What the Delta SkyMiles card actually gives you

The Delta SkyMiles American Express card is a co-branded rewards card that earns points on purchases, with those points redeemable for Delta flights and other travel. You get an annual fee (which varies by card version), a certain number of bonus miles after you meet a spending threshold in the first few months, and extra miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases and certain other categories. The card does not waive your annual fee after the first year — you pay it every year you keep the card open.

Delta offers several versions of this card: the Blue American Express (the entry-level version with the lowest annual fee), the Gold American Express (mid-tier), and the Platinum American Express (premium tier with the highest annual fee and most benefits). Each version has different earning rates, different annual fees, and different perks like seat upgrades or checked baggage waivers. The version you can get depends on your credit score and credit history — American Express will not approve you for the Platinum if your credit profile does not support it.

Miles earned on this card never expire as long as your account stays open and you have account activity at least once every 24 months. If you close the card, your miles remain in your SkyMiles account, but you lose the card's benefits. If your account goes inactive for two years, Delta may close it and forfeit your miles.

Key Takeaways

  • The Delta SkyMiles card charges an annual fee every year, and that fee is not waived after the first year — you must decide whether the miles and perks justify the cost for your spending patterns.
  • You earn bonus miles after meeting a spending requirement in the first few months, but you must spend enough on the card to make the annual fee worthwhile.
  • Different versions of the card (Blue, Gold, Platinum) have different annual fees, earning rates, and perks, and your credit score determines which one you can get.
  • Miles do not expire as long as you use your account once every 24 months, but closing the card does not delete your miles — they stay in your SkyMiles account.

Annual fees and what you get for them

The Blue American Express card has the lowest annual fee, currently $0 for the first year and then a set amount each year after (the exact amount changes periodically, so check American Express's website for the current figure). The Gold card costs more annually, and the Platinum costs the most. None of these fees are waived after year one — you pay the full amount every year you hold the card.

To decide whether the card is worth the annual fee, you need to calculate whether the miles you earn and the perks you use will save you more money than the fee costs. For example, if the annual fee is $95 and you earn 50,000 bonus miles after meeting the spending requirement, you need to know what those 50,000 miles are worth to you in actual flights. Delta miles typically range from 1 to 2 cents per mile in value, depending on the flight and how you book, so 50,000 miles might be worth $500 to $1,000 in flight value — but only if you actually use them on a flight you would have bought anyway.

The higher-tier cards include perks like a free checked bag for you and when ready family, seat upgrade certificates, or priority boarding. If you fly Delta multiple times per year, these perks can offset part of the annual fee. If you fly once a year or less, the annual fee is harder to justify.

How earning miles works on this card

When you open the card, American Express offers a bonus: you earn a large number of miles if you spend a certain amount within a set timeframe (usually three to six months). This bonus is the main financial incentive to open the card, because the ongoing earning rate is modest. You must meet the spending requirement to get the bonus miles — spending less than the threshold means you get zero bonus miles.

After you meet the bonus, you earn miles on every purchase. The earning rate depends on which card version you have and what category the purchase falls into. For example, you might earn 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on everything else with the Blue card, but 3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on everything else with the Gold card. American Express publishes the exact earning rates for each card version on their website.

Miles earned on this card go directly into your Delta SkyMiles account. You can combine them with miles from Delta flights, Delta partner airlines, or other Delta SkyMiles credit cards you hold. You redeem them through Delta's website or by calling Delta directly.

Redeeming miles and what they are actually worth

Delta miles can be redeemed for flights on Delta, on Delta partner airlines (like Air France or Korean Air), or for other travel purchases like hotel stays or car rentals through Delta's travel partners. The number of miles required for a flight varies wildly depending on the route, the time of year, and how far in advance you book. A short domestic flight might cost 5,000 miles, while a peak-season international flight might cost 100,000 miles or more.

The real value of your miles depends on whether you can find a flight you actually want to take at a reasonable mile cost. If you fly the same route regularly, you can check what that route typically costs in miles and decide whether earning miles on the card makes sense. If you fly unpredictably or to many different destinations, it is harder to predict whether your miles will be worth the annual fee.

Delta also allows you to transfer miles to partner airlines, though the transfer rate is usually unfavorable — you might lose 20 to 30 percent of your miles in the transfer. Transferring should only be your last resort if you cannot find a Delta or partner flight you want.

How your credit score affects approval and interest rates

American Express requires a good to excellent credit score to approve you for any version of the Delta SkyMiles card. If your credit score is below 670 or so, you are unlikely to be approved. If your score is between 670 and 740, you might be approved for the Blue card but not the Gold or Platinum. If your score is 740 or higher, you have a better chance at any version, though American Express also looks at your credit history, income, and existing debt.

If you carry a balance on the card (meaning you do not pay the full statement balance each month), American Express will charge you interest. The interest rate varies based on your creditworthiness and current market rates, but it is typically in the range of 15 to 25 percent annually. Carrying a balance defeats the purpose of earning miles — you will pay far more in interest than the miles are worth.

The card is designed for people who pay off the full balance every month. If you cannot do that, the annual fee plus interest charges will cost you more than any miles benefit.

Comparing this card to other airline cards and cash-back cards

Other airlines offer similar co-branded credit cards — United, American, Southwest, and others all have their own versions. Each card has different annual fees, different earning rates, and different perks. If you fly multiple airlines, you might not want to pay annual fees on multiple cards. If you fly one airline almost exclusively, a co-branded card for that airline might make sense.

Cash-back credit cards (cards that give you a percentage of your spending back as cash rather than miles) often have lower or no annual fees and more predictable value. A 2 percent cash-back card with no annual fee might be a better deal than a Delta card with a $95 annual fee if you do not fly Delta frequently enough to use the perks.

The choice depends on your actual travel patterns. Track how many times you fly Delta per year, how much you spend on flights, and whether you use the perks like checked baggage waivers. If the math does not work out, a cash-back card or a different airline card might be the better choice.

What happens if you close the card or stop using it

If you close the Delta SkyMiles card, your miles do not disappear — they stay in your Delta SkyMiles account indefinitely (as long as your account remains active). You lose the card's benefits like checked baggage waivers and seat upgrades, but you keep the miles you earned. You can still redeem those miles for flights or transfer them to partner airlines.

If you keep the card open but do not use it for purchases, you still need to use your SkyMiles account at least once every 24 months to keep it active. This can mean booking a flight, transferring miles, or even just logging into the SkyMiles website. If your account goes inactive for 24 months, Delta may close it and forfeit your miles.

Some people keep the card open just to maintain their SkyMiles account and the miles they have earned, even if they do not use the card for new purchases. In that case, you are paying the annual fee to keep your miles safe. Whether that is worth it depends on how many miles you have and whether you plan to use them eventually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to spend a lot of money to make this card worth the annual fee?

It depends on the card version and your travel habits. The bonus miles you earn after meeting the spending requirement usually cover the annual fee in value, but only if you actually use those miles on a flight. After that, you need to earn enough miles on ongoing purchases to justify the fee. If you spend $10,000 per year on the card and earn 2 miles per dollar on some purchases, that is 20,000 miles — worth roughly $200 to $400 in flight value, which might justify a $95 annual fee. If you spend $2,000 per year, the math is much tighter.

Can I get the bonus miles more than once?

American Express typically allows you to earn the bonus once per card version per lifetime, though the exact rules change. If you close the card and reopen it years later, you might be able to earn the bonus again, but American Express may deny the bonus if you have opened and closed the same card too recently. Check American Express's current rules before closing and reopening.

What if I have a balance I cannot pay off right away?

Do not open this card if you cannot pay the full statement balance every month. The interest charges will quickly exceed any miles value. If you already have the card and carried a balance, focus on paying it off as fast as possible before the interest costs outweigh the benefits.

Are Delta miles better than cash back?

Miles are worth roughly 1 to 2 cents each, so 50,000 miles are worth $500 to $1,000 in flight value. A 2 percent cash-back card on the same $25,000 spending would give you $500 in cash. The difference is that miles are only valuable if you use them on flights you would have bought anyway — if you cannot find a flight you want at a reasonable mile cost, the miles are worthless. Cash back is always worth its face value.

What if I do not fly Delta often?

If you fly Delta fewer than two or three times per year, the annual fee is hard to justify. The perks like checked baggage waivers and seat upgrades only help if you actually fly. A cash-back card or a card with no annual fee is probably a better choice for occasional flyers.