Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
There are several Delta Air Lines credit cards to choose from, all issued by American Express.
A low annual fee, a welcome bonus and budget-friendly perks might make the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card a great choice for travelers. Here’s what you should evaluate when deciding if it's right for you.
» Learn More: Find the best airline credit card for you
Is the annual fee worth it?
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card has an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $99. But cardholders get one free checked bag per person for up to nine people on a reservation, which easily offsets it.
Other Delta credit cards have various perks and annual fees. For instance, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card has an annual fee of $0.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has an annual fee of $550 and includes the free checked-bag perk above, as well as lounge access and a companion certificate. Terms apply.
» Learn more: Airline credit cards that offer free checked bags
How does the welcome bonus compare to other cards?
Here's a quick overview of a few different bonuses to consider:
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer expires 11/10/2021. Terms Apply.
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $500 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Terms Apply.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles and 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer expires 11/10/2021. Terms Apply.
NerdWallet values Delta miles at 1.3 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 1.3 cents or more in value from your Delta miles.
» Learn more: Which Delta Air Lines credit card should you get?
How do I earn points?
As of January 2020, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card earns 2 miles per $1 spent on purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets. Every time you make a Delta purchase, you'll also earn 2 miles per $1 spent. All other purchases will earn 1 mile per $1. Terms apply.
The bottom line
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a good entry card with a relatively low annual fee. The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card avoids the fee, but you could have to pay checked-bag fees each time you fly. Meanwhile, the main drawback of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is the annual fee of $550. Terms apply.
If you don’t fly frequently enough to pay a steep annual fee and benefit from the perks of other Delta credit cards, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a solid bet for trimming travel fees and earning travel rewards and perks you’ll actually use.
How to Maximize Your Rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2021, including those best for:
Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Planning a trip? Check out these articles for more inspiration and advice: Nerdwallet’s top travel credit cards Delta SkyMiles: The complete guide Delta eliminates single visit Sky Club lounge pass
