The best Delta credit cards in 2021
Posted by The Editor on June 23, 2021 8:40 pm
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Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky
The best Delta Airlines credit cards in 2021:
| Category | Best Delta credit card |
| Best for occasional Delta flyers: | Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card |
| Best for frequent Delta flyers: | Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card |
| Best for airport lounge access: | Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card |
| Best business card for occasional Delta flyers: | Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card |
| Best business card for frequent Delta flyers: | Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card |
| Best business card for Delta lounge access: | Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card |
| If you don't want to pay an annual fee (See Rates): | Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card |
If Delta is your airline of choice, having a co-branded Delta credit card can help you earn enough miles for your next award flight and enjoy other perks with the airline, such as a free checked bag.
Luckily, you have no shortage of options to consider; Delta has seven credit cards that are co-branded with American Express, ranging from the no-annual-fee Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card to the premium Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with a Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card annual fee (See Rates) and annual companion certificate perk.
Read on to learn more about the various Delta cards for consumers, and see which one is best for you. If you're not locked into a particular airline, make sure to check out our guide to the best airline credit cards.
Best for occasional Delta flyers: Delta SkyMiles Gold cards
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is the best option for someone who flies Delta a couple of times a year, but doesn't travel regularly enough to use the heftier cards' perks (more on that later). Right now, it's offering a welcome bonus of Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card.
Read more: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express card review
One of the biggest perks: The card offers a free first checked bag on Delta flights for the cardholder and up to eight companions on the same reservation. Delta charges $30 each way for a checked bag, so this can save up to $60 per person on a round-trip itinerary.
Cardholders and travel companions also get Main Cabin Zone 1 priority boarding. This means you can board the plane sooner, giving you plenty of time to settle into your seat or find overhead space for any carry-on luggage. Zone 1 is after most Delta elite frequent flyers and premium-cabin passengers, but is usually within the first half of passengers to board.
Other perks include a 20% discount on inflight purchases (in the form of a statement credit), such as food or drinks, $100 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 on the card in a calendar year, and no foreign transaction fees (See Rates).
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
If you're a small-business owner, you might want to consider the business version of this card – the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card – which also has an annual fee of Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card – Rates & Fees.
The main difference is that the business version offers 2x miles on eligible U.S. purchases for advertising in select media and on eligible U.S. shipping purchases rather than on purchases at U.S. supermarkets. Both versions offer 2x miles on Delta purchases and restaurant purchases.
Read more: The best small-business credit cards
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is currently offering a welcome bonus of Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card.
Best for frequent Delta flyers: Delta SkyMiles Platinum cards
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
If you fly Delta somewhat regularly, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is a better option, thanks to an often-overlooked benefit that can completely cover the annual fee each year. The card currently offers a welcome bonus of Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card.
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card has most of the same perks as the Gold version, like priority boarding and free checked bags on Delta flights. The card also offers a Global Entry application fee credit of up to $100, and it gets cardholders access to Sky Club lounges at a discounted rate of $39 (See Rates).
Read more: Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express card review
However, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card comes with another huge perk. After your first year with the card, you'll get an annual domestic companion certificate each year at your cardmember anniversary. A Delta companion certificate is essentially a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. When you book an economy-class flight for yourself anywhere within the continental US, you can get a second ticket for free, other than minimal taxes and fees.
The companion pass can easily cancel out the card's Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card annual fee Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card – Rates & Fees. Plus, each year that you spend $25,000 or more on the card, you earn a bonus of 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) – up to two times – and have the Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) requirement for most elite status levels waived (offer ends 12/31/21).
When you have Medallion status, you can enjoy things like free upgrades to first class or extra-legroom seats whenever you fly, subject to availability. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card – Rates & Fees
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
If you're a frequent Delta flyer and you want a small-business card, check out the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, which also has a Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card annual fee Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card – Rates & Fees. One unique benefit of this card is the ability to earn 1.5x miles on single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 50,000 additional miles per calendar year).
Right now, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card welcome bonus is Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card.
Best for airport lounge access: Delta SkyMiles Reserve cards
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has a higher Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card annual fee Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card – Rates & Fees, but it has a few additional perks that can make it worthwhile for some frequent flyers. Right now, it's offering an intro bonus of Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card.
Like the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card , it offers an annual domestic companion certificate. However, the Delta Reserve's pass can be used for first-class tickets, not just economy.
Read more: Delta SkyMiles Reserve card review
Additionally, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers access to Delta Sky Club airport lounges whenever the cardholder is flying with Delta. Plus, Reserve cardholders can now access Amex Centurion Lounges when they're flying Delta. Centurion Lounges are known for their high-end complimentary food and drink, so this is a great value-added perk.
Other recently added benefits include two Delta Sky Club one-time guest passes, up to $100 for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and access to complimentary upgrades for non-elite Delta members.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has one other major perk, which can be crucial for travelers who hold Delta Medallion elite status. Delta Medallion members are eligible for complimentary, space-available upgrades to first class and Delta One on flights within the US and the region, including Mexico and Central America, and extra-legroom seats on international flights.
Upgrades clear in a hierarchical order based on a number of factors, including each passenger's status level, the original fare class they booked, and a few other factors. The first tiebreaker for people with the same Medallion level and fare class: whether they hold the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. Reserve cardholders will be prioritized over those without it. If there's only one seat left and two members are still tied and both have the Reserve, it continues down the list of tiebreakers.
For travelers who fly a lot and frequently find themselves one or two upgrade-list spots away from getting that first-class seat, holding the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card can be extremely valuable.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
There's also the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, which offers similar benefits for small-business users, but there's a difference in earning rates. With the business version, after you spend $150,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year, you can earn 1.5x miles on eligible purchases the rest of the calendar year.
Read more: The best credit cards to use for large purchases – get bonus rewards, purchase protection, and more
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card offers a welcome bonus of Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card.
Best with no annual fee: Delta SkyMiles Blue card
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
If you want to earn Delta miles on your everyday spending without paying an annual fee, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card could be worth a look, with a bonus of Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card.
It offers relatively limited benefits, but it waives foreign transaction fees, and you'll get 20% off eligible inflight purchases on Delta when you pay with the card.
Read more: Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express card review
If you already have an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points, like The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, remember that you can transfer your points to Delta at a 1:1 ratio, so you may not need a Delta co-branded card if you don't want the additional perks offered by the options with annual fees.
Sarah Silbert is the Senior Reviews Editor at Personal Finance Insider. She oversees the vertical's guides and reviews, covering topics including banking, credit cards, insurance, investing, and mortgages. Her goal is to empower readers to make smart, informed financial decisions.
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