SkyMiles is Delta's frequent flyer program, and the credit card is how most people join it
SkyMiles is Delta Air Lines' rewards program. You earn miles when you fly Delta, buy tickets through Delta, or use a Delta credit card. The credit card itself is not the program — it is the entry point. Most people who hold a SkyMiles card are also SkyMiles members, but you can be a member without the card by flying Delta enough times.
The card comes in several versions: the basic Blue American Express, the Gold, the Platinum, and the Reserve. Each one charges a different annual fee and offers different perks. The basic Blue card has no annual fee. The others range from $95 to $550 per year, depending on the card and the year Delta updates the terms.
If you are considering a SkyMiles card, the real question is not whether the program is good — it is whether you will actually fly Delta enough to make the annual fee worth paying. A card with a $95 fee needs to deliver at least $95 in value each year, or you are paying to earn rewards you may never use.
Key Takeaways
- The SkyMiles card is a co-branded American Express issued by Delta, and holding it makes you a SkyMiles member automatically.
- You earn miles on every purchase with the card, not just on flights, but the earning rate and sign-up bonus vary by card tier.
- Annual fees range from $0 for the Blue card to $550 for the Reserve, and the higher-tier cards include perks like free checked bags and seat upgrades that may offset the fee if you fly Delta regularly.
- Your credit score will drop slightly when you open the card because of the hard inquiry and the new account, but it typically recovers within a few months if you pay on time.
- Miles expire if your account is inactive for 24 months, so you need to either fly Delta or use the card at least once every two years to keep them alive.
How the card works and what you earn
When you use a SkyMiles card for any purchase — groceries, gas, restaurants, online shopping — you earn miles. The earning rate depends on which card you hold. The Blue card earns 1 mile per dollar on most purchases and 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases and at restaurants. The Gold card earns 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases and restaurants, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. The Platinum and Reserve cards earn at higher rates on specific categories.
You also earn a sign-up bonus when you open the card. This bonus is usually a large number of miles — often 50,000 to 75,000 — if you spend a certain amount in the first three months. The bonus is the main reason people open these cards. A 50,000-mile bonus is worth roughly $500 to $750 in airfare value, depending on the routes you fly and how you book.
Miles can be redeemed for Delta flights, seat upgrades, checked baggage fees, or transferred to hotel and car rental partners. You can also use miles to cover part of a ticket and pay cash for the rest. The value of a mile varies — sometimes you get more value by redeeming for a premium cabin seat than for economy, and sometimes the opposite is true.
Annual fees and what you get for them
The Blue card has no annual fee, which makes it the lowest-risk option if you want to test whether you will actually use the program. You earn miles on every purchase, and you can keep the card open indefinitely without paying anything.
The Gold card costs $95 per year. It includes a $100 annual Delta credit that you can use toward flights, seat upgrades, or baggage fees — so the net cost is $0 if you use the credit. It also gives you a free checked bag on Delta flights and priority boarding.
The Platinum card costs $250 per year and includes a $250 annual Delta credit, making the net cost $0 again. It adds benefits like Medallion status (which gives you upgrades and priority boarding), free checked bags for you and a companion, and lounge access.
The Reserve card costs $550 per year and includes a $550 annual Delta credit. It is designed for people who fly Delta very frequently and want the highest tier of perks, including elite status and multiple lounge visits per year.
How the card affects your credit
Opening a SkyMiles card will lower your credit score by a small amount in the short term. This happens for two reasons: the hard inquiry (when Delta checks your credit to decide whether to approve you) and the new account itself, which lowers your average account age. Most people see a drop of 5 to 10 points.
The score usually recovers within three to six months if you pay your bill on time and keep your credit card balances low. The long-term effect is usually positive — the card adds to your available credit, which lowers your credit utilization ratio (the percentage of your total credit limit that you are using), and on-time payments build your payment history.
If you already have several recent credit inquiries or new accounts, opening another card will have a larger impact. If you are planning to explore for a mortgage or car loan in the next few months, it may be worth waiting to open the card until after that loan closes.
Miles expiration and keeping your account active
SkyMiles miles expire if your account has no activity for 24 consecutive months. Activity means flying Delta, using the credit card, or redeeming miles. If you open a SkyMiles card and then never use it, your miles will disappear after two years.
The easiest way to keep your account active is to use the card for at least one purchase every 24 months. You do not need to fly Delta or redeem miles — a single small purchase is enough to reset the clock. Many cardholders set a calendar reminder or use the card for a regular subscription to make sure they do not accidentally let the account go inactive.
If your miles do expire, you can sometimes reactivate your account by flying Delta or using the card again, but Delta does not may provide this. The safest approach is to treat the 24-month rule as a hard important date and use the card at least once a year.
Comparing SkyMiles to other airline cards
Delta is not the only airline that issues a credit card. United, American, Southwest, and other carriers all have their own cards. The choice between them depends on which airline you fly most often and which card's perks match your travel habits.
If you fly Delta frequently and want to stay within one airline's ecosystem, a SkyMiles card makes sense. If you split your flying between multiple airlines, you might be better off with a general travel rewards card (like a Chase Sapphire or American Express Platinum) that lets you earn points on any airline and then transfer them to your preferred carrier.
The annual fee is also a factor. If you do not fly enough to use the perks that come with a paid card, the no-fee Blue card is a better choice than paying $95 or more per year for benefits you will not use.
What happens if you close the card
If you close a SkyMiles card, your miles do not disappear — they stay in your SkyMiles account as long as the account remains active. You can still redeem them for flights or other rewards. However, you will lose any perks that came with the card, like free checked bags or lounge access.
Closing the card will also lower your credit score slightly because it reduces your total available credit and may raise your credit utilization ratio. The impact is usually small if you have other cards open, but it is worth considering before you close an account.
If you are paying an annual fee and no longer want to, you can call Delta and ask them to downgrade you to the no-fee Blue card instead of closing the account. This keeps your account open and your miles active while eliminating the fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to fly Delta to use the SkyMiles card?
No. You earn miles on every purchase you make with the card, whether or not you ever fly Delta. You can redeem those miles for Delta flights, seat upgrades, or other rewards. However, if you never fly Delta and never redeem your miles, the card is only worth it if the rewards you earn exceed the annual fee.
What is the difference between the Blue card and the Gold card?
The Blue card has no annual fee and earns 1 mile per dollar on most purchases. The Gold card costs $95 per year but includes a $100 Delta credit, free checked bags, and higher earning rates on Delta purchases and restaurants. If you fly Delta at least once a year, the Gold card's free checked bag alone usually covers the fee.
Can I transfer my SkyMiles to someone else?
You cannot transfer miles to another person's SkyMiles account, but you can use your miles to buy a ticket for someone else. Some hotel and car rental partners allow mile transfers, but Delta itself does not.
What happens to my miles if I close my SkyMiles account?
Your miles stay in your account as long as the account is active. If you close the account and do not use it for 24 months, the miles expire. If you want to keep your miles but do not want to pay an annual fee, downgrade to the no-fee Blue card instead of closing the account entirely.
How long does it take to earn enough miles for a free flight?
It depends on the flight and how much you spend. A domestic economy flight typically costs 25,000 to 50,000 miles. If you earn 2 miles per dollar on a $95 annual fee card and spend $5,000 per year, you earn 10,000 miles — so you would need five years to earn a free flight. A sign-up bonus of 50,000 miles gets you most of the way there in the first month.