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3 Reasons I Always Keep a Delta Credit Card in My Wallet

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Ryan Smith
Edited by: Jessica Merritt
& Jestan Mendame
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I am not a loyal Delta Air Lines flyer. I’ve never had elite status with Delta and can’t see myself ever trying to earn it.

That said, I still keep a Delta American Express credit card in my wallet. I’ve done so for years as a frequent traveler, and I plan to keep doing so — even though I often switch between which card I have.

With quality perks and the ability to earn targeted upgrade offers, here are 3 reasons I always keep a Delta credit card in my wallet.

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Overview of Delta’s American Express Credit Cards

There’s a wide range of Delta co-branded credit cards offered by American Express — 7 in total.

Options range from the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card with its $0 annual fee (rates & fees) to the benefits-packed Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and its $650 annual fee (rates & fees).

Amex Delta Reserve vs Amex Delta Gold Upgraded Points
Just a couple of Amex cards in Delta’s portfolio. Image Credit: Upgraded Points LLC

Except for the Blue card level, Delta offers both a personal and a small business version of its Amex credit cards at the Gold, Platinum, and Reserve tiers. While all of these cards earn Delta SkyMiles, their perks, rewards rates, and ability to help you earn Delta Medallion elite status differ significantly.

At various points, I’ve had every single Delta credit card — both the consumer and small business versions. Here’s why I always keep one of them, which is just the same account being changed from one type of Delta Amex card to another.

1. Complimentary Checked Bags

Aside from the Delta Blue card, all Delta Amex credit cards offer at least 1 complimentary checked bag. With Delta’s checked baggage fees starting at $35 for most one-way domestic flights in the U.S., that’s $70 for just 1 checked bag on a round-trip flight. If you take 2 trips a year and check a bag, you’ll spend $140 on checked bag fees. Keep multiplying by $70 for each round-trip booking.

Conversely, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card can save you money with its reasonable annual fee structure: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (rates & fees). After your fifth flight (2 round-trips and then a one-way), you’re likely saving money by holding this card, rather than paying for a checked suitcase with Delta.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express CardTerms Apply / Rates & Fees
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U.P. Rating 
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This card provides bonus SkyMiles on all purchases, along with a free checked bag, priority boarding, and discounted award flights.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

This card provides bonus SkyMiles on all purchases, along with a free checked bag, priority boarding, and discounted award flights.
Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
50,000 miles
Up to $600
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
19.74%-28.74% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Good to Excellent
Why We Like This Card

Frequent Delta flyers will love the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card. The card offers great benefits that will help save you money, effectively mimics low-level elite status with Delta SkyMiles, and helps you earn miles even faster, all for a low annual fee. Let’s dive into the benefits to see if the Delta Gold card is a good fit for your needs.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • $100 Delta Stays Credit: You can earn up to $100 back annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com.
  • Receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel after you spend $10,000 in purchases in a year.
  • Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
Cons
  • Moderate annual fee
  • Earn rate for Delta flights is relatively low compared to other travel cards
Card Highlights
  • Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Enjoy a $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $150.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • $200 Delta Flight Credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel.
  • When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, you can earn: 2X miles on Delta Purchases, 2X miles at restaurants, 2X miles at U.S. supermarkets, 1X miles on all other eligible purchases. Every mile you earn brings you closer to the places you want to go. Turn them into your next trip, use them for seat upgrades, and more.
  • Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights and save up to $70 per person on a round-trip Delta flight.
  • Receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
  • $100 Delta Stays Credit: Get up to $100 back per year as a statement credit after using your Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.
  • Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
  • Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases after using your Card.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
  • With Send & Split®, you can send money and split your Card purchases with any other Venmo or PayPal user, directly from the Amex App. Enroll today.
  • Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
  • Terms Apply.
Financial Snapshot
  • APR: 19.74%-28.74% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center

Delta SkyMiles Frequent Flyer Program

The Delta Gold card has the lowest annual fee of any Delta Amex card with a free checked bag benefit. Holding this card can help you save money if you take enough trips and don’t want to pay a higher annual fee for more perks on a different credit card.

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2. TakeOff 15 Award Redemption Benefit

Once again, we’re discussing a benefit not offered by the Delta Blue card. This benefit, called TakeOff 15, offers a 15% discount when redeeming SkyMiles for a Delta flight.

If you have an eligible Delta Amex card and are logged in to your SkyMiles account, the discount is displayed clearly when you search for flights using miles. For example, a Delta flight from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Honolulu (HNL) drops from 24,000 miles per person to 20,400 SkyMiles one-way in economy.

Delta TakeOff 15 discount SLC HNL
The 15% discount in miles is clearly displayed if you’re logged in. Image Credit: Delta

There’s no limit to how many SkyMiles you can save with this perk year after year. Holding an eligible Delta credit card to save 15% of your miles can quickly offset your credit card’s annual fee if you’re using the TakeOff 15 benefit regularly.

This benefit doesn’t apply when you’re using SkyMiles to fly on Delta’s partners like Air France or Aeromexico.

3. Ability to Upgrade for Bonus Offers

One of my favorite perks Amex provides to current cardholders is the ability to earn bonus cash-back or miles by upgrading their cards to another product. These are targeted bonus offers, so not everyone will receive the same ones.

These upgrade offers apply to credit cards within the same family, so you won’t be able to upgrade a Hilton credit card to a premium Delta credit card.

For example, those with the Delta Gold card might see offers to upgrade to the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card or Delta Reserve card. These offers typically come with a bonus to entice you to change your current credit card for one with a higher annual fee, providing a fixed number of bonus miles if you complete a spending requirement within the next few months.

Targeted Delta Reserve Card Upgrade Offer
A targeted 35k bonus miles and $300 statement credit upgrade offer example. Please note that these offers are not available to all applicants. Any information related to targeted offers has been independently collected and not reviewed or provided by the card issuer. Image Credit: Amex

As such, keeping a Delta credit card in your wallet helps maintain your eligibility to receive these upgrade offers. If you close your current credit card, the only way to get another one is to apply, which comes with restrictions and might put a new inquiry on your credit report. Upgrade offers typically avoid this.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express CardTerms Apply / Rates & Fees
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U.P. Rating 
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Frequent Delta travelers will enjoy this card's bonus categories, benefits, and ability to reach higher levels of elite status.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Frequent Delta travelers will enjoy this card's bonus categories, benefits, and ability to reach higher levels of elite status.
Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
60,000 miles
Up to $720
$350
19.74%-28.74% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Good to Excellent
Why We Like This Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card can be a great option for those seeking additional ways to obtain a higher level of status — or to maintain their current status — with the airline.

A key feature of this card is the ability to earn bonus Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) that are essential for earning Delta status. This could help you get closer to earning a handful of valuable benefits with the airline.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 3x SkyMiles per $1 spent on Delta purchases
  • 3x SkyMiles per $1 spent on purchases made directly with hotels
  • 2x SkyMiles per $1 spent at restaurants (including takeout and delivery) and U.S. supermarkets
Cons
  • $350 annual fee (rates & fees)
  • Does not earn transferable rewards
Card Highlights
  • Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Receive a Companion Certificate on a Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
  • Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $20 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
  • Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
  • Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Resy Credit: Get up to $10 in statement credits each month after you pay with your enrolled Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases.
  • $120 Rideshare Credit: earn up to $10 in statement credits each month after using your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
  • Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights and save up to $70 per person on a round-trip Delta flight.
  • Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • $350 Annual Fee.
  • Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
  • Terms Apply.
Financial Snapshot
  • APR: 19.74%-28.74% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center

Delta Air Lines SkyMiles

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express CardTerms Apply / Rates & Fees
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U.P. Rating 
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Delta loyalists will love the fast track to Delta elite status, lounge access, baggage benefits, and upgrade priority with the Delta Reserve card.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Delta loyalists will love the fast track to Delta elite status, lounge access, baggage benefits, and upgrade priority with the Delta Reserve card.
Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
70,000 miles
Up to $840
$650
19.74%-28.74% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Good to Excellent
Why We Like This Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is a stellar option for frequent travelers who always fly with Delta thanks to its MQD Headstart towards status boost, lounge access, annual companion certificate, and many other great benefits.

Here is a full look at everything the Delta Reserve card can offer to you to help you decide whether the card deserves a place in your wallet.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 3x SkyMiles per $1 on Delta purchases.
  • 1x SkyMile per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
  • Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights.
Cons
  • $650 annual fee (rates & fees)
  • No bonus categories other than Delta purchases
Card Highlights
  • Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
  • Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
  • Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
  • Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
  • $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
  • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
  • $650 Annual Fee.
  • Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
  • Terms Apply.
Financial Snapshot
  • APR: 19.74%-28.74% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center

Delta SkyMiles Airline Loyalty Program

The same principle applies for Amex credit cards in other families, such as Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. By keeping a Delta credit card in my wallet, the door is open for future upgrade offers.

I’ve taken several of these over the past few years. Then, once I’ve had the premium card for a while and no longer think the annual fee is worth it, I can downgrade to the Delta Blue card or Delta Gold card again. I’ll wait for another upgrade offer to hopefully arrive in the future.

For my travel habits, holding the Delta Platinum card or Delta Reserve card long-term doesn’t make sense. However, holding it for a year because of an enticing upgrade offer can definitely change my mind temporarily.

Hot Tip:

Amex’s credit card application rules typically block you from getting the welcome bonus offer on a card if you’ve had that same card in the past. You shouldn’t take a modest upgrade offer to a card you’ve never had, as that could block you from getting that card’s welcome offer in the future. Upgrade offers are typically smaller than welcome offers for new applicants. However, upgrade offers to cards you’ve had previously don’t have this rule, and you can get these bonus offers more than once if you’re lucky.

Final Thoughts

I see 3 solid reasons for keeping a Delta credit card in my wallet year after year, even if I’m not chasing status with the airline and don’t consider myself particularly loyal to Delta. Thanks to benefits such as free checked bags, mileage discounts, and upgrade offers, it’s worth holding onto at least one of these cards. That’s likely the Delta Gold card for most people, as it’s the card with the lowest annual fee that offers the valuable benefits discussed here.

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About Ryan Smith

Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and is letting now revisiting some favorites. Over the years, he’s written about award travel and credit cards for publications like AwardWallet, The Points Guy, USA Today Blueprint, CNBC Select, Tripadvisor, Point.me, and Forbes Advisor.

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Platinum Card® from American Express

  • You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
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  • More Value! With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. * As of 07/2025.
  • More Value! $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
  • More Value! $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $25 in statement credits each month after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at participating partners. Enrollment required.
  • More Value! $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
  • New! $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: When you use the Platinum Card® to pay at U.S. Resy restaurants and to make other eligible purchases through Resy, you can get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter with the $400 Resy Credit benefit. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you, enrollment required.
  • More Value! $209 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with the Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
  • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account*. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
  • Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts® through American Express Travel®, enjoy noon check-in upon arrival, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
  • New! $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That’s up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
  • $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®.*Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
  • $100 Saks Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com on the Platinum Card®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December. No minimum purchase required. Enrollment required.
  • Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
  • $895 annual fee.
  • Terms Apply.
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