The Complete Guide to Delta SkyMiles Credit Cards (2025): Which is the Best For You?
Delta is one of the USA’s premier airline options for both domestic and international destinations
Are you a frequent traveler who loves to jet-set across either the domestic USA or internationally across the globe? If so, then you’re likely familiar with the excellent airline option that is Delta Air Lines. As one of the largest airlines in the world, Delta offers a range of destinations from some of the biggest cities in the USA, such as Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, Denver, and more! As well, Delta is one of the few major airlines with flights to multiple continents from the domestic USA.
Delta is also well known for its (somewhat infamous) reward program, SkyMiles. While the SkyMiles program isn’t the most valuable of the various options out there (that title probably still goes to World of Hyatt or United Airlines), it is extremely simple to use, especially for domestic economy flights.
Related: How to transfer American Express points to Delta SkyMiles
Besides flying on Delta, the best way to earn Delta SkyMiles and Delta status is through acquiring a Delta co-branded American Express credit card. These cards offer both spending rewards and travel benefits that can elevate your Delta experience, including lounge access, discounts on SkyMile award flights, and complimentary upgrades!
There is a broad range of Delta cards that all cater to different lifestyles and travel preferences; Whether you are a budget-conscious traveler or a luxury jet setter, Delta has a credit card that suits your needs.
However, with four different card options, it can be tough to decide which makes the most sense for you to add to your wallet. To help you make a decision, we’ve put together a list of recommendations for every circumstance!
Let’s start our guide by exploring the details of the different Delta co-branded AmEx credit cards.
The Delta SkyMiles Credit Cards
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card
The Delta Blue AmEx card is the entry-level member of the Delta card quadfecta. This card is the simplest of the four options, with very few major benefits but no annual fee. Let’s start by going over the basics of the Delta Blue card:
Annual Fee: $0
Sign-on Bonus: 10,000 SkyMiles after you spend $1,000 in 6 months
Spending Rewards: 2x Miles on Delta purchases, restaurants worldwide, and 1x Miles on everything else
Benefits: 20% back on in-flight Delta purchases
The Delta Blue is a beginner card by all the main metrics. As a cardholder, you will get extremely limited benefits, with a slight increase in Delta SkyMiles earnings, 20% back on in-flight purchases, and a tiny sign-on bonus. If you’re unfamiliar with SkyMiles, it’s important to know that 10,000 SkyMiles will likely not get you on any flights longer than an hour. Therefore, the Delta Blue card is not the option for anyone hoping to earn enough Miles for more than one economy flight.
Compared to the other SkyMiles cards, the Delta Blue card is easily the least valuable of the set, even factoring in the lack of an annual fee. Frankly, the only reason you should pick up this card over the other options is if you absolutely will not pay annual fees. For everyone else, another card on this list will make more sense for you. There’s a reason that Delta consistently lists the Blue at the back of all their credit card lists!
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
The Delta SkyMiles Gold by American Express card is the second option in the Delta set. Unlike the SkyMiles Blue, the SkyMiles Gold is the first Delta card that actually gives flight-related benefits, such as a free checked bag and priority boarding.
Here are the basics of the Delta Gold card:
Annual Fee: $0 for the first year, then $150 for each subsequent year
Sign-on Bonus: Earn 50,000 SkyMiles after spending $2,000 in 6 months
Spending Rewards: 2x Miles on Delta purchases, restaurants worldwide, and US groceries; 1x Miles on everything else
Benefits: Free first checked bag, priority boarding (Zone 5), $200 flight credit after you spend $10,000 on the card annually, save 15% on award travel with SkyMiles, $100 Delta Stays hotel credit
Compared to the Blue, the SkyMiles Gold is better across almost every metric. It has five times the sign-on bonus for only double the spending (40,000 Miles is enough for many domestic round-trip flights in the main cabin), bonus points on groceries, free checked bag/priority boarding, and bonus savings on award flights. Plus, a major $200 flight credit after you hit the annual minimum spend.
For the first year, this card has no annual fee. It’s hard to understate how useful this fee postponement is to cardholders; not only does it allow you to trial the card for a full year to see if it’s worth holding, but also that every extra mile and flight benefit you gain in that first year is free. Plus, if you don’t like the card, you can cancel or downgrade it after the end of your first year to avoid paying the annual fee!
Related: The American Express Gold vs. the Delta SkyMiles Gold
However, even if you keep the card after the first year, it’s relatively easy to offset the annual fee with benefits. If you take two international flights in a year on Delta (or multiple domestic flights), you will make up the annual fee from the free checked bags alone. This doesn’t even touch on the bonus miles you’ll earn, the benefit of priority boarding, award travel savings, or the flight credit if you spend more than $10,000 on the card.
Overall, the SkyMiles Gold is the best Delta credit card for anyone who flies Delta casually and wants to have added travel benefits without paying an expensive annual fee. While this card does not provide any luxury, it’s a great staple for improving your travel on Delta, and is the best option of the set for anyone chasing sign-up bonuses!
Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card
The third card in the Delta-branded AmEx line is the SkyMiles Platinum card. Not to be confused with the American Express Platinum, the SkyMiles Platinum is one of Delta’s most popular cards as it comes with both Delta benefits and travel spending rewards. Unlike the SkyMiles Blue and Gold cards, the Platinum also comes with benefits for those hoping to earn Delta frequent flier status. Even with all of the changes to the Delta SkyMiles program back in 2024, the Delta Platinum card remains a good option for earning MQDs (i.e., Delta status).
Annual Fee: $350
Sign-on Bonus: 60,000 SkyMiles after spending $3,000 on the card in 6 months
Spending Rewards: 3x Miles on Delta purchases (including flights) and hotels; 2x Miles on dining and groceries, 1x Miles on everything else
Benefits: Start with $2,500 MQDs and earn $1 MQD for every $20 spent, free checked bag, annual domestic main-cabin companion certificate, 15% off SkyMiles purchases, $150 Delta Stays credit, $120 rideshare credit
The SkyMiles Platinum is a major step up from the Gold in terms of both annual fee and benefits. While the Platinum costs $200 more than the Gold, you get an extra mile on all Delta purchases, extra miles on hotels, and a headstart on status. While the sign-on bonus is a bit disappointing for the annual fee, the improved spending rewards compared to the Gold can result in you earning substantially more SkyMiles overall.
For those hoping that a card can single-handedly earn status, you may be slightly disappointed with the Platinum, as it will only get you roughly halfway to Silver status. Without being a frequent flier, the SkyMiles Platinum is not enough to elevate you to any notable levels of status. You’ll need to put large sums on the card to earn further status without being a frequent flier, as with 1 MQD for every $20, you’ll need to spend $50,000 in a calendar year on the card to earn Silver status and $150,000 to earn Gold status. Those are large chunks of cash for minimal return.
Overall, Delta set up the Platinum to be a true travel card. With a companion flight certificate, big credits, and bonus miles on both Delta flights, hotels, and food, the SkyMiles Platinum is designed to reward Delta frequent fliers with added benefits across the whole travel experience. However, with the poor rate of MQDs to $, this is not the best card for those chasing Delta benefits and status.
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
The top-tier Delta credit card is the SkyMiles Reserve AmEx card. With the highest annual fee and most useful benefits of the Delta set, the Reserve is for those who are committed to Delta and want the greatest possible number of Delta-focused rewards.
Annual Fee: $650
Sign-on Bonus: 70,000 SkyMiles after spending $5,000 in 6 months
Spending Rewards: 3x Miles on Delta purchases, 1x Miles on everything else
Benefits: Start with $2,500 MQDs and earn $1 MQD for every $10 spent, free checked bag, priority boarding, complimentary upgrades (upon availability), 15% discount on award travel, complimentary Delta Sky Club and Centurion Club access, First Class/Delta Comfort+/main cabin round-trip companion certificate, TSA-Precheck/Global Entry fee credit, $200 Delta Stays credit, $120 rideshare credit, Hertz President’s Circle Status, $240 Resy credit
The SkyMiles Reserve is the premier option for anyone who wants to maximize their Delta status and benefits. With a plethora of notable benefits, such as a first-class round-trip companion certificate, free SkyClub/Centurion access, and improved status earning, the Reserve is a high-fee, high-reward card for those who want to commit (or have already committed) to flying on Delta.
However, there are things we don’t like about this card—mainly, that you start with just $2500 MQDs despite paying a whopping $650. It’s not that this is an unreasonable MQD advance, but getting the same number of MQDs that you would get for holding the SkyMiles Platinum (a card that’s $300 cheaper) is extremely frustrating. Granted, you’re getting $1 MQD for every $10 spent instead of $20 with the Platinum, but it still means you’d have to spend $25,000 on the card for Silver status and $75,000 for Gold status. That’s a lot of money on top of an expensive card.
As well, there’s no way around it; the current sign-on bonus is poor for how expensive the card is. While this is still the largest sign-on bonus of any Delta card, you could be getting the AmEx Platinum for just slightly more money and getting 100,000+ AmEx points (which can be transferred to Delta at almost 1:1).
However, this card does have a plethora of credits to offset the massive annual fee. With the $240 Resy credit, $200 Delta Stays credit, and $120 rideshare credit, the annual fee already drops to $90. When you factor in lounge access and a potential first-class round-trip companion certificate, you can come out way ahead if you use the card—and the credits—smartly.
Finally, it’s important to make one key distinction: the SkyMiles Reserve is not a good everyday spending card. With the only source of spending rewards being Delta flights, this card is designed to be used for Delta flights and Delta-related benefits, not groceries or hotels.
Which Delta American Express card is the best option for you?
Now that we’re familiar with the four Delta card options, how do you figure out which one is the best option for you? Luckily, almost every individual can be split into one of three distinct groups, and we’ve provided a clear recommendation below for each.
If you are:
Trying to quickly maximize SkyMiles, chasing a sign-on/welcome bonus, or don’t want to commit exclusively to Delta?
Get the Delta Gold. The Gold offers 50,000 points for just $2,000 in 6 months with no annual fee for the first year. Not only is this by far the best return for spend of the Delta card, but the lack of any annual fee in the first year also means that the Miles you earn are effectively cheaper. As well, with the low annual fee, there is minimal pressure to always fly on Delta, helping with the flexibility of your travel.
However, if you aren’t set on jumping into the Delta ecosystem, we also recommend looking at the American Express Gold, which has inherently more valuable points and often has a better sign-on bonus. As well, always keep an eye out for special bonus welcome offers, as Delta is known for frequently offering increased sign-up bonuses through promotional links and physical mailers!
Becoming a Delta frequent flier, or trying to max out Delta benefits and rewards?
Get the Delta Reserve. The Reserve is the clear winner for providing the best possible Delta-related advantages. This card is helpful for both earning Delta status (though you’ll still need to fly Delta frequently to get any consistent status) and getting complimentary upgrades. However, the free lounge visits and massive credits are what set this apart from the Platinum, and are why we recommend anyone looking for the full Delta experience to commit to the Reserve as one of their primary cards.
Looking for an all-around travel card that earns SkyMiles?
Get the Delta Platinum. While the Reserve may be better for earning status, the Platinum is the option that offers the best rewards for your travel spending with bonus points on Delta flights, hotels, and groceries/dining. Compared to the Reserve and the Gold, the Platinum is the best option for general travel expenses.
You may have noticed that we didn’t recommend the SkyMiles Blue for any groups; this is intentional. The Blue is essentially a worse version of the Gold, and while technically the annual fee is lower after the first year, if you’re not willing to pay $99 a year for a Delta card, it probably is not worth getting one in the first place. If that is the case, consider getting the Chase Sapphire Preferred instead for more general travel benefits.
We hope this article helped inform your decision between the four different Delta American Express credit cards! If there are any other groups we forgot or questions about why we gave the recommendations we did, make sure to leave a comment below. If you’re interested in other guides, make sure to learn how to book your Delta flights with Chase credit card points or your United flights with AmEx points!
