?

One of the biggest benefits most Delta credit cards offer is a free checked bag. Your first checked bag with the airline costs $35 each way, which means you could save $70 every time you fly round trip. If you always check a bag and you prefer Delta, that benefit alone could save you quite a bit.

But if you like to travel light and usually use a carry-on bag, the feature will not benefit you much.

What perks do I want?

If you like the idea of having a companion certificate and airport lounge access, the Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve is a solid choice — it offers a companion pass, plus lounge access benefits for both the cardholder and guests. If lounge access isn't a priority for you, the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card can get you the companion certificate.

If you want even more perks, though, cards like the Amex Platinum Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve go above and beyond what you can get with the top-tier Delta SkyMiles cards. Compare all of your options to find the one that works best for you.

How do I feel about fees?

Some of the best Delta credit cards offer some incredible benefits, but they come at a price. American Express credit cards often have annual fees in exchange for their perks. The Amex Delta SkyMiles Reserve, for instance, charges a $650 annual fee, and the Amex Platinum Card charges $695.

On the flip side, while the Amex Delta SkyMiles Blue card doesn’t charge an annual fee, you get what you pay for. The card doesn’t offer any perks when you fly Delta, other than a 20% discount on certain in-flight purchases.

Even if you’re generally fee-averse, it’s important to compare a card’s annual fee to the value of the benefits it offers.

FAQs

Bottom line

There’s no single best Delta credit card out there, so it’s important to know what’s available and do your research to find the best new card for you. As you research credit card offers and credit card issuers, think about features and fees as well as the flexibility you’ll get with each card’s rewards programs. It can take some time to pick the right one, but it’s time well spent.

Methodology

To choose the best credit card for Delta flyers, we examined four co-branded cards with benefits for Delta customers. We chose which card is best for which type of flyer based on the features of each card, including annual fee, rewards rate, transfer ratio, and other benefits. We did not include all cards available.

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Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card

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Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card

Learn How to Apply

See rates and fees | Terms Apply

Current Offer

Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months

Annual Fee

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, $150 per year thereafter

Rewards Rate

2X miles on qualifying Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S supermarkets; and 1X miles per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Up to $300 in potential annual statement credits
• Eligible for 15% off reward redemptions
• First checked bag free and priority boarding

Drawbacks

• Has an annual fee after the first year
• Lack of flexibility with rewards
• No path to elite status

Card Details

• Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months
• 2X miles on qualifying Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S supermarkets; and 1X miles per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
• Terms apply