Which Delta SkyMiles card is best for you?

Delta Air Lines partners with American Express to offer a wide range of credit cards for frequent flyers who want to earn rewards. These cards let you earn miles that can be redeemed for flights and other types of awards within the Delta SkyMiles frequent flyer program, and some offer special perks such as airport lounge access and free checked bags.

Delta’s offerings include several personal credit cards, one of which has no annual fee. Business owners can also sign up for co-branded Delta cards for business, which may make it possible for them to earn miles on their business-related purchases and expenses.

Here’s a rundown of the Delta credit cards you should consider:

Delta SkyMiles credit cards

	Rewards rate	Introductory bonus	Annual fee
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card	2 miles per dollar on restaurant purchases worldwide and direct Delta purchases 1 mile per dollar on other purchases	10,000 miles if you spend $500 in first 3 months	$0
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card	2 miles per dollar on restaurant purchases worldwide, direct Delta purchases, and at U.S. supermarkets 1 mile per dollar on other purchases	50,000 miles if you spend $2,000 in first 3 months.	$99, $0 first year
Delta SkyMiles Reserve® American Express Card	3 miles per dollar on direct Delta purchases 1 mile per dollar on other purchases	40,000 miles and 10,000 MQMs if you spend $3,000 in first 3 months	$550
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card	3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases and directly purchased hotel stays 2 miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide 2 miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets 1 mile per dollar on other purchases	60,000 miles and 5,000 MQMs if you spend $3,000 in first 3 months.	$250
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card	2 miles per dollar on restaurant purchases worldwide, direct Delta purchases and U.S. shipping and advertising in select media 1 mile per dollar on other purchases	60,000 bonus miles if you spend $3,000 in first 3 months	$99, $0 first year
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card	3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases and directly purchased hotel stays 1.5 miles per dollar on eligible purchases of $5,000 or more 1 mile per dollar on other purchases	70,000 miles and 5,000 MQMs if you spend $4,000 in first 3 months	$250
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card	3 miles per dollar spent on direct Delta purchases 1 mile on per dollar on other purchases 1.5 miles per dollar on purchases after you spend $150,000 in a calendar year	45,000 miles and 10,000 MQMs if you spend $4,000 in first 3 months	$550

Entry-level card

The Blue Delta SkyMiles card is a solid option for beginners since it doesn’t charge an annual fee. You can sign up for this card and earn an initial sum of 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $500 on your card in your first three months.

Plus, you’ll get 2 miles per dollar on restaurant and direct Delta purchases and a 20-percent in-flight savings in the form of a statement credit when you use your card for food, beverages and audio headsets on Delta flights.

Premium credit cards

If you fly Delta or its partners often enough, you may want to consider upgrading to one of the airline’s premium travel credit cards. The Delta SkyMiles Gold credit card is a good option since it has a $99 annual fee (waived first year). For a card with premium perks, that’s a relatively modest price tag. Plus, you can earn a $100 credit for Delta purchases if you spend at least $10,000 in a calendar year on this card – more than enough to cover the annual fee.

Signing up for the card also makes it possible to earn 2 miles dollar on Delta, restaurant, and U.S. supermarket purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. You also get a free checked bag on Delta flights for you and your travel companions along with Priority Boarding that gets you on the plane sooner.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold Business card offers a similar earning structure to the Gold Delta SkyMiles card, but with rewards more tailored to business spending. Either option could be a smart one depending on whether you prefer a consumer credit card or one for your business.

Cards that help you earn elite status

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business card and Delta SkyMiles Platinum card are aimed at frequent Delta flyers.

The cards come with a pricey annual fee of $250, which may be hard to justify if you don’t fly Delta often. In exchange, however, you get a decent introductory bonus that includes Medallion Qualification Miles after meeting minimum spend requirements.

More importantly for Delta flyers is the fact that you get 10,000 MQMs (Medallion Qualification Miles) if you spend $25,000 or more in a calendar year, an additional 10,000 MQMs if you spend $50,000 or more in a calendar year and a free companion certificate. You also get a free checked bag, priority boarding and discounted entry into Delta Sky Clubs.

These benefits make getting a Platinum card a better deal if you’re a frequent Delta flyer who is seeking elite status. Still, you need to consider the fact that you’ll need to spend a lot on the card to earn the additional Medallion Qualification Miles.

Cards for Sky Club lounge access

Other credit cards that could be ideal for frequent Delta flyers include the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles Reserve credit card. These cards come with a high annual fee of $550 but also offer automatic access to Delta Sky Clubs — a perk that normally costs $545 per year. Plus, the cards recently added access to plush Centurion lounges, a benefit that used to be reserved to cardholders of The Platinum Card® from American Express. Paying the fee for this card makes sense if you already planned to purchase a Delta Sky Club membership or wanted to check out a Centurion lounge.

Both Delta Reserve cards also come with an annual companion certificate, free checked bags, priority boarding, a 20-percent discount on in-flight purchases and no foreign transaction fees.

Which Delta credit card should I get?

The right Delta credit card for you depends on your needs. Before you decide, consider your average spending, how often you fly with Delta and whether you are comfortable paying an annual fee.

See Related: What are Delta SkyMiles worth?, Best ways to earn Delta SkyMiles, Best ways to redeem Delta SkyMiles, Delta SkyMiles partners, Delta elite status benefits, Delta Sky Club lounges, How to book a flight with Delta SkyMiles, Delta Skymiles Shopping guide