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Best Delta credit card: How to find the best Delta card for you.

September 30, 2024: Finding the best Delta credit card for you is a matter of matching Delta’s credit card offerings to your travel patterns and preferences.

If you only travel on Delta a few times a year, the best Delta credit card for you will not be the best card for the frequent flyer who is on Delta jets weekly. Likewise, if you always travel with a companion, you might find a card with a companion certificate attractive. If you’re a solo-traveler, a companion certificate is likely a benefit you’d rather not pay for.

This guide will help you find the best Delta credit card for your situation. And if you want to dig in deeper, we have our complete guide to Delta credit cards and our overview of the Delta credit card welcome offers.

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card card art Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card card art Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card card art Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card card art Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card card art Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card card art Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card card art

The best Delta credit card for you: Our recommendations

Here are our quick recommendations for the best Delta credit card for your use case. More on each of our recommendations is below.

In general, all other things equal, the small business cards offer better value, thanks to the larger credits for Delta Stays offered on those cards.

Delta Gold cards: The best Delta credit cards for most people

The best Delta credit card for most people: Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

If you don’t have Delta status and are a solo traveler who flies Delta a handful of times per year, get either the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card or Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card. Either card will get you Delta’s free first checked bag benefit and the TakeOff 15 award travel discount.

Here’s when one of the Delta Gold cards is the best Delta card for you:

  • You don’t have Delta Medallion frequent flyer status. Several of the card’s benefits become moot once you have earned frequent flyer status, since you can get priority boarding and a free first checked bag from your status.
  • You and your traveling companions regularly check bags. If you otherwise pay for checked bags, this card can provide huge value. Remember that your first free checked bag benefit gets extended to up to 8 companions on your same reservation.
  • You can book at least one stay through Delta Stays each year. While the card doesn’t offer great rewards on hotel stays, you can earn a Delta Stays Credit when you book a prepaid hotel or vacation rental through Delta Stays.

Between the two cards, we like the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card card better. The card offers the opportunity to earn a larger ($150 vs. $100) Delta Stays credit, making it the better choice for most.

Delta Platinum cards: The best Delta cards for people who travel with a companion and want a boost to status

The best Delta credit card for companions and frequent travelers: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

If you know that you’re going to take at least one trip per year on Delta with a companion, either the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card or Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card is likely be your best bet.

Here’s when one of the Delta Platinum cards is the best Delta card for you:

  • You know you’re going to take at least one flight on Delta with a companion. Using the companion certificate (awarded annually after your first cardmember anniversary) can provide huge value, but know that not Delta flights will be eligible. You are most likely to be able to use your certificate if you’re booking lower-cost advance-purchase fares within the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America.
  • You can book at least one stay through Delta Stays. While the card doesn’t offer great rewards on hotel stays, you can earn a Delta Stays Credit when you book a prepaid hotel or vacation rental through Delta Stays.
  • If you have Medallion status and the MQD Headstart can get you to the next level, this benefit can mean a better chance at upgrades and perks like Choice Benefits. We don’t recommend spending much on the card to earn Medallion Qualifying Dollars with the MQD Boost benefit—airline cards typically offer poor rewards for spending—Delta cards included.

Like the Gold cards, we think that the best value lies with the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card because you can earn a larger Delta Stays credit. ($200 annually, vs. $250 with the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card.)

Delta Reserve cards: The best Delta cards for Delta Sky Club access

The best Delta credit card for lounge access: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

Finally, the highest-priced Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card cards are the best Delta cards for you if you want to get access to the Delta Sky Club. Be aware that how you access lounge access is changing in 2025 and the cards won’t offer unlimited visits to the Delta Sky Club. See our guide to Delta cards for details on the lounge access benefit.

You’ll get the most value from the Delta Reserve cards if:

  • You value access to the Delta Sky Club and don’t otherwise have access to an airport lounge when you are flying Delta. Be aware that lounge access gets limited in 2025 unless you spend $75,000 in eligible purchases on your card. If you need unlimited lounge access, it might make more sense to buy it from Delta starting in 2025. Also other cards might be able to get you into Priority Pass or other airport lounges cheaper.
  • You will use the companion certificate. The card includes an annual companion certificate, good for First Class, Delta Comfort+® or Main Cabin round-trip flight within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America each year after renewal of your card. Like the Delta Platinum cards’ companion certificates, you’ll only be able to redeem for certain advance-purchase discount fares.
  • You can book at least one stay through Delta Stays. While the card doesn’t offer great rewards on hotel stays, you can earn a Delta Stays Credit when you book a prepaid hotel or vacation rental through Delta Stays.
  • If you have Medallion status and the MQD Headstart can get you to the next level, this benefit can mean a better chance at upgrades. But remember that if you already have Delta Diamond Medallion status, you won’t get much benefit—since Delta changed earning status to earning exclusively based on MQDs, there’s no longer any ability to roll over status.

Like all of the other cards, going for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card will get you a larger Delta Stays credit than the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card.

Finding the best Delta credit card: Questions to ask yourself

Ultimately finding the best Delta credit card for you is a question of identifying how you will get value out of the card and making sure that the value you get from the card is greater than the card’s annual fee.

If you want to dig into the details to find which Delta credit card is best for you, take a look at our complete Guide to the Delta Air Lines credit cards and ask yourself the following questions:

Do I plan to earn Delta Medallion Status?

If you have Delta status or plan to earn it then having one of the higher-tier cards can help you keep or earn your status. Both the personal and business variants of the Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve cards will get you 2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars through the cards’ MQD Headstart benefits.

Do I regularly pay for checked bags on Delta?

All of the Delta credit cards that carry an annual fee offer a first free checked bag. If you’re paying checked bag fees, getting a Delta credit card can save you real money. But if you never check bags or you don’t pay checked bag fees because of your Medallion® status, this benefit isn’t terribly useful.

Will I use the companion certificates?

The companion certificates that you’ll get each year after your cardmember anniversary can be a hugely valuable benefit of the Delta Platinum and Delta Reserve cards. Keep in mind that the certificates can only be used for certain types of fares. If you generally purchase lower-cost, advance-purchase fares, you’ll be fine… but don’t plan to use the certificates for last-minute, full-fare travel.

Do I want access to the Delta Sky Club?

If you fly Delta frequently, getting access to the Delta Sky Club can be a nice perk, one you’ll only get with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. Keep in mind that with either card you’ll get unlimited visits when flying Delta now, but your visits will be limited starting in February 2025. Starting 2/1/2015, you’ll get 15 visits per calendar year unless you spend $75,000 on your card in a calendar year.

What I do: The best Delta credit cards for me

I hold both the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card. For me, these two cards are the best Delta credit cards. Here’s how I think about value in my situation.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card card art Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card card art

Being based in Minneapolis, I fly Delta often. Delta offers the most schedule from my home airport and it works out best to fly Delta more than half of the time. I currently have Delta Platinum Medallion® status, but next year, I’ll likely drop down to Delta Gold Medallion®, which I have from my 1 Million Miler status with Delta.

I get $250-$300 of value from each of my companion certificates, every year. Using the companion certificates is easy for me since I take at least two trips each year with my family. We prioritize direct flights, which means flying on Delta for the destinations we fly to. Each of the Delta companion certificates means that I’m not spending $250-$300 cash on Delta tickets. That’s a clear win.

The Delta Stays credits are worth much less than face value, but I use them fully every year. When I book through Delta Stays, I’m giving up the opportunity to earn loads of points, plus I’m foregoing any elite status benefits that I have with the hotel chain. I’ll usually use Delta Stays for one stay each year to fully capture the value of the credits, and then I’ll shelve the card.

I value none of the other benefits of the cards. The cards don’t earn enough points for purchases to use them (other than when I’m capturing the statement credits).

  • I don’t put any spending on the cards. In almost every case, I can earn more valuable rewards with another one of my cards.
  • While I use the Resy credits every month, I don’t value them. Getting $10 back each month from Resy is nice, but I can earn more rewards with other cards and the hassle of splitting payment across my two cards to capture the value of these credits really negates the value.
  • The rideshare credit only gets used occasionally. If I regularly used Uber and Lyft, I might value this benefit, but I so seldomly use it that it holds no value for me.

Ultimately, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card provide a small amount of marginal value for me in excess of their annual fees. With the coming changes to Delta Sky Club access, I might drop The Platinum Card® from American Express in favor of upgrading one of my Delta cards to a Reserve card, but there’s a good chance I’ll drop both Delta cards if I’m looking to simplify my wallet.

Bottom line: The best Delta credit card for you is the one that matches your travel

Which Delta credit card is best for you will depend on your travel patterns, and whether you have frequent flyer status with Delta.

And, on balance, the business versions of the cards are better because they include larger Delta Stays credits.

Frequently asked questions

What about earning miles?

While the best Delta credit card when it comes to earning miles may be the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, thanks to its multiple bonus categories, we generally think that there are many better cards to use for spending. You’re likely to earn better, more valuable rewards on your spending with other cards.

Why do you not mention the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card?

We don’t mention the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card card in this article because we don’t really think that it’s the best Delta credit card for anyone. The card offers no real benefits and we think that, if you’re looking for a card with no annual fee, you’re better off looking at a 2% cash back card than the Delta Blue card.

How much are Delta SkyMiles worth?

When comparing to cash, we found that Delta SkyMiles are worth about 0.96 each, or 1.14 cents if you hold a Delta credit card with the TakeOff 15 benefit. Read more in our analysis of the value of Delta SkyMiles.

Rates and fees for Delta Air Lines credit cards
  • For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees; terms apply
  • For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees; terms apply
  • For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees; terms apply
  • For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees
  • For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees
  • For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees
  • For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees

About the author

  • Aaron Hurd

    Aaron Hurd is a credit card, travel rewards, and loyalty program expert. Over the past 15 years, he has authored over a thousand expert contributions published by leading outlets including WSJ, TIME, Newsweek, Forbes, NerdWallet, The Points Guy, Bankrate, CNET, and many others. He has also served in consulting roles for many of these same outlets, designing content strategy, hiring teams of teams of editors and contributors, developing thought-leadership pieces, and ghost-editing for senior editors. Aaron is well-known in the miles and points community and regularly presents about travel rewards at conferences like the Chicago Seminars and Minnebar. Aaron has enjoyed the game of optimizing credit card rewards since getting his first credit card shortly after he turned 18. He started learning about credit cards and travel rewards from the (now defunct) FatWallet Finance forums and FlyerTalk. He holds more than 40 open credit cards and has first-hand experience with almost every major credit card product.

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