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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.
In this article…
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.
- If you travel on Delta without frequent flyer status and want a free first checked bag, either the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card or the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is the best Delta credit card for you. Either will give you the checked bag benefit you’re most likely to use without paying for benefits you won’t.
- Travelers who frequently travel with companions and can make use of a companion certificate will get the most value from the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, which both award a Main Cabin companion certificate each year after your first cardmember anniversary.
- Finally, if it’s Delta Sky Club access you’re after, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card are the best Delta credit cards to get you into the airport lounges.
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
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
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
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.
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.
- If you just want to get free checked bags on a few trips a year, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card or Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is likely your best bet.
- Travelers who can make use of the companion certificates or who want the 2,500 MQDs from the Status Headstart benefit will find the most value in the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card.
- Finally, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card are the only cards that offer complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club. Just be aware that the cards’ lounge access benefit is changing in 2025.
And, on balance, the business versions of the cards are better because they include larger Delta Stays credits.
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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
Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
