by Daniel | Last Updated Jan 5th, 2022
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In this article, I am going to review all four American Express Delta SkyMiles Credit cards, I’ll go over some of the benefits and rewards that they offer, and then decide if they are worth it.
There are four cards that are currently available, with the first card being the Delta Skymiles Blue card which has no annual fee and is the only card on this list that is free on an annual basis.
The next card is the Delta Skymiles Gold card which has no fee for the first year and then it is $99 per year.
The following card is the Delta Skymiles Platinum card which has an annual fee of $250 and then finally the most expensive and exclusive card on offer is the Reserve card which has the highest annual fee which is currently $550 per year.
1. Delta SkyMiles Blue
*Annual Fee – $0 for the first year and then $99
*Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you have spent $500 within the first 3 months of opening the account
So the Delta SkyMiles Blue credit card is a great card for anybody new to credit cards as it has no annual fee but still has some nice perks that you can take advantage of.
Sign-up Bonus
First of all, you can earn 10,000 bonus miles if you spend $500 within the first 3 months of opening the account and these miles are worth approximately $100, and you can use these miles for flights or upgrades on Delta flights or SkyTeam alliance.
Earning Miles
When using the credit card you will also be rewarded with bonus miles depending on what you purchase.
To begin with, you will earn 2x miles when you make any purchases at restaurants including takeout and delivery.
You will also receive 2x miles for any purchases made directly with Delta.
And finally, you will receive 1x miles per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Another extra that comes with this card is savings of 20% on certain purchases made onboard Delta flights, things that are covered are food, beverages, and audio headsets.
The wifi is not covered.
Redeeming Miles
Now if you want to redeem the miles you have accrued over time you have a few options.
You can use the points on Delta or any airlines that are part of the SkyTeam alliance, which currently has 26 participating airlines.
Other Perks
So a few other perks worth mentioning are:
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance, Extended Warranty, and Purchase Protection.
Also, there are no foreign transaction fees, so you can use any of the cards on this list overseas without the worry of hidden credit card fees.
Is It Worth It?
Considering there is no annual fee and you have to ability to earn miles just by using the card I think it is a great credit card to consider, especially if you are new to credit cards.
2. Delta SkyMiles Gold
*Annual Fee – $0 for the first year and then $99
*Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you have spent $1000 within the first 3 months of opening the account, You can also earn $50 in statement credits when you use the card at restaurants within the US, also within 3 months of opening the account
The second card on the list is the Delta SkyMiles Gold credit card.
This card offers the first year of card ownership for free and then for any following year there will be an annual fee of $99.
Sign-up Bonus
The sign-up bonus with the gold card currently offers 40,00 bonus miles after you spend $1000 within the first 3 months of opening the account, and these miles are worth approximately $400.
Along with the bonus miles, you will also earn $50 in statement credits when you use the card at any restaurant within the United States as long as it is within the first 3 months of opening the account.
Earning Miles
You will receive similar bonus miles to the Blue card when spending but it also includes extra points when shopping at supermarkets.
So you will receive 2x miles when you make any purchases at restaurants or supermarkets within the US.
And 2x miles for any purchases made directly with Delta.
Any other purchases will receive 1 x miles per dollar spent.
Redeeming Miles
Similar to the Blue card you will be able to redeem miles through Delta or any airlines that are part of the SkyTeam alliance, some airlines include Air France, Korean Air, and Virgin Atlantic.
Other Perks
As with the Blue card you also receive 20% back on inflight purchases.
You will also get your first checked bag with any Delta flight for free and this will save you $30 each time you fly.
If you are able to spend more than $10,000 within the calendar year on the card, you will receive a $100 Delta flight credit that you can use towards future travel.
You will also have the benefit of main cabin priority boarding.
Is It Worth It?
As the Gold card is free for the first year I think it is definitely worth giving it a try and taking advantage of the benefits it has.
If for any reason you don’t want to pay to $99 annual fee you can just cancel the card before the full year of card ownership is up, or you can just downgrade to the Blue card which has no annual fee.
3. Delta SkyMiles Platinum
*Annual Fee – $250
*Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after you have spent $2,000 within the first 3 months of opening the account, You can also earn $100 in statement credits when you use the card at restaurants within the US, also within 3 months of opening the account
Coming in third on this list is the Delta SkyMiles Platinum credit card.
Now although the annual fee of this card is more than 2 times the cost of the Gold card coming in at $250 per year it does offer more benefits.
Sign-up Bonus
First of all, you will earn 50,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles if you spend $2,000 within the first 3 months of opening the account.
These miles are worth approximately $500.
The 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles are basically put towards earning Delta elite status.
There are currently 4 different status tiers with Delta, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.
Silver status requires 25,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (also know as MQMs), Gold status requires 50,000 MQMs, Platinum status requires 75,000 MQMs, and finally Diamond status requires 125,000 MQMs.
All of these Delta elite status levels come with a wide variety of benefits such as complimentary first-class upgrades when available, waived baggage fees, and the ability to select preferred seats for free.
Along with this, you will also receive $100 in statement credits for purchases at US-based restaurants as long as you meet the $2,000 spend requirement within the first 3 months of opening the account.
Earning Miles
When it comes to earning miles you will be able to earn more than the Gold card.
The main difference is that you will receive 3x miles with purchases made with Delta and hotels worldwide.
Then you will earn 2x miles when you make any purchases at restaurants or supermarkets within the US.
And any other purchases will receive 1 x miles per dollar spent.
Redeeming Miles
Redeeming miles with the Platinum card is the same as the previous two cards
You can use the points with Delta or any airlines that are part of the SkyTeam alliance, which currently has 26 participating airlines.
Other Perks
The Platinum card has quite a few more benefits than the Gold card.
As with the Gold card you get priority boarding, first checked bag free and you also receive 20% back on inflight purchases.
You will also receive reimbursement for either Global Entry which usually costs $100 or TSA PreCheck which usually costs $85.
If you spend $25,000 within the year you can earn up to 10,000 MQMs up to a total of 2 times per year.
Is It Worth It?
If you don’t mind paying the $250 annual fee and are looking to gain as many Medallion Qualification Miles so you can get Delta elite status then it’s a pretty good credit card and not terribly expensive.
But if you don’t care about gaining Delta elite status then it’s probably better just to stick with the Gold card as it is free for the first year and offers similar benefits.
4. Delta SkyMiles Reserve
*Annual Fee – $550
*Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after you have spent $3,000 within the first 3 months of opening the account, You can also earn $100 in statement credits when you use the card at restaurants within the US, also within 3 months of opening the account
The Delta SkyMiles Reserve credit card is the most exclusive card on this list and the most expensive with an annual fee of $550.
Sign-up Bonus
The sign-up bonus is similar to the Platinum card, you will receive 50,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after you have spent $3,000 within the first 3 months of opening your account.
These miles are worth approximately $500, and the 10,000 MQMs will bring you even closer to Delta’s elite status.
You will also receive $100 in statement credits for purchases at US-based restaurants as long as you spend $3,000 within the first 3 months of opening the account.
Earning Miles
When it comes to earning miles you will actually have less opportunity to earn points than the Platinum card.
The main difference is that you will only receive 3x miles with purchases made with Delta but not at hotels.
Also, you will not be eligible to earn 2x miles when you make any purchases at restaurants or supermarkets as you do with the Platinum card.
But you will receive 1 x miles per dollar spent on any other purchases.
Redeeming Miles
Redeeming miles with the Reserve card is the same as the Platinum card.
You can use the points with Delta or any airlines that are part of the SkyTeam alliance, which currently has 26 participating airlines.
Other Perks
Thankfully the Reserve card has a few more notable perks than the Platinum card, and so it should for the price!
As with the Platinum card it also offers priority boarding, 20% back on inflight purchases, your first checked bag free, and a credit for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
On top of this, you will also receive access to Delta Sky Club lounges as long as you are flying on a Delta flight, and you will also get 2 complimentary one-time guest passes for friends or family once each year.
Along with this, you will also get access to American Express Centurion Lounges as long as you book your flight on the card and fly with Delta.
And finally, you will also receive an annual Companion Certificate which is valid for one round trip on either first-class, Delta Comfort+, or the main cabin, as long as you pay taxes and fees on the award ticket for an adult fair. And the flight must be within the United States.
Is It Worth It?
The Reserve card is only worth it if you really want access to the lounges without having to pay for them and if you are looking to build your Delta elite status.
A worthy competitor for this card is the American Express Platinum card, as it has the same annual fee of $550 but offers even more benefits.
Or if you don’t care so much for Delta’s elite status, either the Gold or Platinum cards are just fine.