Many of the best Delta Air Lines credit cards have elevated limited-time offers that significantly increase their initial value. While Delta co-branded cards are ideal for frequent travelers, this may be an excellent opportunity to pick up a card if you’ve been on the fence.
If you haven’t been sure about apply for a Delta card in the past, now may be the time to jump into the Delta American Express ecosystem. Every personal and business card is now offering its highest-ever (or tied for its highest-ever) welcome bonus. The additional value you can get ranges from $420 to $480, almost double the normal value. You’ll want to act quickly, though, as top offers have ended early in the past.
Comparison with previous offers
American Express has significantly increased the welcome offers on the personal and business versions of its Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum and Reserve cards. However, these elevated offers all come with a higher minimum spending requirement, so you’ll want to consider whether you can manage the higher amount before applying.
According to Bankrate’s valuations, Delta SkyMiles are worth around 1.2 cents per point. Here’s a comparison between the cards’ previous offers and their elevated limited-time offers, as well as the increased value of the Delta SkyMiles earned from the new bonuses. Overall, personal card welcome offers have increased in value by $480, while business card offers are now worth an additional $420.
| Card | Previous offer | New offer | Increase in offer value | Annual fee | Bankrate Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card |
Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. *Highest-ever offer | +$480 | $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. | 4.4 |
|
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card |
Earn 55,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership (offer ends 10/23/24). *Highest-ever offer | +$420 | $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 | 4.3 |
|
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card |
Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. *Highest-ever initial offer; 2020 had 100,000 SkyMiles but required renewing the card to obtain fully | +$480 | $350 | 4.4 |
|
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card |
Earn 65,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership (offer ends 10/23/24). *Highest-ever offer | +$420 | $350 | 4.7 |
|
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card |
Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. *Highest-ever offer | +$480 | $650 | 4.2 |
|
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card |
Earn 75,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $10,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 110,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership (offer ends 10/23/24). *Highest-ever offer | +$420 | $650 | 4.6 |
Who should apply for Delta SkyMiles American Express cards
Delta SkyMiles American Express cards are ideally suited for regular Delta travelers, and different variations of these cards may suit your individual travel needs. Casual travelers will likely get the most value from the Gold card. Frequent travelers may prefer the Platinum cards, while those desiring airport lounge access and elite status might benefit most from the Reserve cards.
Welcome offers and bonus categories vary among the cards and between each card’s personal and business versions. Compare what each card offers to see which card offers the best value and justifies its annual fee.
Bankrate insight
These cards all earn Delta SkyMiles, which can’t be transferred to other rewards programs. If you don’t fly Delta frequently, consider other best travel credit cards or best business credit cards. Use our CardMatch™ tool to compare offers and find the best card for your needs.
How one Bankrate expert used her Delta American Express card
Delta American Express cards are popular with our staff. Bankrate senior editor Sarah Gage picked up the Delta Platinum card during the issuer’s most recent round of limited-time offers and has put the benefits to good use.
“I live near a Delta hub and prefer to fly Delta whenever possible,” she explains, “so picking up the Delta Amex Platinum during last year’s promotion made sense for me — and this year’s offer is even better. Taking 15 percent off of point-redemption flights saved me about $500 in cash value, based on Bankrate’s valuations, and I earned another 20,000 points in annual spending on the card. Between that and the card’s free checked bags and hotel credit, I easily recouped its annual fee.”
The bottom line
If you’ve been waiting for a better value proposition to pick up a Delta American Express card, the time is now. All these cards are at or above their historical highest-ever offers. And with American Express’ limited-time offers, it’s better to act sooner rather than later. Be sure to compare each card with your travel and spending needs to see which card best fits into your portfolio.
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