Benefits of Delta Air Lines Credit Cards
Delta Air Lines and American Express offer 4 cards, ranging from a bare-bones version with no annual fee to a $650-a-year card packed with perks.
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Delta Air Lines offers four credit cards for consumers, with annual fees ranging from $0 to $650. Issued by American Express, the cards come with a host of benefits worth considering if you’re a frequent — or even infrequent — Delta customer. They range from core features you would expect on any airline card to “nice-to-have” perks and protections. And the higher the annual fee, the more benefits you'll get.
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Frequent-flyer miles
1. Miles earned on spending
Purchases on all four cards earn miles in Delta's frequent-flyer program, known as Delta SkyMiles. Purchases made directly with the airline earn extra miles. Depending on the card, other categories may also earn bonus miles. Here's a comparison:
• 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and at restaurants worldwide plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
• Terms apply (see rates and fees).
• 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta, at restaurants worldwide plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
• 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
• Terms apply (see rates and fees).
• 3 miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta, and on eligible hotel purchases.
• 2 miles per dollar at restaurants plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets.
• 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases
• Terms apply (see rates and fees).
• 3 miles per dollar on eligible purchases made directly with Delta.
• 1 mile per dollar on other eligible purchases.
• Terms apply (see rates and fees).
2. Miles from new cardholder bonus offers
Each card gives new cardholders the opportunity to earn a bonus by meeting a spending requirement in the first few months. In general, the higher the fee, the bigger the bonus:
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card: Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. Terms Apply.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 10/29/2025. Terms Apply.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 10/29/2025. Terms Apply.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Earn 125,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 10/29/2025. Terms Apply.
NerdWallet values Delta miles at 1.2 cents each. This is a baseline value, drawn from real-world data on hundreds of economy routes, not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 1.2 cents or more in value from your Delta miles.
Airport perks
3. Free checked bags
Annual-fee cards: The first checked bag is free for you, and up to eight other people traveling on your reservation also get a free bag. (Terms apply.) This can be a big money-saver, since a single checked bag would otherwise cost $70 round trip.
No-annual-fee card: No free checked bags.
» Learn more: The guide to Delta’s ‘Bags on Time’ guarantee
4. Early boarding
Annual-fee cards: You'll get to board the plane early — before general boarding begins — to get settled and claim space in the overhead bins for your carry-on, a perk many travelers prize.
No-annual-fee card: No early boarding privileges.
5. Lounge access
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Cardholders receive 15 visits per year to Delta Sky Clubs when flying on Delta-operated flights (or for $50 if traveling on a partner airline) and also receive four one-time guest passes each calendar year. After 15 visits, cardholders may purchase Delta SkyClub access for $50 per visit. Spending $75,000 on the card in a calendar year unlocks unlimited visits for the remainder of that year and the following year. Cardholders also get access to American Express' Centurion Lounges when flying Delta. Terms apply.
Other cards: No lounge access.
6. TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Receive one statement credit every four years to cover the application fee for Global Entry, and every four and a half years for TSA Pre Check.
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: No TSA PreCheck or Global Entry benefit.
No foreign transaction fees.
First checked bag free.
Priority boarding.
$200 Delta flight credit (when you spend $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year).
$100 Delta stays credit toward prepaid hotels or vacations through Delta.
15% off when using miles to book award travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app.
Terms apply (see rates and fees).
No foreign transaction fees.
First checked bag free.
Priority boarding.
Companion certificate (main cabin).
Fee credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry.
15% off when using miles to book award travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app.
$150 Delta stays credit toward prepaid hotels or vacations through Delta.
$120 Resy credit when you enroll, up to $10 each month.
$120 rideshare credit when you enroll, up to $10 each month.
Terms apply (see rates and fees).
No foreign transaction fees.
First checked bag free.
Priority boarding.
Companion certificate (first class, Delta Comfort+ or main cabin).
Complimentary Delta Sky Club access for you (15 visits annually), plus four one-time guest passes annually.*
Fee Credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry.
15% off when using miles to book award travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app.
$240 Resy credit when you enroll, up to $20 each month.
$200 Delta stays credit toward prepaid hotels or vacations through Delta.
$120 rideshare credit when you enroll, up to $10 each month.
Terms apply (see rates and fees).
Deals in the air
7. In-flight savings
All Delta cards offer the same 20% statement credit for such in-flight purchases as food and alcoholic beverages on Delta-operated flights. In-flight wireless Internet access is excluded. Terms apply.
Progress toward elite status
8. MQDs
"Medallion Qualifying Dollars", or MQDs, are dollars spent on Delta flights, partners and on a Delta credit card, and are required in order to earn elite status.
The two priciest Delta cards allow cardholders to earn some MQDs automatically. Both cards offer an MQD head start of $2,500 MQD's each qualification year. Plus, spending on the cards earns the following MQD boosts:
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Earn 1 MQD for every $10 in purchases made on the card in a calendar year.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Earn 1 MQD for every $20 in purchases made on the card in a calendar year.
Other cards: No MQD earning.
Travel perks and protections
9. No foreign transaction fees
Many credit cards charge a fee on purchases outside the U.S. These four Delta cards don't.
10. Insurance and assistance
Because these are airline cards, their travel-protection benefits are notable. Most come from the American Express network, instead of being exclusive to these cards. Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. See americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, see this page.
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