From the *delta skymiles gold* to the top-tier *delta skymiles reserve*, Amex has a SkyMiles credit card for nearly every type of Delta flyer. And if you’re just adding one of these cards for the first time, you’re in luck. American Express just rolled out some of the biggest welcome offers we’ve ever seen on the full slate of SkyMiles credit cards!
With the new, limited-time welcome offers, you can now earn up to 100,000 SkyMiles depending on which version of the card you go with – or a bit more if you’re eligible for a small business card.
While many travelers are quick to write Delta SkyMiles off as worthless, we whole-heartedly disagree. A recent surge of SkyMiles flash sales and even discounted Delta One seats are proof that there’s plenty of value to be had when redeeming Sky Miles – you just have to know where to look.
But the real value in holding a Delta credit card goes well beyond the initial welcome offer. With benefits like free checked bags, a powerful annual companion certificate, and Sky Club access, these cards are worth a permanent spot in the wallets of many Delta loyalists.
Throwing in up to 100,000 SkyMiles or more is just a bonus. Plus, those miles will go further with the automatic 15% discount on award tickets you get with Delta’s TakeOff 15 benefit on each of these cards.
Just remember: Credit cards are serious business. No amount of SkyMiles is worth digging yourself into credit card debt. If you can’t afford to immediately pay off the amount you need to spend in the first few months to earn these bonuses, it’s simply not worth it.
Already got a Delta credit card in your wallet? You might be able to apply for a different Delta card and earn another bonus!
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
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- Check your first bag free on every Delta flight – savings of at least $70 on each roundtrip flight, per person
- Priority boarding (even with a basic economy ticket)
- Earn 2x SkyMiles per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and U.S. supermarkets
- Earn 2x SkyMiles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases
- Earn 1x SkyMiles per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
- Up to a $100 Delta Stays credit: Earn up to $100 in statement credits each year when you make a Delta Stays prepaid hotel or vacation rental booking on the Delta Stays platform.
- Earn a $200 Delta flight credit if you spend $10,000 on the card in a calendar year
- Get 15% off SkyMiles award tickets with TakeOff 15 when booking on delta.com or through the Fly Delta app
- Get 20% off in-flight purchases such as food & drinks in the form of a statement credit
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 introductory annual fee – then $150 each year after that (see rates & fees)
Learn more about the card_name
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
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- Check your first bag free on every Delta flight – savings of at least $70 on each roundtrip flight, per person
- Priority boarding (even with a basic economy ticket)
- Get a main cabin roundtrip companion certificate to destinations throughout the U.S. (including Hawaii, Alaska, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico) as well as many destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America each year upon card renewal
- MQD Headstart: Get a head start on earning Medallion status with an automatic 2,500 Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) each year
- Earn 1 MQD for every $20 you spend on your card
- TakeOff 15: Get a 15% discount on SkyMiles award tickets when booking on delta.com or through the Fly Delta app
- Earn 2x SkyMiles per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and U.S. supermarkets
- Earn 3x SkyMiles per dollar spent on eligible Delta purchases and at hotels
- Earn 1x SkyMiles per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
- Up to a $150 Delta Stays credit: Earn up to $150 in statement credits each year when you make a Delta Stays prepaid hotel or vacation rental booking on the Delta Stays platform.
- Up to a $120 Rideshare Credit: Get up to $120 in statement credits (doled out in $10 monthly installments) a year when you use your card to pay for a ride with Uber, Lyft, Curb, Revel, or Alto.
- Up to a $120 Resy Credit: Get up to $120 in statement credits each year (doled out in $10 chunks each month) when you use your card to pay for eligible purchases on Resy, Amex’s restaurant reservation platform. This is also a use-it-or-lose-it benefit: Any unused balance won’t roll over to the following month.
- Get up to a $120 credit to cover the cost for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck once every 4.5 years for the application fee for TSA PreCheck® and every 4 years for Global Entry
- Join the complimentary upgrade queue: Even if you don’t have Delta Medallion status, your Platinum Card makes you eligible for complimentary upgrades to Delta One (within the U.S.), first class, and Delta Comfort Plus on tickets purchased
- Hertz Five Star Status: Get complimentary Hertz Five Star elite status upon enrollment.
- Get 20% off in-flight purchases such as food & drinks in the form of a statement credit
- No foreign transaction fees
- $350 annual fee (see rates & fees)
Learn more about the card_name
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
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- Check your first bag free on every Delta flight – savings of at least $70 on each roundtrip flight, per person
- Priority boarding (even with a basic economy ticket)
- Get 15 Delta Sky Club visits each year when flying Delta. You can unlock unlimited Sky Club access by spending $75,000 or more on your card in a calendar year.
- You also get four free guest passes and can bring up to two guests in at a time. After that, each guest visit will cost an additional $50.
- Complimentary access to the American Express Centurion Lounges when you are flying Delta on a ticket purchased with your Reserve card
- Get an economy, Delta Comfort Plus, or first class companion certificate to destinations throughout the U.S. (including Hawaii, Alaska, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) as well as many destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America each year upon card renewal
- MQD Headstart: Get a head start on earning Medallion status with an automatic 2,500 Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) each year
- Earn 1 MQD for every $10 you spend on your card
- Earn 3x SkyMiles per dollar spent on Delta purchases
- Earn 1x SkyMiles per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
- Up to a $200 Delta Stays credit: Earn up to $200 in statement credits each year when you make a Delta Stays prepaid hotel or vacation rental booking on the Delta Stays platform.
- Up to a $120 Rideshare Credit: Get up to $120 in statement credits (doled out in $10 monthly installments) a year when you use your card to pay for a ride with Uber, Lyft, Curb, Revel, or Alto.
- Up to a $240 Resy Credit: Get up to $240 in statement credits each year (doled out in $20 chunks each month) when you use your card to pay for eligible purchases on Resy, Amex’s restaurant reservation platform. This is also a use-it-or-lose-it benefit: Any unused balance won’t roll over to the following month.
- Get up to a $120 credit to cover the cost for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck once every 4.5 years for the application fee for TSA PreCheck® and every 4 years for Global Entry
- Complimentary space-available upgrades, even for non-Medallion members. A great way to improve your upgrade chances.
- Get 15% off SkyMiles award tickets with TakeOff 15 when booking on delta.com or through the Fly Delta app
- Hertz President’s Circle Status: Receive complimentary top-tier Hertz President’s Circle elite status upon enrollment.
- Enjoy 20% off in-flight purchases such as food & drinks in the form of a statement credit
- No foreign transaction fees
- $650 annual fee (see rates & fees)
Learn more about the card_name
What About Delta Business Cards?
Got a small business? Even if you don’t know it, you might just be eligible. And you’re in luck: There are a few thousand more SkyMiles on the table with these offers.
Already got the personal version of one of these cards? You could still earn the bonus on one of these small business cards, too.
And don’t forget: These business cards also qualify for Delta’s TakeOff 15 benefit, giving you a 15% discount when redeeming SkyMiles for Delta-operated award flights.
Read more: Are You Eligible to Open a Small Business Credit Card? Everything You Need to Know
Should You Upgrade Your Existing Delta Credit Card?
If you already hold a Delta SkyMiles Gold or Platinum Card, does it make sense to upgrade your card to the next tier? The short answer is … almost always no.
Delta and American Express constantly push cardholders to upgrade. But upgrading your current Delta card is typically not a smart move, as it will make you ineligible to earn the welcome offers these cards have.
Instead, you can simply apply outright for a new account to earn the huge SkyMiles bonus offer. So long as you do it in the right order, American Express lets you earn a welcome bonus on all of the Delta cards once per lifetime. And as silly as it may seem, having multiple Delta cards can be advantageous as it means extra statement credits and depending on which versions of the card you have … an easier path to Delta Medallion elite status.
For example, you can apply for the *delta platinum* even if you’ve already got the *delta gold* in your wallet. If you take the upgrade offer, you’d make yourself ineligible for the big SkyMiles welcome offer bonus.
We have seen some compelling upgrade offers in the past, with a combination of some bonus miles with a statement credit to upgrade from the Gold to the Platinum card – or Platinum to Reserve. Still, it’s almost always a much better deal to apply for a new card outright.
Who Are These Offers Right For?
SkyMiles get a bad rap and may not be the best for booking fancy business class seats, but they’re far from worthless.
From domestic roundtrips for 9,000 SkyMiles to Europe and back for less than 30,000 SkyMiles, we’ve seen a steady stream of Delta SkyMiles flash sales over the last year or so. There’s even been a recent resurgence in cheaper Delta One business class award fares!
The bonus SkyMiles are nice, no question. And if you’re already in the market for a Delta credit card, now is a great time to apply.
But the real reason to get a Delta card has nothing to do with miles. If earning miles is your goal, there are far better options than opening (and repeatedly swiping) a co-branded Delta card.
That means these offers are really best for Delta fans and frequent flyers that can make the most of the additional travel benefits. Yet again: The SkyMiles are just a bonus – a reason to apply now versus wait until later.
Getting a free checked bag on every Delta flight – a savings of at least $70 on each roundtrip after Delta recently raised baggage fees – can go a long way to offset even the cards’ higher annual fees. The math works out even better if you’re flying with family or a travel companion, as free bags extend to up to eight other passengers booked on the same reservation.
With the Platinum and Reserve cards, you’ll also get an annual companion ticket. Exactly what you get with that companion ticket depends on which card you’ve got:
- The *delta skymiles platinum card*‘s companion certificate is good for one main cabin roundtrip fare to destinations throughout the U.S. (including Hawaii, Alaska, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) as well as many destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America
- The *delta skymiles reserve*‘s companion ticket can also be used for Comfort Plus and domestic first-class airfare to the same destinations.
With either companion ticket, you essentially get a once-a-year BOGO ticket for flights within the mainland U.S. after your first full year with the Platinum or the Reserve card.
With the Delta Reserve card, one of the top-selling points is that it gets you into Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta – but recent restrictions mean you’re limited to just 15 visits per year, unless you spend $75,000 (or more) on your card in a calendar year. You also get four one-time passes to the Sky Club so that you can also bring along a friend or family member when they’re traveling with you.
Delta Sky Clubs aren’t the only lounge you’ll have access to with the Reserve Card, though. You’ll also get complimentary access to American Express Centurion Lounges when you are flying Delta on a ticket purchased with your Reserve card and there’s no limit on the number of visits here. At these lounges, you can also bring up to two guests with you for a fee of $50 each.
Deciding whether the Gold, Platinum, or Reserve Card is right for you can be a tough call. Do the math on the benefits and decide which one makes the most sense for your wallet.
After that, earning a bigger SkyMiles bonus is just a sweetener.
Not sure if you are eligible to earn a bonus? See our post on the American Express Apply with Confidence Tool, which will give you the heads up if you’ll be approved for an American Express card with a welcome bonus before the bank actually pulls your credit score.
Bottom Line
If you often fly with Delta, having a SkyMiles credit card gets you a free checked bag and priority boarding on every Delta flight. Those perks alone put these credit cards on many loyal Delta flyers’ radars. Other great perks like Sky Club access, a yearly Delta Stays credit, and annual companion certificates make them even better.
If those perks fit your travel plans and priorities, getting a big bonus of up to 100,000 SkyMiles is all the sweeter. Just be sure to take advantage before these limited-time offers end on April 2!
