Delta Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world, with more than 5,000 flights that span over 50 countries and over 300 cities. And while its loyalty program — Delta SkyMiles — isn’t the most lucrative, it gives you a great way to earn a return on your Delta and SkyTeam partner flights.
If you fly Delta regularly, having one of its cobranded credit cards in your wallet is a good idea. Depending on the card, you can get discounts on award tickets, free checked bags and lounge access, among other benefits. Plus, you can earn SkyMiles and even fast-track your way to Medallion elite status when you spend on your Delta card.
But with seven Delta cobranded cards available, it can be hard to settle on just one. Today, we’ll walk you through your options and help you decide which Delta card is right for you.
You earn Delta SkyMiles when you fly with Delta or its partner airlines, spend money on its credit cards or utilize its other non-air partners. These include the Delta shopping portal, dining program and Delta Vacations.
You might already have access to Delta SkyMiles with an American Express credit card that earns Membership Rewards points. Membership Rewards points transfer 1:1 to Delta SkyMiles, and transfers are processed within minutes.
Redeeming them is relatively simple. Your best bet is spending them on Delta-operated flights, specifically on domestic routes. It’s often possible to book off-peak routes for under 5,000 SkyMiles in basic economy, like this flight from Portland International Airport (PDX) to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
That said, those looking to book international business-class tickets might be disappointed. These often cost 100,000+ SkyMiles, even if you have the TakeOff15 discount (more on that soon) included with some Delta credit cards.
Delta has four elite tiers — Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion, Platinum Medallion and Diamond Medallion — with varying levels of benefits. Elite status is earned when you earn a set number of Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQD) by flying with Delta and its partners and spending on Delta credit cards.
Check out our guide to Delta SkyMiles for a more detailed program breakdown.
The best Delta credit card depends on how often you fly, the benefits you need and how high of an annual fee you’re willing to pay. Each one of the many Delta credit cards has different benefits, mileage earning structure and annual fees, some of which are over $600 per year.
Before you decide on a card, consider the benefits. Do you want lounge access? Free checked bags? A companion certificate or a fast track toward elite status? These are all available, but the cards with more premium benefits are more expensive.
Also, think through the rewards you want to earn. If you don’t value Delta SkyMiles, you might want to earn transferable points that you can use to book Delta flights. Meanwhile, those looking to earn MQDs toward status with a credit card must stay within the Delta ecosystem.
Only one Delta credit card has a $0 annual fee (see rates & fees): the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card. This card has few benefits but could be a good pick for a starter credit card. You can also downgrade higher-fee Delta personal credit cards to this card.
Currently, the card offers TK bonus miles after spending TK on purchases in the first TK months of opening your account.
This card is best for those new to credit cards who want a card without an annual fee. It has a small welcome offer and relatively low mileage earnings, but no annual or foreign transaction fees mean it’s still far better than spending on a debit card.
Things start to get more interesting with the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card. It offers a handful of benefits, including a free checked bag on Delta flights, priority boarding, a Delta Stays credit and the opportunity to earn a flight credit every year. It’s also eligible for Delta’s TakeOff15 benefit, which gives you a 15% discount on all Delta-operated award tickets.
The Delta Gold card offers TK bonus miles after spending TK on purchases in the first TK months of opening your account.
This card is best for travelers who fly Delta a few times yearly and want base-level benefits like free checked bags and priority boarding. These can make your travel experience less expensive and more seamless. Plus, the card’s annual fee is largely offset by the annual Delta Stays credit that can be used toward any prepaid hotel reservation made through Delta Stays.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is the highest-end credit card in Delta’s portfolio. It offers premium benefits like SkyClub access and an annual companion certificate, which allows you to bring another passenger on a domestic or short-haul international flight. The card also offers various statement credits that help offset its massive $650 annual fee (see rates and fees).
The main draw to the card, however, is earning elite status. The card will give you an annual $2,500 MQD headstart toward elite status. Plus, you can earn $1 MQD per $10 spent on the card. If you spend a lot, you could use this card to earn Delta elite status without flying.
The Delta Reserve offers solid TK bonus miles after you spend TK on purchases in the first TK months of opening your account.
The Delta Reserve card is best for road warriors who can use its benefits to improve their travel experience and those who want to fast-track their way to Delta elite status. Just opening the card puts you halfway to Silver Medallion status, and you can top-up to higher elite levels by spending on the card.
That said, its $650 annual fee is hard to ignore. Before applying for the card, ensure its benefits match your travel habits and are worth the fee. However, the fee can be recouped for most frequent travelers through the rideshare credit, Delta Stays credit and annual companion certificate.
Surprisingly, the best card for you might not be a Delta-branded credit card. If you want to access airport lounges whether or not you’re flying with Delta, The Platinum Card® from American Express is a great option. It can access lounges within the Amex Global Lounge Collection, encompassing 1,400+ lounges across its lounge partners.
It also offers many interesting benefits and statement credits, including a $200 annual airline incidental fee credit, access to Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts hotel bookings, a $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit and many others. We’ll outline them below.
It’s worth noting that the card earns Amex Membership Rewards points. These points transfer to 18 airlines and three hotel loyalty programs, including Delta SkyMiles. As such, Membership Rewards points are far more flexible than SkyMiles.
Of course, these benefits come with a price. This card has a $695 annual fee (rates & fees), which can be offset with its statement credits. Either way, it’s a significant upfront expense.
The Amex Platinum offers TK bonus points after you spend TK on purchases in the first TK months of opening your account. However, better offers may be available through referral links or targeted mail offers.
The Amex Platinum is best for frequent travelers who want premium travel perks and airport lounge access when flying with Delta and other airlines. It has a high annual fee, but they’re largely offset when you use the card’s monthly statement credits. You’ll save a nice sum by forgoing airport food and eating at the lounge.
We also like that the Amex Platinum earns Membership Rewards points. You can transfer these to some of our favorite loyalty programs — for example, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Delta SkyMiles — so your points are extremely flexible. You can even pair the Amex Platinum with another Amex card like the American Express® Gold Card to further boost your points earning on daily purchases.
The Delta Gold, Platinum and Reserve cards have a small business equivalent. For business owners who travel with Delta often, we recommend the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. It offers the same benefits as the personal Delta Reserve benefits mentioned earlier, with some notable improvements.
This card is best for business owners who fly Delta often. You can use the card to earn SkyMiles and MQD toward elite status for all business purchases, plus you’ll get all the premium benefits offered by the personal Delta Reserve card.
There’s no one-size-fits-all Delta SkyMiles credit card. With so many options available, it’s in your best interest to look through each card’s benefits and annual fees. Then, assign a value to each benefit based on how often you plan to use it and see if you’ll come out ahead. Pick the card that gives you the best return for your annual fee.
You can change your preferences or opt out at any time by clicking on one of the hyperlinks available at the bottom of each newsletter.
If you are already a subscriber and would like to unsubscribe, you can click on the link at the bottom of any of our e-mails.
