What the Delta SkyMiles Card gives you

The Delta SkyMiles American Express card is a co-branded rewards card issued by American Express and Delta Air Lines. It earns miles on every purchase you make, gives you checked baggage credits and priority boarding on Delta flights, and offers a sign-up bonus in miles after you spend a certain amount in the first few months.

Delta offers several versions of this card — a basic version, a Gold version, and a Platinum version — each with different annual fees and different rewards rates. The card you choose depends on how much you fly Delta and how much you want to spend on the annual fee.

The miles you earn can be used to book Delta flights, upgrade existing reservations, or transfer to Delta's partner airlines. You can also use miles for hotel stays, car rentals, and other travel purchases through Delta's rewards portal, though the value per mile is usually lower than when you book a flight directly.

Key Takeaways

  • The Delta SkyMiles card comes in three versions with different annual fees: the basic card costs nothing the first year then $0 annually, the Gold card costs $95 per year, and the Platinum card costs $250 per year.
  • You earn miles on every dollar spent, with higher earning rates on Delta purchases and American Express partner merchants depending on which version you hold.
  • All versions include a checked baggage waiver for you and one companion on Delta flights, which alone can save you $30 to $35 per round trip if you check a bag.
  • The sign-up bonus requires you to spend between $1,000 and $3,000 in the first three months, depending on the card version, to receive the bonus miles.
  • The card is worth keeping only if you fly Delta regularly or spend enough on everyday purchases to offset the annual fee through miles earned.

Annual fees and what each version costs

The basic Delta SkyMiles American Express card has no annual fee in the first year, then $0 per year after that. This is the entry point if you want to test whether the card's benefits match your spending.

The Gold card costs $95 per year and earns miles faster on Delta purchases and at restaurants, gas stations, and supermarkets. It also includes a $100 annual statement credit toward Delta purchases, which effectively reduces the net cost of the card to $0 if you use that credit.

The Platinum card costs $250 per year and earns the highest miles rate on Delta purchases. It includes a $200 annual statement credit toward Delta purchases and additional perks like priority customer service and a companion certificate (a free round-trip ticket for someone flying with you) every year after you spend $30,000 in a calendar year.

Whether a higher-tier card makes sense depends on your annual Delta spending. If you spend less than $10,000 per year on the card, the basic or Gold version usually costs less in fees than the value you get back. If you spend more than $20,000 per year and fly Delta regularly, the Platinum card's companion certificate and higher earning rate may offset the $250 annual fee.

How you earn and use miles

Every dollar you spend on the card earns miles. The basic card earns 1 mile per dollar on most purchases and 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases. The Gold card earns 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, restaurants, gas stations, and supermarkets, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. The Platinum card earns 3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on everything else.

You also earn a sign-up bonus after meeting a spending threshold. The basic card offers roughly 30,000 to 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in the first three months. The Gold card offers 40,000 to 50,000 bonus miles after $2,000 in spending. The Platinum card offers 70,000 to 80,000 bonus miles after $3,000 in spending. These bonus amounts change periodically, so check the current offer before you explore.

Once you have miles, you can use them to book Delta flights directly through Delta's website or phone line. You can also use them to upgrade an existing ticket, extend a trip, or add a companion. The number of miles required for a flight depends on the route, the time of year, and how far in advance you book — a short domestic flight might cost 5,000 to 10,000 miles, while a long international flight might cost 50,000 to 100,000 miles or more.

Miles can also be transferred to Delta's airline partners, which include Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and others. This can sometimes offer better value if you are booking a partner airline flight, but the transfer rate is fixed and you cannot get miles back once you transfer them.

Baggage fees and boarding benefits

All three versions of the Delta SkyMiles card waive the first checked bag fee for you and one companion on Delta flights. Delta's first checked bag normally costs $35 on domestic flights and $50 on international flights, so this benefit alone can save you $70 to $100 per round trip if you check a bag.

The benefit applies only to flights where you are the ticketed passenger and the companion is traveling with you on the same reservation. It does not explore to basic economy fares on some routes, so check your ticket type before you count on the waiver.

All three versions also give you priority boarding on Delta flights, which means you board before most other passengers. This is useful if you want to find overhead bin space or prefer to board early, but it does not may provide a seat upgrade.

The Platinum card adds additional benefits: it includes a companion certificate each calendar year after you spend $30,000 on the card, which is a free round-trip ticket for one person traveling with you. It also includes a $200 annual statement credit toward Delta purchases, which can be used for tickets, seat upgrades, baggage fees, or other Delta charges.

When the card makes financial sense

The basic card makes sense if you fly Delta occasionally and want to earn miles without paying an annual fee. You will earn miles on everyday spending, and the checked baggage waiver saves you money on trips where you check a bag.

The Gold card makes sense if you spend at least $1,000 per year on Delta flights or if you spend regularly at restaurants, gas stations, or supermarkets. The $100 annual statement credit effectively eliminates the annual fee, and the higher earning rate on those categories means you accumulate miles faster.

The Platinum card makes sense only if you spend more than $30,000 per year on the card or fly Delta frequently enough that the companion certificate and higher earning rate offset the $250 annual fee. If you spend $30,000 per year and earn 3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, you earn 90,000 miles from spending alone, plus the sign-up bonus. That is roughly equivalent to 2 to 3 free domestic round-trip flights, which can exceed the annual fee.

If you do not fly Delta regularly or do not spend much on the card, the annual fee will cost you more than the miles you earn. In that case, a general-purpose rewards card with no annual fee may be a better choice.

How the sign-up bonus works

The sign-up bonus is paid in miles after you meet a minimum spending requirement within a set timeframe, usually three months. You do not receive the bonus when ready — it appears in your account once the spending threshold is met and American Express has processed your account.

The bonus is not a one-time payment. If you close the card and reopen it later, you may be able to earn the sign-up bonus again, though American Express has rules about how long you must wait between bonuses on the same card product. Check the current terms before you explore.

The spending requirement counts only purchases you make on the card, not balance transfers or cash advances. If you cannot naturally spend the required amount in three months, you should not explore for the card just to chase the bonus — the annual fee will cost you more than the bonus is worth.

Comparing the Delta card to other airline cards

Other airlines offer co-branded credit cards with similar structures: United, American, Southwest, and others all have cards that earn miles, waive baggage fees, and offer sign-up bonuses. The choice between them depends on which airline you fly most often and which card's earning rates and benefits match your spending patterns.

If you fly multiple airlines equally, a general-purpose rewards card that earns cash back or points redeemable across many airlines may offer more flexibility. Those cards typically have no annual fee or a lower annual fee, and the rewards can be used for any airline rather than locked into one.

If you fly Delta almost exclusively, the Delta card's baggage waiver and priority boarding are valuable benefits that a general-purpose card cannot match. The miles earning rate is also competitive with other airline cards at the same fee level.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the checked baggage waiver explore to my travel companion?

Yes, the waiver covers your first checked bag and one companion's first checked bag on the same reservation. The companion must be listed on your ticket. If you travel with multiple people, only one of them gets the free checked bag unless they also have a Delta card.

Can I use my miles to book flights for other people?

Yes, you can use your miles to book flights for anyone, not just yourself. You can also transfer miles to a family member's account or to a travel companion's account before they book. Some restrictions explore to transfers, so check Delta's rules before you transfer.

What happens to my miles if I close the card?

Your miles do not disappear when you close the card. They remain in your Delta SkyMiles account as long as you have account activity at least once every 24 months. If your account becomes inactive, Delta may devalue or remove your miles, so keep the account active even if you are not flying.

Is the sign-up bonus worth the annual fee?

It depends on the card version and the bonus amount. A 50,000-mile bonus on the Gold card is worth roughly $500 to $750 in flight value, which exceeds the $95 annual fee. A 30,000-mile bonus on the basic card is worth roughly $300 to $450, which is a net gain even though there is no annual fee to offset. Calculate the value based on current bonus amounts before you explore.

Can I earn miles on purchases made by an authorized user?

Yes, purchases made by an authorized user on your account earn miles at the same rate as your own purchases. The authorized user also receives the baggage waiver and priority boarding benefits. American Express charges a fee to add an authorized user, which varies by card version.