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At a glance
- Best for: Delta Airline Lovers
- Annual Fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150
- APR: 19.99%-28.99% Variable
- Reward Rate: 1X - 2X
- Recommended Credit: 670-850
Delta Skymiles® Gold American Express Card
80,000 Bonus Miles
Offer Details:
Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Why we like it
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card isn’t a showstopper, but it’s an excellent example of an airline card that’s easy to keep in your wallet. Its annual fee is $0 for the first year and then $150 the years after, but if you and a partner fly one roundtrip a year with Delta, its free checked bag benefit already makes up for that fee. Throw in a solid 80,000-point intro bonus and simple rewards-earning categories, and it’s almost a no-brainer for anyone with even a little domestic US travel on the horizon.
Reward details
2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
Pros & Cons
Pros
The 80,000-mile intro bonus is earned by spending an extremely achievable $3,000 in six months—well within a realistic budget for many.
The free first-checked bag for everyone on the booking more than validates the $150 annual fee.
A simple 2X miles on dining at restaurants (including U.S. takeout and delivery), and U.S. supermarket transactions make earning points simple.
$200 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 annually is a nice reward that shouldn’t be too hard to meet
Card members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. The discount is not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
Cons
SkyMiles award redemption rates on Delta’s partners can be pricey
Its 2X miles on Delta purchases is lower than what its sister cards earn
Overview
There’s a solid list of options for the best credit card to earn airline miles, and right now, Delta is among them.
Six Delta credit cards received a major overhaul on February 1, 2024. You’ll find improved welcome bonuses, new statement credits, and (unfortunately) increased annual fees.
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is the only personal Delta credit card that allows you to reap the value of the positive changes without the negative ones. That’s because in the first year of card membership, there is a $0 introductory annual fee, and $150 thereafter (see rates and fees).
The card currently offers 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening. That’ll take you just about anywhere you want to go.
We’ll show you how the card’s benefits and its bonus can deliver you huge value in the first year and beyond, making it a no-brainer for many travelers.
Who is the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card best for:
Anyone who flies with Delta consistently can find immense value with this card!
The Bottom Line:
The Delta SkyMiles Gold Card delivers great value to Delta devotees. Plus, you don’t even have to pay an annual fee until year two. That gives you plenty of time to test the card out and see if it’s a good fit for your lifestyle with no financial investment.
Intro Bonus
Among the best credit card to earn airline miles options, the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card is a strong contender. It comes with 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening.
This card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 in the second year and beyond (see rates and fees). That means you can enjoy this bonus without any out-of-pocket cost to you. And remember that Delta miles do not expire—once they’re in your SkyMiles account, they’ll stay there, even if you no longer hold a Delta credit card.
On top of the bonus, you’ll be able to take advantage of the card’s many other money-saving benefits like a $200 Delta flight credit, free checked bags, and more.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The 80,000-mile intro bonus is earned by spending an extremely achievable $3,000 in six months—well within a realistic budget for many.
- The free first-checked bag for everyone on the booking more than validates the $150 annual fee.
- A simple 2X miles on dining at restaurants (including U.S. takeout and delivery), and U.S. supermarket transactions make earning points simple.
- $200 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 annually is a nice reward that shouldn't be too hard to meet
Cons
- SkyMiles award redemption rates on Delta's partners can be pricey
- Its 2X miles on Delta purchases is lower than what its sister cards earn
Benefits & Perks
This card’s annual fee is now $150 ($0 the first year), which is a hike from the card’s previous $99 annual fee, but you’ll likely find that its new benefits are worth the price tag. Here’s how much value using just a few of these perks could get you: Let’s assume you and a travel partner take two roundtrip flights on Delta a year. If you use the checked bag benefit on those two flights you’ll save $240, add in the $200 Delta flight credit and $100 Delta stays credit, and from just those three perks alone, you’d extract $540 in savings!
First checked bag free for you and up to eight passengers
Checked bags cost $35 each way, so this could save you a lot if you routinely check bags. Checking a bag for just you and one travel partner on a single roundtrip flight would cost $140, but the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card would wipe that fee away.
Priority boarding for you and those on your reservation
You can’t buy this; it’s only reserved for those who have bought a Delta Comfort+ seat or higher.
$200 Delta Flight Credit each calendar year
*In which you spend $10,000 on the card.*
Previously, the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card offered a $100 flight credit—so this perk is twice as valuable for those who manage to earn it. Spending $10,000 in a year may seem steep at first, but it works out to putting an average of $833 a month on the card.
15% discount when booking Delta award flights
This perk effectively makes your Delta miles 15% more valuable when booking a Delta-operated award flight. Plus you get 20% back on any inflight purchases!
$100 in Delta Stay Credit every year
You can use this to offset a prepaid hotel or vacation rental booked through Delta. Booking a hotel or vacation rental through Delta Stays is similar to booking through an online travel agency like Expedia or Priceline. You can choose from thousands of properties in the US and around the globe. Just book through Delta to get a $100 discount on a stay of your choosing.
No foreign transaction fees
You can swipe your card as much as you want when you’re abroad and won’t be charged for it (see rates and fees).
Earning rewards & redeeming points
Earning rewards
The Delta SkyMiles Gold Card isn’t the best credit card to earn airline miles for regular spending, but it’s not bad, either. You’ll get:
- 2X miles per dollar on Delta purchases
- 2X miles per dollar at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery)
- 2X miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets
- 1X mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Grocery and dining tend to be two of the biggest monthly expenses for most of us, so the ability to earn 2X miles per dollar on these purchases means you could easily earn enough rewards for a modest trip or two each year.
Or, because Delta miles don’t expire, you can amass them over a couple of years to redeem them for something more impressive.
Redeeming points
Though Delta miles can take you just about anywhere you want to go, you’ll get the best deals when redeeming for domestic US or Caribbean-bound flights.
Something to consider when searching for the best credit card to earn airline miles is how it can be used with your preferred airline.
Delta Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the US and around the globe, so you’ll have a plethora of options when redeeming miles for flights.
In terms of the best credit card to earn airline miles, Delta miles are worth about 1.2 to 1.4 cents on average, meaning it’s fairly easy to get about $1,040 worth of travel from the card’s 80,000-mile bonus, whether on flights operated by Delta itself or with it’s 20-plus partners, such as Air France, Virgin Atlantic, and Garuda Indonesia. This is the best way to get totally wild value for your miles—though it’s also possible to get a bad value if you’re not careful.
Here are a few great ways to use your new 80,000-mile bounty:
- Book one roundtrip flight from Los Angeles to New York on Delta ($400+ in value).
- Book a one-way flight from New York to Paris ($350+ in value).
You can also use Delta miles for all kinds of stuff, including non-airfare related things like culinary experiences, magazines, and champagne at a Delta Sky Club airport lounge. You’ll often get the best return, however, when redeeming for flights—which makes this a solid contender for the best credit card to earn airline miles.
A feature exclusive for Delta cardholders is called “Pay With Miles.” This allows you to exchange your miles for 1 cent each toward any Delta-operated flight. You must pay in increments of 5,000 miles. For example, when paying for a flight that costs $330, you’ll pay either 35,000 Delta miles or 30,000 Delta miles and $30.
Using Pay With Miles is an easy option that allows you to guarantee a value of around $650 from the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card’s current welcome bonus. Just note that you’ll find this option at checkout when booking a paid fare (not an award flight).
Is this card right for you?
The Delta SkyMiles Gold Card delivers great value to Delta devotees.
For Delta flyers looking for the best credit card to earn airline miles, the cards that compete most closely with the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card are other Delta personal credit cards:
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card ($350 annual fee, see rates and fees) Welcome bonus: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card ($650 annual fee, see rates and fees) Welcome bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening
Each of these cards offer several hundred dollars in additional statement credits, including Rideshare Credit (to be used with Uber, Lyft, and other partners), Resy Credit (to be used for restaurants that participate with Resy), and Stay Credit (for prepaid hotels and vacation rentals booked via Delta).
For avid Delta flyers, all three options should be at the top of your list in your search for the best credit card to earn airline miles.
- Best for: Delta Airline Lovers
- Annual Fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150
- APR: 19.99%-28.99% Variable
- Reward Rate: 1X - 2X
- Recommended Credit: 670-850
Delta Skymiles® Gold American Express Card
80,000 Bonus Miles
Offer Details:
Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Why we like it
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card isn’t a showstopper, but it’s an excellent example of an airline card that’s easy to keep in your wallet. Its annual fee is $0 for the first year and then $150 the years after, but if you and a partner fly one roundtrip a year with Delta, its free checked bag benefit already makes up for that fee. Throw in a solid 80,000-point intro bonus and simple rewards-earning categories, and it’s almost a no-brainer for anyone with even a little domestic US travel on the horizon.
Reward details
2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
Pros & Cons
Pros
The 80,000-mile intro bonus is earned by spending an extremely achievable $3,000 in six months—well within a realistic budget for many.
The free first-checked bag for everyone on the booking more than validates the $150 annual fee.
A simple 2X miles on dining at restaurants (including U.S. takeout and delivery), and U.S. supermarket transactions make earning points simple.
$200 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 annually is a nice reward that shouldn’t be too hard to meet
Card members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. The discount is not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
Cons
SkyMiles award redemption rates on Delta’s partners can be pricey
Its 2X miles on Delta purchases is lower than what its sister cards earn
by your friends at The Daily Navigator
