Best Delta Credit Cards of June 2023

Our experts answer readers’ credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here’s how we assess credit cards). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

If you fly Delta Air Lines often, having a Delta credit card can help you earn enough miles for your next award flight and enjoy other perks with the airline, such as a free checked bag and priority boarding. Luckily, you have no shortage of options to consider.

Best Delta Credit Cards

Read on to learn more about the various Delta cards for consumers, and see which one is best for you. If you’re not locked into a particular airline, make sure to check out our guides to the best airline credit cards and best travel rewards credit cards.

Compare Delta Credit Cards

Delta Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions 

Best for Occasional Delta Flyers

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is the best option for someone who flies Delta a couple of times a year but doesn’t travel regularly enough to use the heftier cards’ perks (more on that later). Right now, it’s offering an intro bonus of 65,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months of card membership. That’s worth $715 in travel, per Insider’s valuations.

One of the biggest perks: The card offers a free first checked bag on Delta flights for the cardholder and up to eight companions on the same reservation. Delta charges $30 each way for the first checked bag, so this can save up to $60 per person on a round-trip itinerary.

Cardholders and travel companions also get Main Cabin Zone 1 priority boarding. This means you can board the plane sooner, giving you plenty of time to settle into your seat or find overhead space for any carry-on luggage. Zone 1 is after most Delta elite frequent flyers and premium-cabin passengers, but is usually within the first half of passengers to board.

Other perks include 15% off Delta award flights, a 20% discount on inflight purchases (in the form of a statement credit), such as food or drinks, a $100 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 on the card in a calendar year, and no foreign transaction fees.

Gold Delta SkyMiles Amex Card Review

Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card

If you’re a small-business owner, you might want to consider the business version of this card — the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card — which also has an annual fee of $99 (with a $0 intro for the first year).

The main difference is that the business version offers 2x miles on eligible U.S. purchases for advertising in select media and on eligible U.S. shipping purchases rather than on purchases at U.S. supermarkets. Both versions offer 2x miles on Delta purchases and restaurant purchases.

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is currently offering an intro bonus of 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three months of card membership (offer ends 8/2/23). You should have no trouble getting an average of $770 from this bonus, per Insider’s valuations.

American Express Delta Gold Business Card Review

Best for Frequent Delta Flyers

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

If you fly Delta somewhat regularly, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card  is a better option, thanks to an often-overlooked benefit that can completely cover the annual fee each year. This card offers an intro bonus of 85,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months of card membership. That’s worth an average of $935 in Delta flights, according to Insider’s valuations.

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card has most of the same perks as the Gold version, like priority boarding and free checked bags on Delta flights. The card also offers a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit of up to $100, and it gets cardholders access to Sky Club lounges at a discounted rate of $50.

However, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card comes with another huge perk. After your first year with the card, you’ll get an annual domestic companion certificate each year at your cardmember anniversary. A Delta companion certificate is essentially a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. When you book an economy-class flight for yourself anywhere within the continental US, you can get a second ticket for free, other than minimal taxes and fees.

The companion pass can easily cancel out the card’s $250 annual fee. Plus, each year that you spend $25,000 or more on the card, you earn a bonus of 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) — up to two times — and have the Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) requirement for most elite status levels waived. 

When you have Medallion status, you can enjoy things like free upgrades to first class or extra-legroom seats whenever you fly, subject to availability.

Platinum Delta Amex Card Review

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card

If you’re a frequent Delta flyer and you want a small-business credit card, check out the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, which also has a $250 annual fee. One unique benefit of this card is the ability to earn 1.5 miles per dollar on single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 50,000 additional miles per calendar year).

Right now, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card welcome bonus offer is 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three months of card membership (offer ends 8/2/23). That’s worth $990 in travel, according to Insider’s valuations.

Delta American Express Platinum Business Card Review

Best for Airport Lounge Access

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has a higher $550 annual fee, but it has a few additional perks that can make it worthwhile for some frequent flyers. Right now, it’s offering an intro bonus of 85,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months of card membership. That’s worth an average of $935 in travel, per Insider’s valuations.

Like the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, it offers an annual domestic companion certificate. However, the Delta Reserve’s pass can be used for first-class tickets, not just economy.

Additionally, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers access to Delta Sky Club airport lounges whenever the cardholder is flying with Delta. Plus, Reserve cardholders can now access Amex Centurion Lounges when they’re flying Delta and pay for their ticket with a US-issued American Express card. Centurion Lounges are known for high-end complimentary food and drinks, so this is a great added value.

Other recently added benefits include two Delta Sky Club one-time guest passes, up to $100 for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and access to complimentary upgrades for non-elite Delta members. 

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has one other major perk, which can be crucial for travelers who hold Delta Medallion elite status. Delta Medallion members are eligible for complimentary, space-available upgrades to first class and Delta One on flights within the US and the region, including Mexico and Central America, and extra-legroom seats on international flights.

Upgrades clear in a hierarchical order based on several factors, including each passenger’s status level, the original fare class they booked, and a few other factors. The first tiebreaker for people with the same Medallion level and fare class is whether they hold the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. Reserve cardholders will be prioritized over those without it. If there’s only one seat left and two members are still tied and both have the Reserve, it continues down the list of tiebreakers.

For travelers who fly a lot and frequently find themselves one or two upgrade-list spots away from getting that first-class seat, holding the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card can be extremely valuable. 

Delta Reserve Review

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

There’s also the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, which offers similar benefits for small-business users, but there’s a difference in earning rates. With the business version, after you spend $150,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year, you can earn 1.5 miles per dollar on eligible purchases for the rest of the calendar year.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card offers an intro bonus of 100,000 bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three months of card membership (offer ends 8/2/23). This is worth $1,100 in travel, on average (per Insider’s valuations).

Amex Business Delta Reserve Card Review

Best With No Annual Fee

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card

If you want to earn Delta miles on your everyday spending without paying an annual fee, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card could be worth a look, with a bonus of 10,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in purchases on your new card in the first 6 months from account opening.

It offers relatively limited benefits, but it waives foreign transaction fees, and you’ll get 20% off eligible inflight purchases on Delta when you pay with the card.

If you already have an American Express card that earns Amex Membership Rewards points, like The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, remember that you can transfer your points to Delta at a 1:1 ratio, so you may not need a Delta co-branded card if you don’t want the additional perks offered by the options with annual fees.

Delta SkyMiles Blue Amex Card Review