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 a pure loyalty play for people whose hometown airline is Delta: 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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Quick answer
- Best for: Delta flyers — Gold (~$150) for 1–3 trips a year (free bag, priority boarding); Platinum (~$350) for the annual Main Cabin companion certificate, which usually out-earns the fee; Reserve (~$650) for frequent flyers who want Sky Club visits, Centurion access when flying Delta, a First/Comfort+/Main companion cert and the largest MQD boost
- Annual fee: ~$150 (Gold) · ~$350 (Platinum) · ~$650 (Reserve)
- Welcome bonus: Gold up to 80,000 miles + $250 credit; Platinum up to 90,000 miles + $300 credit; Reserve two round-trip Comfort+ certificates + 50,000 miles — offers to 4 Nov 2026 (verify current offer)
- Key benefit: free first checked bag on all three, plus 15% off award flights (TakeOff 15)
- Earning: 2x on Delta, supermarkets and restaurants (Gold); 3x on Delta (Platinum and Reserve)
- Points worth: ~1.2¢ per SkyMile at our valuation — the value is in the perks, not the miles
- Skip them if: you want flexible points — get an Amex Gold or Amex Platinum and transfer to Delta 1:1 when a cheap award appears
Free tool: find the credit card that earns the most for how you spend, and track every statement credit at kritdeals.com/points-path, or in the free KritDeals app for iPhone and Android.
At a glance
Fees and perks are refreshed periodically — treat every number here as a starting point and verify current terms.
| Detail | Gold | Platinum | Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | ~$150 | ~$350 | ~$650 |
| Sign-up bonus | Up to 80,000 miles + $250 credit after $3,000 in 6 months (to 4 Nov 2026) | Up to 90,000 miles + $300 credit after $4,000 in 6 months (to 4 Nov 2026) | Two round-trip Comfort+ certificates + 50,000 miles after $10,000 in 6 months (to 4 Nov 2026) |
| Best for | Casual Delta flyer | The companion cert alone | Frequent Delta + lounge flyer |
| Points earned | SkyMiles — 2x on Delta | SkyMiles — 3x on Delta | SkyMiles — 3x on Delta |
| Points worth | ~1.2¢ (our valuation) | ~1.2¢ | ~1.2¢ |
| Companion certificate | — | Yes (Main, domestic/Caribbean) | Yes (First / Comfort+ / Main) |
| Sky Club access | — | — | Yes (limited visits) + Centurion when on Delta |
| Free first checked bag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MQD boost toward status | small head-start | larger | largest |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | — | — |
| Issuer | American Express | American Express | American Express |
What the points 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.
These are Delta-only miles — they don't transfer to other airlines. But Amex Membership Rewards transfer 1:1 to Delta, so a flexible Amex Gold or Amex Platinum can top up your SkyMiles 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.
Expiry: SkyMiles don't expire.
Earning rates
| Rate | Category |
|---|---|
| 3x | Delta and hotels — Platinum |
| 3x |  Delta — Reserve |
| 2x | Delta, U.S. supermarkets and restaurants worldwide — Gold (verify caps) |
These are loyalty tools, not everyday earners — at ~1.2¢ per mile, the bonus categories matter less than the companion certificates, lounge access and status boosts.
Benefits & credits
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).
- 15% off award flights via "TakeOff 15".
- 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)
- 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.
- 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).
Best uses
- Use the companion certificate every year. 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. - Stack "TakeOff 15" on every award. 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.
- Time flash sales and low-fare days to grab Delta One at a fraction of the cash price — read more: Delta One for 50,000 SkyMiles.
Who should get it
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.
Good alternative: Amex Gold or Amex Platinum — flexible points, not Delta-only miles; transfer to Delta 1:1 only when a cheap award appears.
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.
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.
Note: Sign-up bonuses and benefits change. Always confirm current terms on the issuer's site before applying.
FAQ
Which Delta Amex card has a companion certificate? The Platinum (Main Cabin, domestic/Caribbean) and the Reserve (First, Comfort+ or Main). The Gold has none. You still pay taxes and fees, and route, class and blackout restrictions apply.
Which card gets me into Delta Sky Clubs? Only the Reserve, 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.
What is TakeOff 15? All three cards knock 15% off the SkyMiles price of Delta-operated award flights — a 40,000-mile award costs 34,000 miles, about $72 of value at 1.2¢ each.
Do SkyMiles expire? No.
Can I get the welcome offer again? Amex's once-per-lifetime rule applies per card product — if you've had the card before, you may not be eligible for a new bonus.
