Earn Delta SkyMiles Worth up to $720

Delta SkyMiles and American Express launch welcome offers worth up to 60,000 SkyMiles on 3 personal credit cards.

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Looking to bank some Delta SkyMiles to cover the cost of an upcoming trip? Delta and American Express cobranded credit cards just got new welcome offers, which could earn you thousands of SkyMiles. These travel credit cards come in three tiers, each with varying rewards rates, benefits and annual fees. 

If you are unsure of how credit cards or credit scores work, be sure to read up on our guide on how to choose a credit card for you

Quick List

In a hurry? Here's a brief overview of the cards on our list, along with quick links that let you jump down the page to read more information on each card we feature.

Why Delta SkyMiles?

Hitching your rewards wagon to just one airline can be a risk if the quality of service erodes over time. According to a report by airline analytics company Cirium, Delta was the most on-time North American airline in 2021 and 2022, demonstrating quality management over time. And you can redeem miles through many other domestic and international partner carriers. 

According to The Points Guy, Delta SkyMiles are worth 1.2 cents per mile

Delta Skymiles Gold

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Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

This Amex card from Delta Air Lines offers two SkyMiles per dollar spent on purchases with Delta, restaurants and U.S. shipping providers, and one mile per dollar on other purchases. Cardholders also get 15% off Delta flights when booking through Delta.com or the Fly Delta app using award miles. Terms apply.

The card has a solid welcome offer. Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles (worth about $480) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms apply.

  • Intro offer: Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first six months of Card Membership. 
  • Interest rate: 20.99% to 29.99% variable APR for purchases. See rates and fees.
  • Annual fee:  $99, $0 Introductory annual fee the first year. See rates and fees.
  • Top rewards rate:  Earn two miles per dollar on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. 
  • Other rewards: Card Members save 15% when booking Award Travel with miles on Delta flights when using delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • Free baggage check: Check and stow your bag with ease: First Checked Bag Free on Delta Flights + Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding.
  • Other perks: Get a discount of up to $50 on flights for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles through Delta; a $100 credit toward a Delta flight purchase each year that you spend $10,000 on the card; a 20% credit for Delta in-flight purchases of food, drinks and headsets; priority boarding; with Send & Split®, you can send money and split your Card purchases with any other Venmo or PayPal user, directly from the Amex App.
  • Redemption:  Miles can be used for travel on Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection carriers (Endeavor Air, Inc., Republic Airline, and SkyWest) and on 30+ partner airlines. Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
  • Airport lounge access:  The company recently announced that it would further restrict access to its Sky Club airport lounges. That decision proved so unpopular that the CEO recently announced that Delta would "recalibrate" its decision on Sky Club restrictions. Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex cardholders cannot currently access lounges. If lounge access is important to you, consider the Platinum or Reserve versions of the SkyMiles credit cards, or take a look at our roundup of the best Travel Rewards Credit Cards.
  • Terms apply
  • See rates and fees.

Delta SkyMiles Platinum

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Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

This mid-tier card will run you $250 a year in the annual fee, but the intro offer is a generous 50,000 miles (worth about $600). That's worth at least $500 when redeemed for travel. 

The rate of earning rewards is strong. You'll rack up three miles per dollar on Delta and related flights, two miles per dollar on restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, and one mile per dollar on all other qualified purchases. Terms apply.

  • Intro offer: Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first six months of Card Membership. 
  • Interest rate: 20.99% to 29.99% variable APR for purchases. See rates and fees.
  • Annual fee:  $250.
  • Rewards rates: Earn three miles per dollar on Delta purchases and purchases made with hotels. Earn two miles per dollar on restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn one mile per dollar on all other qualified purchases.
  • Other rewards: Card Members save 15% when booking Award Travel with miles on Delta flights when using delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • Free baggage check: Check and stow your bag with ease: First Checked Bag Free on Delta Flights + Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding.
  • Other perks: Get a discount of up to $50 on flights for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles through Delta; a $100 credit toward a Delta flight purchase each year that you spend $10,000 on the card; a 20% credit for Delta in-flight purchases of food, drinks and headsets; priority boarding; with Send & Split®, you can send money and split your Card purchases with any other Venmo or PayPal user, directly from the Amex App.
  • Airport lounge access: Delta recently announced restrictions to its Sky Club Airport lounges. Platinum cardholders get access to Delta Sky Club® at a rate of $50 per person per visit for you and up to two guests or immediate family when traveling on a Delta flight from now until 12/31/23. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and cardholders will need to work through the Medallion program.
  • Medallion program: If you want to improve your access to the lounges with this card, you can earn 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Delta Platinum Card, up to two times through 12/31/23. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and there will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the Card.
  • Redemption:  Miles can be used for travel on Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection carriers (Endeavor Air, Inc., Republic Airline, and SkyWest) and on 30+ partner airlines. Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
  • Terms apply
  • See rates and fees.

Delta SkyMiles Reserve

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Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express

This premium travel card is packed with perks. And you can earn 60,000 bonus miles (worth about $720) after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first six months of Card Membership. Although the annual fee is $550, cardholders get an annual roundtrip companion pass, which may defray the cost for frequent travelers. Terms apply.

  • Intro offer: Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first six months of Card Membership. 
  • Interest rate: 20.99% to 29.99% variable APR for purchases. See rates and fees.
  • Annual fee: $550.
  • Rewards rates:  Earn three miles per dollar on Delta purchases and one mile per dollar on all other qualified purchases.
  • Other rewards: Card Members save 15% when booking Award Travel with miles on Delta flights when using delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • Free baggage check: Check and stow your bag with ease: First Checked Bag Free on Delta Flights + Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding.
  • Other perks: Receive a domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+® or domestic Main Cabin round trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
  • Airport lounge access: Reserve cardholders have two ways to access airport lounges: through Delta's Sky Club and through American Express' Centurion® lounges. Reserve cardholders receive complimentary access to The Centurion Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card. Delta recently announced restrictions to its Sky Club Airport lounges. That decision proved so unpopular that the CEO recently announced that Delta would "recalibrate" its decision on Sky Club restrictions. Currently Reserve Card Members enjoy Delta Sky Club® access at no cost and bring up to two guests or immediate family at a rate of $50 per person per visit. Effective 2/1/25 according to the more restrictive announcement, Reserve Card Members will receive 10 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter. 
  • Medallion program: If you want to improve your access to the lounges with this card, you can earn 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card through 12/31/23, up to four times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn towards flights. Effective 1/1/24, this benefit will no longer be available, and there will be a new way to earn toward Medallion Status with the Card.
  • Redemption:  Miles can be used for travel on Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection carriers (Endeavor Air, Inc., Republic Airline, and SkyWest) and on 30+ partner airlines. 
  • Terms apply
  • See rates and fees.

All three of these cards are a solid option for travelers that fly frequently on Delta Airlines. And American Express cards offer attractive perks for international travelers, such as rental car insurance* and no foreign transaction fees.

Other options you might consider are travel cards from Chase and from Capital One that currently have intro offers worth over $700. Both cards partner with many airline frequent flyer programs, but not with Delta. So, if Delta is your primary airline, one of the SkyMiles American Express cards profiled here may be your best bet.

Delta's recent changes to their SkyMiles Program and restrictions on Delta airport lounge access have left many customers upset. The airline proposed calculating loyalty status based on the amount of money spent, rather than through the number of miles flown, and is also increasing the Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) thresholds to reach Medallion status. The changes are slightly different for each card, as we have detailed above. However, those proposed changes were so controversial that the CEO recently announced that Delta would "recalibrate" its decision on Sky Club restrictions.

Want more credit card options? Check out our other picks for travel rewards credit cards. You can use our tool below to help find the right credit card for you. 

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* Eligibility and Benefit level of American Express insurance varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations  Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.  Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company. 

Disclaimer

As an independent publication dedicated to helping you make the most of your money, the article above is our view of the best deals and is not the opinion of any entity mentioned such as a card issuer, hotel, airline etc. Similarly, the content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of those entities.

Ellen Kennedy
Personal Finance Editor, Kiplinger.com

Ellen writes and edits personal finance stories, especially on credit cards and related products. She also covers the nexus between sustainability and personal finance. She was a manager and sustainability analyst at Calvert Investments for 15 years, focusing on climate change and consumer staples. She served on the sustainability councils of several Fortune 500 companies and led corporate engagements. Before joining Calvert, Ellen was a program officer for Winrock International, managing loans to alternative energy projects in Latin America. She earned a master’s from the U.C. Berkeley in international relations and Latin America. 

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