Delta SkyMiles Gold vs Blue – Which Card is Better? 

by Daniel | Last Updated Nov 4th, 2023

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Are you a frequent flyer with Delta and wondering which Delta SkyMiles card will maximize your travel experience the most?
Well, In this article, I’ll be comparing two of their entry level cards head-to-head: the Amex Delta SkyMiles Blue card versus the Amex Delta SkyMiles Gold card.
Both of these cards offer an easy way to start earning rewards through Delta, but is the Gold card really worth an additional $150 for the annual fee?

Well basically I’ll be breaking down the key features, benefits, and potential drawbacks of each card, to help you decide which one deserves a spot in your wallet.
Whether you’re looking to get a variety of extra benefits such as a $200 Delta Flight Credit or aiming to rack up a ton of extra miles, this comparison will reveal whether the Blue card is an obvious pick or if the Gold card’s extra perks justify the rather large annual fee.

So stick around to see which card comes out on top.

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So Who Are These Cards Good For ?

Both the Amex Delta SkyMiles Blue and Delta SkyMiles Gold cards cater to different types of travelers, depending on their needs and travel habits. So here’s a simple breakdown of each card to determine who they are best suited for:

Amex Delta SkyMiles Blue Card

Casual Delta Travelers Looking for a No-Annual-Fee Option

This card is a great choice for travelers who fly with Delta occasionally but don’t need a high-end card with extensive travel perks. With no annual fee, it offers a way to earn Delta SkyMiles on purchases without the commitment of a premium card. Cardholders can earn 2x miles on Delta purchases and restaurants, making it easy to build up miles for future travel with minimal upfront costs.

New Delta Flyers Building Loyalty

If you’re new to Delta’s loyalty program, the Delta SkyMiles Blue Card provides a low-commitment entry point. It allows users to start earning miles on everyday purchases, which can be redeemed toward flights, seat upgrades, or other Delta-related expenses. This card is ideal for building a foundation with Delta SkyMiles without a significant investment, especially if you’re testing out Delta as your primary airline.

International Travelers Who Prefer No Foreign Transaction Fees

For those who travel internationally, the Delta SkyMiles Blue Card offers a valuable perk—no foreign transaction fees. This benefit, that is somewhat rare in no-annual-fee cards, makes it suitable for travelers who want to use their card abroad without incurring extra fees. Whether it’s dining at restaurants overseas or booking foreign accommodations, cardholders can earn miles on global purchases without worrying about extra charges.

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Amex Delta SkyMiles Gold Card

Frequent Delta Flyers Seeking Valuable Travel Perks

This card is ideal for travelers who fly with Delta often enough to appreciate travel benefits but don’t need the highest level of perks. With the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card, cardholders enjoy their first checked bag free on Delta flights—a savings of up to $70 per round trip. They also receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding, making it easier to secure overhead bin space and settle in sooner. These benefits alone can offset the card’s annual fee for frequent Delta travelers.

Those Looking to Earn Miles on Everyday Purchases

The Delta SkyMiles Gold Card offers a solid earning structure, with 2x miles on Delta purchases, restaurants, and U.S. supermarkets, and 1x mile on other purchases. This makes it a practical choice for cardholders who want to earn miles not only on travel but also on day-to-day expenses. The opportunity to earn Delta SkyMiles across these popular spending categories allows cardholders to accumulate miles faster, bringing them closer to award flights or seat upgrades.

Travelers Who Value Flexible Annual Fees

The Delta SkyMiles Gold Card waives its annual fee for the first year, allowing new cardholders to try out its perks without upfront costs. After the first year, the fee kicks in, but with travel benefits like free checked baggage, the card often pays for itself for regular Delta travelers. This flexibility makes it suitable for those on the fence about committing to an annual fee and who want to see if the card’s benefits match their travel habits.

Annual Fee And Sign-up Bonus 

Now from here, let’s take look at how valuable the sign-up bonus is and how much the annual fee will cost you each year for each card.
And you will see that there is quite a big difference between these two cards, at least when it comes to the annual fee.

Amex Delta SkyMiles Blue Card

Now currently it is possible to earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on the card within the first 6 months of opening the account. 
And with miles being valued at 1.2 credit per mile, this sign up bonus is worth $120.

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Amex Delta SkyMiles Gold Card

Now currently it is possible to earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 on the card within the first 6 months of opening the account.

And with miles being valued at the same 1.2 cents per mile, the Gold cards signup bonus is worth $840.
So the slightly more expensive Gold card offers a lot more value from its sign-up bonus compared to the Blue card, $720 more to be precise.
And best of all, you will only need to spend an additional $1,000 on the card over the same initial 6 month period to actually receive to bonus miles.

Which Card Has The Best Miles Earning Potential?

Ok so now we know how much each card costs on an annual basis and what they are offering as a sign-up bonus, lets take look at the miles earning ability of each card.
And this is an clearly an important factor to consider when choosing a credit card.
If you are able to earn more miles through your everyday spending habits, you will end up receiving a lot more value over time. 

Amex Delta SkyMiles Blue Card

Starting right at the top, it is possible to earn 2x miles for all purchase the are more directly with Delta .
So if you do choose to travel with Delta exclusively this will really help to boost your miles earning potential
Along with this it is also possible to earn 2x miles on restaurants purchases world wide, this includes take out and delivery services that are from within the US.
Finally, everything else the you use the card on will earn you just 1 mile per dollar spent.

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Delta SkyMiles Gold Card

So you have the same ability to earn 2x miles for Delta Purchase and at restaurants world wide, along with this you will also be able to earn 2x miles for purchase that are made a US grocery stores.
Then everything else will earn 1 mile per dollar spent.

So by having the ability to earn 2x miles from grocery purchases, you should be able to earn quite a decent amount more miles than what you can from the Blue card. 

Which Card Has The Best Benefits And Perks?

Ok so now that we know what the annual fee, sign-up bonus and miles earning potential of each card is, let’s take a look at the benefits that actually come with each card to see how they compare. 

Amex Delta SkyMiles Blue Card

So first of all you will be able to save 20% Back on In-flight Purchases, which basically includes food and beverage purchases.
And this is will be receive as a statement credit.
Then each time you use at least 5,000 of your own Delta miles to book a flight though Delta.com, you will receive up to $50 off your flight.

So it’s not many benefits, but it’s better than nothing.

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Delta SkyMiles Gold Card

So the most valuable benefit on offer with the Gold card is the ability to reave a $200 Delta Flight Credit after you spend a total of $10,000 on the card within a calendar year.

Thats enough to cover the $150 annual fee and leave you with $50 in possitive credit.

It is then possible to earn a $100 Delta Stays Credit if you book a hotel or vacation rental through Delta.com
So depending on how many hotels you decide to book though out the year, this can potentially provide you with quite a decent amount of value. 

Another benefit stat is really quite useful and easy to make use of is the ability to get you First Checked Bag Free on Delta flights.
This can save you approximately $70 per round trip per person, it also provides the ability to claim up to 9 people that are booked on the same reservation.
Thats a potential saving of $630.

Another benefits that is included with the Gold card is the TakeOff 15 benefit.
This basically provides you with a 15% discount off your booking when you use your own miles to book a flight.

You will also receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding, this is is a nice benefit to have, as it allows you to board the plane a little sooner than general boarding, which means you should have better access to the overhead bins to store your bags.

Then just like the Delta SkyMiles Blue card you get the following benefits

When you are flying on a Delta flight you will receive 20% back for inflight food and beverages purchases.

And each time you use at least 5,000 of your own Delta miles to book a flight though Delta.com, you will receive up to $50 off your flight. 

Final Thoughts

Ok so that covers just about everything you need to know about the Amex Delta SkyMiles Blue and Gold card, and as you can see, whilst they both value, the Gold card offer quite bit more.
So let’s just do a quick recap and go back over each section to see how the cards actually compare.

Annual Fee

In terms of the annual fee the Amex Delta SkyMiles Blue card is by far the cheapest card as it has no annual fee 
And then the Amex Delta SkyMiles Gold card comes in second with now annual fee for the first year of card ownership, then fee of $150 for each year thereafter.

1. Delta SkyMiles Blue Card
2. Delta SkyMiles Gold Card

Sign-up Bonus

When it comes to the value of the sign-up bonus, the Amex Delta SkyMiles Gold card comes out on top with a value of $840.
Then coming in second is the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card with a sign-up value of just $120.

1. Delta SkyMiles Gold Card
2. Delta SkyMiles Blue Card

Earning Miles

Now if you want to earn the most miles possible then the Amex Delta SkyMiles Gold card has the best miles earnings potential as it offers an additional category to earn elevated miles from.
Then in second place is the Delta SkyMiles Blue card, which only offers 3 options to earn miles from.

1. Delta SkyMiles Gold Card
2. Delta SkyMiles Blue Card

Benefits and Perks

Then last but not least is benefits and perks, and the Delta SkyMiles Gold card comes out on top, specifically because it does offer a lot more value than the Blue card, although it will cost an additional $150 each year from the second year of card ownership to have the card.

1. Delta SkyMiles Gold Card
2. Delta SkyMiles Blue Card

So when it comes to choosing the best travel credit card it really depends on what you are looking for in card and which benefits you will actually use.

If you want the ability to earn more miles from your everyday spending and have access to more benefits then the Gold card is the obvious choice.

Now this doesn’t mean that the Blue card is a bad choice.
it offers a pretty impressive range of categories to earn miles from which will eventually provide you with quite a lot of value if and when you use them for travel.

Another nice thing about the Blue card is that there is no annual fee, this makes it an easy choice if you are on the fence about stating off with a Delta SkyMiles Credit card. 

Now if I had to choice one of these cards, I would have to go with the Amex Delta SkyMiles Gold card, specifically as it has a much more valuable signup bonus at the moment that is worth around $840.

Along with this it has some pretty valuable benefits, such as your first checked bag free and the ability to earn a $200 Delta credit after you spend $10,000 on the card within a calendar year.

And if you would like to learn more about the more premium cards on off from Amex and Delta check out my review here.