Best Delta Credit Cards

The best SkyMiles credit card is the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card because it offers an initial bonus of 40,000 miles for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months. The Delta Gold Card also has a $0 intro annual fee the first year ($99 after that), plus benefits like free checked bags. 

Best SkyMiles Credit Cards

• Best Welcome Bonus: Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
• Best for Everyday Purchases: Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
• Best for Benefits: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
• Best for Lounge Access: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

For big-spenders in particular, the Amex Delta Platinum card may wind up being the best SkyMiles credit card because of its benefits. There's a bonus of 50,000 miles for spending $2,000 in the first 3 months. Cardholders also discounted Delta Sky Club access. This card comes with a $250 annual fee, however.

The bottom line is that if you're a Delta enthusiast who flies with the airline regularly, it makes good sense from a rewards perspective to keep a SkyMiles card in your wallet. If you're not partial to Delta, SkyMiles cards are probably not your best option. Expanding your selection to include other airlines will open up travel reward card possibilities comparable to, and in some cases more attractive than, SkyMiles cards.

The best Delta business credit card is the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card because it has a $0 annual fee the first year ($99 after), and offers a 50,000-mile bonus when you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months. Plus, you'll earn 2 miles / $1 on all Delta purchases, on eligible U.S. purchases for advertising in select media, on eligible U.S. shipping purchases, on dining at restaurants and 1 mile / $1 on everything else. 

For big-spenders looking to get the most value possible, the Delta Reserve Business card is best because it gives 60,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. Reserve for Business also gives cardholders Delta Sky Club access. But this Delta business credit card costs $550 per year. 

There's also a middle option: the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business card. It boasts a 60,000-mile bonus, plus a $100 statement credit and has an annual fee of $250 per year.

All of the Delta business credit cards have a few benefits in common. They all offer a free checked bag and priority boarding on Delta flights. And they give a 20% statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases. 

Best Delta Business Credit Cards

• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card: Best for Low Annual Fee
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Best for Sky Club Access
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card: Best for Initial Bonus

The best Delta Business credit card for you depends on how much you're willing to pay in fees and how frequent of a traveler you are. If you're a big spender and a frequent traveler, you'll probably like Reserve's Delta Sky Club access. But if you're only an occasional flyer, Gold SkyMiles is probably the way to go. Platinum SkyMiles is the perfect in-between. 

You need at least 6,500 Delta miles for a free one-way flight and 9,000 miles for a free round-trip flight on Delta. The exact miles you need for a free Delta flight depend on where you want to go and when. Those minimums apply to flights from Los Angeles to Las Vegas booked months in advance. Delta stopped disclosing its Award Miles Chart, so there are no published minimums and maximums for various routes.

Examples of How Many Delta Miles Are Needed for Free Flights:

• One-way flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas: 6,500+ award miles
• One-way flight from New York City to Chicago: 7,000+ award miles
• One-way flight from Los Angeles to New York City: 8,000+ award miles.
• One-way flight from New York City to Seattle: 8,500+ award miles
• One-way flight from Miami to Boston: 10,500+ award miles

To get a free flight for the fewest number of Delta miles, you'll want to book the flight far in advance, and be open to different dates. In many cases, you could pay at least 10,000 miles less for a flight if you're flexible on your departure date.

If you're a loyal Delta flyer and looking to earn miles faster for more free flights, you should look into a Delta credit card. The Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express is an excellent option with a signup bonus of 30,000 miles after you spend $1,000 in the first three months. And if you make a Delta purchase within that same timeframe, you'll earn an additional $50 statement credit. Altogether, that's worth roughly 1-5 free Delta flights.

There are several good Delta credit card deals available right now. The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card are both offering big bonus miles deals. The Amex Delta Platinum card offers 50,000 miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles for spending $2,000 in the first 3 months, plus up to $100 back in statement credits for purchases at U.S. restaurants made in the first 3 months.

The Delta Reserve Credit Card gives 50,000 miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus up to $100 back in statement credits for purchases at U.S. restaurants made in the first 3 months. It's worth noting that unlike regular frequent flyer miles, MQMs can't be used to book travel. Instead, they go toward giving you Medallion status – Delta's four-tiered loyalty program which provides benefits such as extra miles on purchases, waived fees, and complimentary upgrades.

Exclusive to Delta Airlines, both the Amex Delta Platinum and the Delta Reserve Credit Card offer great perks like 20% savings in the form of statement credit on eligible in-flight purchases and triple miles on Delta purchases.

If the $250 and $550 annual fees for the Amex Delta Platinum and the Delta Reserve Credit Card, respectively, are too steep and you think you won't get a chance to maximize their earning potential, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a less expensive alternative, with $0 intro 1st yr, $99 after for an annual fee. Its 40,000 bonus miles for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months makes it a worthy competitor as well. In case you don't want to worry about annual fees at all, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card features a $0 annual fee and offers 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $500 in the first 3 months.

Here is some more information on good Delta credit card deals:

• Bonus Miles and Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs): Earn 50,000 miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles for spending $2,000 in the first 3 months, plus up to $100 back in statement credits for purchases at U.S. restaurants made in the first 3 months with the Amex Delta Platinum; the Delta Reserve Credit Card gives you 50,000 miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus up to $100 back in statement credits for purchases at U.S. restaurants made in the first 3 months. Furthermore, you can accelerate your path to Medallion Status, with Status Boost. Plus, in 2021 you can earn even more bonus Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) to help you reach Medallion Status.
• Great Earn rates: Both the Amex Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve Credit Card offer 3 miles / $1 spent on Delta purchases, while the former extends this rate for direct hotel purchases, made upon check-in or check-out. The Amex Delta Platinum also gives you 2 miles for purchases made at restaurants, including takeout and delivery, and U.S. supermarkets. Both cards will earn you 1 mile / $1 for everything else.
• 20% Back on In-Flight Purchases: All Delta SkyMiles cardholders will save 20% on eligible in-flight purchases (pre-purchased meals, food, alcoholic beverages and audio headsets). Savings will appear as statement credit within 8-12 weeks after the purchase.
• Delta Sky Club Access: Delta Reserve Credit Card cardholders and authorized users receive complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a same-day Delta flight, while for partner flights, cardholders and authorized users can access the club for an exclusive per-visit rate of $39 per person. The Amex Delta Platinum offers the exclusive $39 rate for access to the club on both Delta and partner flights. Cardholders can bring up to two other guests at the same rate, while children under 2 years old may accompany the cardholder for free.
• $100 Delta Flight Credit: If purchases made with the Delta Gold Card amount up to at least $10,000 in any calendar year, you will receive a $100 Delta eCredit that can be used toward Delta airfare purchases within two weeks of having met the spending requirement.
• One bonus per lifetime per card. American Express allows an initial bonus on a particular card once in a lifetime. For example, if you have previously owned a Delta Gold Cardor a Amex Delta Platinum, you are not eligible for either of those bonuses.

If you don't want to be tied to a specific airline, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® will give you more flexibility. The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 100,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in your first 3 months. And the Chase Sapphire Reserve gives you 60,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, plus a $300 Annual Travel Credit as statement credit reimbursement each anniversary year for purchases charged to the card. Bonus points for both cards provide better potential redemption versatility than the Delta SkyMiles cards.

One of the best Delta credit card promotions is 50,000 miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. It also offers a round-trip companion certificate every year. There's free Delta Sky Club access too. This card charges a hefty $550 annual fee, but its rewards more than make up for it for frequent flyers.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card provide a free first checked bag and priority boarding. All Delta SkyMiles cards also offer a 20% statement credit on food, alcohol and audio headset purchases made on Delta flights. And those are just some of the Delta credit card promotions the airline currently offers.

Here are the best Delta Airlines credit card promotions:

• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: 50,000 miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus up to $100 back in statement credits for purchases at U.S. restaurants made in the first 3 months. Accelerated Medallion Qualification Miles earnings, that get you closer to Medallion Status. 3 miles per $1 spent on Delta purchases and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. Free Delta Sky Club access for the cardholder and discounted per-visit rate for up to two guests. Free companion certificate every account anniversary.
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: 50,000 miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles for spending $2,000 in the first 3 months, plus up to $100 back in statement credits for purchases at U.S. restaurants made in the first 3 months. Accelerated Medallion Qualification Miles earnings, that get you closer to Medallion Status. 3 miles per $1 spent with Delta, 3 miles per $1 on purchases made directly with hotels, 2 miles per $1 at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. Discounted Delta Sky Club rate for the cardholder and up to two guests. Free companion certificate every account anniversary.
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: 40,000 miles for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months, plus up to $50 back in statement credits for purchases at U.S. restaurants made in the first 3 months. After you spend $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year, you will also receive a $100 Delta Flight Credit. 2 miles per $1 on Delta purchases, 2 miles per $1 at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
• Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card: 10,000 miles for spending $500 in the first 3 months. 2 miles per $1 spent on Delta purchases, 2 miles per $1 at restaurants, and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

If you're not familiar with Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs), know that they go toward earning you Medallion status in the SkyMiles loyalty rewards program. In addition to the cards' MQM spending bonuses, you also earn MQMs based on the distance flown with Delta, Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs) based on your number of flights and Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) based on the money you spend on Delta flights. Medallion Status comes in four different tiers and the higher your status, the better perks you get on Delta flights. Medallion Status benefits include travel/vacation discounts, waived fees, complimentary upgrades and more.

After a thorough Delta credit card comparison, the Gold Delta SkyMiles card is the best Delta Airlines card because it offers 40,000 miles when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months. The Gold's card's annual fee of $0 for the first year ($99 after) is a huge plus, especially if you plan on spending a lot during those first 12 months.

When comparing Delta credit card offers, it's important to focus on annual fees, initial bonuses and extra perks. That's where the biggest differences are.

• All Delta SkyMiles cards have some sort of initial bonus
• Most Delta credit cards have annual fees.
• Some offer priority boarding and free first checked bags.
• All of them feature the same APR range.
• All require a good credit score or better to qualify. All give at least 1 mile per $1 on all purchases.

But the devil is in the details. By framing your comparison of Delta's credit card offers in terms of your own spending and payment habits, you can confidently determine which card is best for you. It really comes down to how frequently you fly Delta and which perks you'll want when you travel. If a Delta credit card has an annual fee, you'll have to decide if you fly Delta frequently enough to cover the cost, which is as high as $550 for the SkyMiles Reserve card.

The Delta Amex foreign transaction fee is 0%. All 4 Delta American Express credit cards have no foreign transaction fees.

That means you won't be charged an extra 2%-4% on purchases made through foreign merchants abroad or online, as would be the case with a lot of other cards. So, if you're planning on taking a Delta Amex with you overseas, you'll be fine, as long as the merchant accepts American Express cards, that is. American Express isn't as widely accepted worldwide as Mastercard and Visa cards.

The best Delta credit card bonus is 40,000 miles bonus after spending $1,000 with the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card in the first 3 months. Cardholders can also get a $100 Delta Flight Credit after spending $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year. The Delta Gold Card's annual fee is: $0 intro 1st yr, $99 after. That's a big reason why this card comes out on top of the other Delta credit card offerings.

Another close contender is the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. It offers 50,000 miles bonus for spending $2,000 in the first 3 months. However, at $250, the annual fee for the Amex Delta Platinum card is much higher than what the Delta Gold Card card charges.

Even with the higher statement credit from the Amex Delta Platinum card, travelers will get the best value from the Delta Gold Card card, especially in the first year.

Yes, a Delta SkyMiles credit card is worth it if you're a frequent flyer with above-average credit who mainly travels with Delta Airlines.

All Delta cards require good or excellent credit for approval, but they do offer a variety of benefits. Depending on the card of your choice you're given generous signup bonuses, annual companion certificates, as well as other travel-related benefits.

If you use more than one airline for your travels, maybe look for a rewards card that's lucrative with any airline, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

Unlike the majority of airline miles, Delta credit card miles don't expire. American Express does not have any expiration rules for these cards, they simply defer to the Delta SkyMiles rulebook. The miles you earn get transferred to your Delta SkyMiles account, where they don't expire either. However, your miles may be forfeited:

• If you commit fraud
• If you request your account to be closed
• In case of death
• In case of violating the Program Rules