Last updated: July 2026. Welcome offers, fees, credits and MQD boosts change often — confirm the current terms on the issuer's page before you apply.
Delta's SkyMiles® American Express cards are the definition of a loyalty play: SkyMiles aren't the most valuable currency out there, but if Delta is your hometown airline, these cards deliver things money-can't-easily-buy — a companion certificate that covers a whole second ticket, Sky Club access, and a shortcut to Medallion status through spending. The trick is matching the right card to how much you actually fly.
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What SkyMiles are worth
We value Delta SkyMiles at 1.2¢ each. Delta scrapped its award chart years ago, so value comes from dynamic pricing — points prices track cash fares, which means the wins come from flash sales and low-fare days, not a fixed sweet spot. Amex Membership Rewards transfer 1:1 to Delta, so you can top up when a cheap award appears rather than parking miles.
The cents-per-point (CPP) formula, every time:
(cash price − taxes/fees) ÷ miles × 100 = ¢ per mile
A $400 domestic fare that prices at 35,000 miles + $5.60 is (400 − 5.60) ÷ 35,000 × 100 = 1.13¢ — below baseline, so pay cash. But a flash-sale Delta One seat can hit 5¢+; see our Delta One flash-sale walkthrough.
Read more about your points
These cards earn Delta SkyMiles. See how to get outsized value from them — how to time flash sales and low-fare days to grab Delta One at a fraction of the cash price: → Delta One for 50,000 SkyMiles
These are Delta-only miles — they don't transfer to other airlines. (Amex Membership Rewards do transfer into Delta 1:1, so a flexible Amex Gold or Amex Platinum can top up your SkyMiles when a cheap award appears.)
The three consumer cards at a glance
Fees and perks are refreshed periodically — treat every number here as a starting point and verify current terms.
| Gold | Platinum | Reserve | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | ~$150 | ~$350 | ~$650 |
| Welcome offer | varies (verify) | varies (verify) | varies (verify) |
| Companion certificate | — | Yes (Main, domestic/Caribbean) | Yes (First / Comfort+ / Main) |
| Sky Club access | — | — | Yes (limited visits) + Centurion when on Delta |
| Delta earning | 2x | 3x | 3x |
| Free first checked bag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MQD boost toward status | small head-start | larger | largest |
| Best for | Casual Delta flyer | The companion cert alone | Frequent Delta + lounge flyer |
Apply Now → see the current offer
SkyMiles Gold — the entry card (~$150)
- Free first checked bag for you and up to 8 on the reservation — quickly covers the fee.
- Priority boarding and 20% back on Delta inflight purchases (statement credit).
- Delta Stays / Delta credit path — an annual statement credit toward Delta or Delta Stays bookings (verify amount and mechanics).
- 2x on Delta, at U.S. supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide (verify caps).
- 15% off award flights via "TakeOff 15" (see below).
- No foreign transaction fees.
Good for someone who flies Delta a few times a year and just wants the free bag and priority boarding.
SkyMiles Platinum — the companion-certificate card (~$350)
The Platinum's headline is the annual companion certificate: buy one qualifying domestic or Caribbean Main Cabin round-trip and a companion flies for just the taxes/fees (~$5.60–$80). On a peak-season route that certificate can be worth $300–$500 on its own — often more than the fee.
- 3x on Delta and at hotels.
- First checked bag free, priority boarding, 20% back on inflight.
- MQD head-start + boost toward Medallion status (verify current amounts).
- Annual Delta / Delta Stays / rideshare credits (verify).
- 15% off award flights (TakeOff 15).
SkyMiles Reserve — the lounge + big-cert card (~$650)
- Delta Sky Club access on a limited number of visits per year (with an option to unlock unlimited via high annual spend — verify), plus Centurion Lounge access when flying Delta same-day.
- Companion certificate valid in First, Comfort+ or Main — potentially a four-figure value on a premium transcon.
- The largest MQD boost toward Medallion status, plus MQD head-start.
- Free first checked bag, Sky Priority boarding, annual Delta/Resy/rideshare credits (verify).
- 15% off award flights (TakeOff 15).
"TakeOff 15" worked example
All three cards knock 15% off the SkyMiles price of Delta-operated award flights. On a 40,000-mile award you pay 34,000 miles:
6,000 miles saved × 1.2¢ = ~$72 of value per redemption — and it stacks every time you book.
Companion certificate worked example
A peak summer Main Cabin round trip prices at $480; your companion flies the same itinerary for $5.60 in taxes. Effective value of the certificate: $480 − $5.60 = ~$474 — which by itself beats the Platinum's fee. Use it once a year and the card is a win even before miles.
Fine print worth knowing
- Companion certificates carry route, class and blackout restrictions and must be booked on Delta-operated flights; you still pay taxes/fees.
- Amex "once per lifetime" welcome-offer rule applies per card product — if you've had the card before, you may not be eligible for a new bonus.
- SkyMiles don't expire.
- MQD boosts help toward status but don't waive the underlying Medallion qualification entirely — verify the current thresholds.
Who should get which
- Fly Delta 1–3 times a year, check a bag: Gold.
- Want a free second ticket every year: Platinum — the companion cert usually out-earns the fee.
- Fly Delta often and want the lounge + a premium companion cert: Reserve.
- Want flexible points, not Delta-only miles: get an Amex Gold or Amex Platinum and transfer to Delta 1:1 only when a cheap award appears.
Bottom line
The Delta Amex cards are loyalty tools, not everyday earners. SkyMiles are worth ~1.2¢, so the value lives in the companion certificates, Sky Club access and status boosts — perks that reward flying Delta, not chasing points. Pick the card whose signature perk you'll actually use each year, and pair it with a transferable-points card so you can feed SkyMiles in only when the math works.
Apply Now → see the current offer
Related: How much are your points worth? · Delta One for 50,000 SkyMiles · Amex Gold guide · Amex transfer partners
