Delta and American Express just rolled out new limited-time welcome offers on their suite of SkyMiles credit cards of up to 85,000 SkyMiles – or even more if you're eligible for a small business card .
From the card_name to the top-tier card_name , these aren't the biggest Delta bonuses we've seen. And aside from a few recent deals , SkyMiles don't go nearly as far as they did just a year or so ago – Delta has eliminated many sweet spots to get value from their program, so piling up SkyMiles shouldn't be top priority for many travelers.
Still, it could make sense for loyal Delta flyers to add one of these cards to their wallet mainly to get some excellent ongoing benefits: a free checked bag on every Delta flight, an annual companion certificate , and Delta Sky Club access , to name a few. Throwing in 65,000 SkyMiles or more is just a bonus – and those miles will go further with the 15% discount on award tickets you get thanks to Delta's new TakeOff 15 benefit .
Across the board, these new offers will get you an additional 25,000 to 35,000 more SkyMiles than you'd earn with the standard offer.
If one of these cards makes sense for you, now's the time to apply: These limited-time offers end on Aug. 2.
Already got a Delta credit card in your wallet? You can apply for a different Delta card and still earn another bonus!
Just remember: Credit cards are serious business. No amount of SkyMiles is worth digging yourself into credit card debt. If you can't afford to immediately pay off the $2,000 to $6,000 you need to spend in the first few months to earn these bonuses, it's simply not worth it.
Read on for more details on each of the current Delta credit card offers and everything you need to know to take advantage.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
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Check your first bag free on every Delta flight – savings of at least $60 on each round-trip flight, per person.
Priority boarding ( even with a basic economy ticket)
Earn 2x SkyMiles per dollar spent at both restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets
Earn 2x SkyMiles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases and 1x mile for all other eligible purchases.
Earn a $100 Delta flight credit towards future travel if you spend $10,000 on the card in a calendar year.
Get 15% off SkyMiles award tickets with TakeOff 15 when booking on delta.com or through the Fly Delta app
Get 20% off in-flight purchases such as food & drinks in the form of a statement credit
No foreign transaction fees
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year (then $99 per year). See rates & fees .
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Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
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Check your first bag free on every Delta flight, savings of at least $60 on each round-trip flight, per person.
Priority boarding ( even with a basic economy ticket)
Get a domestic main cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon card renewal – one of this card's best benefits!
Earn 2x SkyMiles per dollar spent at both restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets.
Earn 3x SkyMiles per dollar spent on eligible Delta purchases, and at hotels.
Get up to a $100 credit to cover the cost for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck once every four years. You can use this benefit every four years for Global Entry and every 4 1/2 years with TSA PreCheck ®
Get 15% off SkyMiles award tickets with TakeOff 15 when booking on delta.com or through the Fly Delta app
Get 20% off in-flight purchases such as food & drinks in the form of a statement credit
Get into the Delta Sky Club when you're flying Delta by paying $50 (and bring up to two guests for $50 each)
No foreign transaction fees
$250 annual fee . See rates & fees .
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Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
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Check your first bag free on every Delta flight – savings of at least $60 on each round-trip flight, per person.
Priority boarding ( even with a basic economy ticket)
Complimentary Delta Sky Club access when you are flying Delta. You'll also get two, one-time guest passes each year to the Delta Sky Club.
Complimentary access to the American Express Centurion Lounges when you are flying Delta on a ticket purchased with your Reserve card. You can also bring up to two guests in with you for a fee of $50 each.
Get a domestic main cabin or first-class round-trip companion certificate each year upon card renewal.
Earn 3x SkyMiles per dollar spent on Delta purchases.
Get up to a $100 credit to cover the cost for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck once every four years. You receive this benefit every four years for Global Entry and every 4 1/2 years with TSA PreCheck ®
Complimentary space-available upgrades , even for non-Medallion members: A great way to improve your upgrade chances .
Get 15% off SkyMiles award tickets with TakeOff 15 when booking on delta.com or through the Fly Delta app
Enjoy 20% off in-flight purchases such as food & drinks in the form of a statement credit.
No foreign transaction fees
$550 annual fee . See rates & fees .
Learn more about the card_name
What About Delta Business Cards?
Got a small business? Even if you don't know it, you might just be eligible . And you're in luck: There are a few thousand more SkyMiles on the table with these latest offers.
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Already got the personal version of one of these cards? Don't worry: You could still earn the bonus on one of these small business cards, too.
And don't forget: These business cards also qualify for the new TakeOff 15 benefit, giving you a 15% discount when redeeming SkyMiles for Delta-operated award flights.
Read more: Are You Eligible to Open a Small Business Credit Card? Everything You Need to Know
Should You Upgrade Your Existing Delta Credit Card?
If you already hold a Delta SkyMiles Gold or Platinum Card, does it make sense to upgrade your card to the next tier? The short answer is … almost always no.
Delta and American Express constantly push cardholders to upgrade. But upgrading your current Delta card is typically not a smart move, as it will make you ineligible to earn the welcome offers these cards have.
With American Express, you can simply apply outright for a new account to earn the huge SkyMiles bonus and then close out an older account after you are approved. That's because American Express lets you earn a welcome bonus on all of their credit cards once per lifetime.
For example, you can apply for the card_name even if you've already got the card_name in your wallet. If you take the upgrade offer, you'd make yourself ineligible for the big SkyMiles welcome offer bonus.
We have seen some compelling upgrade offers in the past, with a combination of some bonus miles with a statement credit to upgrade from the Gold to the Platinum card – or Platinum to Reserve. Still, it's almost always a much better deal to apply for a new card outright.
Read more: Already Had a Delta SkyMiles Credit Card: Can You Still Get Another Bonus?
Who Are These Offers Right For?
Really, it's not about the SkyMiles. If earning miles is your goal, there are far better options than opening (and repeatedly swiping) a co-branded Delta card.
That means these offers are really best for Delta fans and frequent flyers that can make the most of the additional travel benefits.
Getting a free checked bag on every Delta flight – a savings of at least $60 on each roundtrip – can go a long way to offsetting the card's annual fee. The math works out even better if you're flying with family or a travel companion, as free bags extend to up to eight other passengers booked on the same reservation .
With the Platinum and Reserve cards, you'll also get an annual companion ticket. Exactly what you get with that companion ticket depends on which card you've got:
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card ‘s companion certificate is good for one main cabin roundtrip fare in the continental U.S.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card ‘s companion ticket can also be used for Comfort Plus and domestic first-class airfare.
With either companion ticket, you essentially get a once-a-year BOGO ticket for flights within the mainland U.S. after your first full year with the Platinum or the Reserve card. The value of the companion ticket on the Delta Platinum Card can be huge, easily offsetting the card’s $250 annual fee.
Read more: How to Maximize the Companion Ticket on Your Delta Platinum Card
With the Delta Reserve card, one of the top selling points is that it gets you into Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta. You'll also get two one-time passes to the Sky Club so that you can also bring along a friend or family member when they're traveling with you.
Delta Sky Clubs aren't the only lounge you'll have access to with the Reserve Card, though. You'll also get complimentary access to the American Express Centurion Lounges when you are flying Delta on a ticket purchased with your Reserve card. At these lounges, you can also bring up to two guests in with you for a fee of $50 each.
Deciding whether the Gold, Platinum, or Reserve Card is right for you can be a tough call. Do the math on the benefits and decide which one makes most sense for your wallet.
After that, earning a bigger bonus of SkyMiles is just a sweetener.
Photo courtesy of Delta
While all airlines raise award rates from time to time, Delta has gone further than any other airline, which means these SkyMiles don't go nearly as far as they once did. And the airline has taken an unmistakable turn with its loyalty program over the last several months.
Frequent Delta SkyMiles flash sales – with deeply discounted rates to fly to Europe and elsewhere – have largely disappeared. Once-or-twice yearly deals to book Delta One business class to Europe or Asia at reasonable rates have vanished as well. And now you're likely to find Delta basic economy fares no matter where you're traveling with SkyMiles as those pesky fares have spread to almost every route worldwide .
Not sure if you are eligible to earn a bonus? See our post on the American Express Apply with Confidence Tool , which will give you the heads up if you'll be approved for an American Express card with a welcome bonus before the bank actually pulls your credit score.
Bottom Line
If you often fly with Delta, having a SkyMiles credit card gets you a free checked bag and priority boarding on every Delta flight. Those perks alone put these credit cards on many loyal Delta flyers' radar. Other great perks like Sky Club access and companion certificates are even better.
SkyMiles don't go nearly as far as they once did, so opening a new credit card just for the sake of earning these miles may not be a wise move. But if you've got your eyes on a Delta card, these bigger bonuses could just sweeten the deal.
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