Delta is back with increased bonuses on all of the Delta SkyMiles credit cards that carry annual fees. The Gold- and Platinum-level cards all feature the same bonuses we’ve seen Delta and Amex launch a few times a year since the most recent card refresh, but this time around, the bonuses on the Reserve-level cards have been bumped up to 125,000 points.
The best Delta credit card welcome offers
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you make $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
Apply through our referral link to support this site. (Click on Personal Cards or Business Cards to see all Delta credit cards.)
This bonus is earned as Delta SkyMiles®.
Annual fee: $0
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 10/29/25.
Apply through our referral link to support this site. (Click on Personal Cards or Business Cards to see all Delta credit cards.)
This bonus is earned as Delta SkyMiles.
This offer is the best offer we can link to directly, but you might find a better offer when making a booking at Delta.com.
Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 10/29/25.
Apply through our referral link to support this site. (Click on Personal Cards or Business Cards to see all Delta credit cards.)
This bonus is earned as Delta SkyMiles®.
Annual fee: $350
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Earn 125,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 10/29/25.
Apply through our referral link to support this site. (Click on Personal Cards or Business Cards to see all Delta credit cards.)
This bonus is earned as Delta SkyMiles®.
Annual fee: $650
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer expires 10/29/25.
Apply through our referral link to support this site. (Click on Personal Cards or Business Cards to see all Delta credit cards.)
This bonus is earned as Delta SkyMiles®.
Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $8,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer expires 10/29/25.
Apply through our referral link to support this site. (Click on Personal Cards or Business Cards to see all Delta credit cards.)
This bonus is earned as Delta SkyMiles®.
Annual fee: $350
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
Earn 125,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $15,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer expires 10/29/25.
Apply through our referral link to support this site. (Click on Personal Cards or Business Cards to see all Delta credit cards.)
This bonus is earned as Delta SkyMiles®.
Annual fee: $650
My take: Personal Reserve is the most compelling bonus, but get Delta credit cards strategically
My first thought on the current crop of bonuses is that the bonus on the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is the most compelling. After all, it’s the largest bonus that I’ve personally seen on this card and the bonus doesn’t require you to spend an eye-popping $15,000 to earn it, like you do on the small business variant of the card.
However, if you are a Delta flyer collecting SkyMiles, you might want to think twice about apply for the Delta Reserve card directly if you’ve never had a Delta credit card before. On the personal side, the card bonus terms and conditions say that you are ineligible for a bonus if you’ve ever been a cardholder of the same card or one of the higher-tier cards before. This means that applying directly for the Delta Reserve card will prevent you from ever earning a bonus on either the Delta Gold or Delta Platinum cards.
Here’s what I’d do if I were starting out, considering the current bonus terms and conditions:
- Apply for the Delta personal gold card first, then the personal Delta Platinum, then the personal Delta Reserve. This way, you can earn a bonus on all three cards.
- If you haven’t yet had the personal Delta gold cards and want the main cabin companion certificate, apply for the small business Delta Platinum card.
- If you want Delta lounge access, but want to preserve your ability to earn a bonus on the personal Delta Platinum and Delta Gold cards, apply for the small business variant of the Delta Reserve card.
Remember, the small business cards only prevent you from earning a bonus if you’ve had the same card before, so on the small business side, going for a bonus on the Reserve card won’t prevent you from later earning a bonus for the Delta Gold or Delta Platinum small business cards.
