Two popular Delta Air Lines credit cards are the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card.
The Delta Gold offers valuable perks for occasional Delta flyers at a reasonable annual fee. With benefits like a free checked bag and priority boarding, this card can easily pay for itself if you fly Delta even a few times per year.
The Delta Blue is Delta’s starter credit card option for those new to the SkyMiles program. The card keeps things simple with basic earning rates and practical perks like inflight discounts, though frequent Delta flyers might want to consider more premium options.
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.
Overview: Delta Blue vs Delta Gold
- Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- 2X SkyMiles Per Dollar on Delta Air Lines
- 2x SkyMiles Per Dollar at Restaurants worldwide (including takeout & delivery in the U.S.)
- 20% Statement Credit on Delta In-Flight Purchases
- No Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates and Fees)
Welcome Bonus
Delta Blue Amex:
The Delta Blue Amex currently offers the following welcome bonus: Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
Delta Gold Amex:
The Delta Gold Amex currently offers the following welcome bonus: bonus_miles_full
This bonus alone can potentially cover the cost of a round-trip domestic flight or even a one-way international ticket, depending on how you redeem your SkyMiles.
Winner:
The Delta SkyMiles Gold always has a higher welcome offer than the Delta Blue.
Earning Rewards
Delta Blue Amex:
The Delta Blue Amex earns Delta SkyMiles at the following rates:
- 2 SkyMiles per dollar at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 2 SkyMiles per dollar on purchases made directly with Delta Air Lines.
- 1 SkyMile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Delta Gold Amex:
The Delta Gold Amex allows cardholders to earn:
- 2 SkyMiles per dollar on purchases made with Delta;
- 2 SkyMiles per dollar on dining at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.;
- 2 SkyMiles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets; and
- 1 SkyMile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Winner:
Delta Gold since it offers the extra category of 2 SkyMiles at U.S. supermarkets.
Card Benefits and Perks
Delta Blue Amex:
The Delta SkyMiles Blue offers the following benefits:
20% Back on In-Flight Purchases: When using your Delta American Express Card for eligible inflight purchases like food, beverages, and audio headsets on Delta-operated flights, you’ll receive a 20% savings as a statement credit. This discount applies to purchases made by primary cardholders and authorized users on domestic and international flights. However, it doesn’t cover inflight Wi-Fi.
Pay with SkyMiles: Delta SkyMiles credit cards unlock the ability to ability to “Pay with Miles” allowing cardmembers to pay for flights with SkyMiles at a rate of 1.0 cents per mile (in increments of 5,000 miles per $50).
Extended Warranty Protection: When you purchase items with your credit card, you’ll get an extra year of warranty coverage on eligible items that have original manufacturer warranties of up to five years. This valuable perk means you can protect expensive electronics and appliances that come with longer manufacturer warranties without paying extra for store protection plans*
90-Day Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered against damage and theft for 90 days when you use your card. This protection helps safeguard your eligible items right from the moment you buy them.*
Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.*
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Amex Offers: As an American Express cardholder, you can access Amex Offers. These targeted, limited-time promotions provide discounts or bonus points on purchases with select merchants. Offers are added to your card, and you’ll receive either a percentage or dollar amount back as a statement credit when you meet the offer terms. While offers vary and may not always align with your spending habits, this perk can be valuable when an offer matches your preferences.
ShopRunner Membership: As a cardholder, you’ll enjoy a complimentary ShopRunner membership, which provides free 2-day shipping and free returns at over 100 participating online retailers. This benefit can help frequent online shoppers save on shipping costs and streamline the return process.
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Delta Gold Amex:
The Delta Gold Amex offers the following benefits for cardholders to help enhance your travel experience and deliver valuable savings. Let’s explore the key perks in detail:
First Free Checked Bag: As a cardholder, your first checked bag is free on Delta flights, a benefit that extends to up to eight additional passengers traveling on the same reservation. Given Delta’s standard checked bag fee of $35 each way, this perk can lead to substantial savings over time. Remember that the waiver applies to bags weighing 50 lbs or less and within Delta’s standard size limits—any overweight or oversized bags will still incur applicable fees.
Priority Boarding: This Delta card grants you and up to eight travel companions on the same reservation the privilege of boarding in Zone 5 ahead of most Main Cabin passengers. This benefit ensures ample overhead bin space for your carry-on bags and provides time to settle in before the flight.
Annual Delta Stays Credit: Get up to $100 back per year as a statement credit after using your Delta Gold Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com/stays.
Delta Flight Credit: For big spenders, there’s an opportunity to earn a $200 Delta flight credit after spending at least $10,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year. This credit can effectively offset your annual fee and then some. The credit typically appears in your Delta account 2-4 weeks after reaching the spending threshold.
20% Back on In-Flight Purchases: When using your Delta American Express Card for eligible inflight purchases like food, beverages, and audio headsets on Delta-operated flights, you’ll receive a 20% savings as a statement credit. This discount applies to purchases made by primary cardholders and authorized users on domestic and international flights. However, it doesn’t cover inflight Wi-Fi.
15% Award Discount: One of the more unique perks of Delta credit cards is the TakeOff 15 benefit, which offers a 15% discount on award travel booked on Delta.com when signed into your account associated with your card. This discount applies to the SkyMiles required for an award ticket, not the dollar amount of government-imposed taxes and fees. While limited to Delta-operated flights (not partner airlines), this discount can help your miles go further, especially on more expensive routes or last-minute bookings.
Travel and Purchase Benefits
Amex Offers: As an American Express cardholder, you can access Amex Offers. These targeted, limited-time promotions provide discounts or bonus points on purchases with select merchants. Offers are added to your card, and you’ll receive either a percentage or dollar amount back as a statement credit when you meet the offer terms. While offers vary and may not always align with your spending habits, this perk can be valuable when an offer matches your preferences.
ShopRunner Membership: As a cardholder, you’ll enjoy a complimentary ShopRunner membership, which provides free 2-day shipping and free returns at over 100 participating online retailers. This benefit can help frequent online shoppers save on shipping costs and streamline the return process.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.*
Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card.
Extended Warranty Protection: When you purchase items with your credit card, you’ll get an extra year of warranty coverage on eligible items that have original manufacturer warranties of up to five years. This valuable perk means you can protect expensive electronics and appliances that come with longer manufacturer warranties without paying extra for store protection plans*
90-Day Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered against damage and theft for 90 days when you use your card. This protection helps safeguard your eligible items right from the moment you buy them.*
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Winner:
The Delta Gold easily wins this category with free checked bags and priority boarding for you and up to 8 travel companions, plus an award discount to save you more SkyMiles
Value of the Annual Fees
Delta SkyMiles Blue Amex:
The Delta SkyMiles Blue Card has a $0 annual fee has no annual fee, which makes it an appealing option for occasional Delta flyers. While the card doesn’t offer premium travel perks, you’ll get benefits like 20% savings on inflight purchases and access to Pay With Miles that help provide some value.
Delta Gold Amex:
The Delta SkyMiles Gold has $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (rates & fees). While this fee is comparable to other airline co-branded cards, it’s essential to evaluate whether the card’s benefits to justify the cost for your specific situation.
Fortunately, the card offers several perks that can help offset the annual fee, even for moderately frequent Delta flyers. The checked bag fee benefit alone can generate significant savings, especially if traveling with a family. Additional money-saving benefits like inflight purchase discounts, priority boarding, Delta flight credit, and more can further help you offset the annual fee.
Winner:
It depends. If you check bags, then the Delta Gold is the winner since you can easily offset the annual fee.
But if you always carry on your bag, you might not see as much value in the annual fee.
Redeeming Rewards
Both Cards:
Both of the Delta Gold and Delta Blue card earns Delta SkyMiles.
Delta SkyMiles offers a variety of ways to redeem your hard-earned miles for travel. One of the most straightforward options is booking Delta-operated flights, where award pricing is dynamic. This means flexibility in your travel dates can often lead to better value. Keep an eye out for SkyMiles deals, which can offer significant savings on specific routes.
For international travel, Delta’s extensive partner network opens up a world of possibilities. As a member of the SkyTeam alliance, Delta allows you to redeem miles on 18 partner airlines, including Air France, KLM, and Korean Air. Additionally, non-alliance partners like WestJet provide more options, especially for travel to Canada.
Partner awards often provide better value than Delta-operated flights, particularly for premium cabin travel. For example, business class flights from the U.S. to Mexico or within Asia can be excellent uses of SkyMiles. However, it’s important to note that partner award availability can be limited, so booking in advance is recommended.
Another option is using miles for upgrades on Delta and select partner flights. While this typically provides lower value than booking award flights outright, it can be a good choice if you have a surplus of miles.
Delta Vacations presents another redemption opportunity, often yielding at least 1.15 cents per mile in value. This can be particularly appealing for package deals including flights and luxury hotel stays.
Remember, award prices can change without notice, so it’s always wise to book when you find a good deal. With some strategic planning, Delta SkyMiles can be a valuable currency for your travel needs.
The Verdict
For most Delta flyers, the Delta Gold Amex is a better option than the Delta Blue Amex.
The Delta Gold can easily save you hundreds of dollars each year in bag fees and has a much higher welcome bonus.
The Delta Blue is only a good option if you only carry on your bag and want to avoid paying an annual fee.
Which card are you going to choose?
- Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- 2X SkyMiles Per Dollar on Delta Air Lines
- 2x SkyMiles Per Dollar at Restaurants worldwide (including takeout & delivery in the U.S.)
- 20% Statement Credit on Delta In-Flight Purchases
- No Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates and Fees)
