Delta Air Lines and American Express have just launched new welcome bonuses on their range of cobranded credit cards.
Keep in mind that Delta has just announced major (negative) changes to its SkyMiles loyalty program. So make sure to read our guides to how they are changing elite status requirements and lounge access benefits before deciding to apply for one of their credit cards.
Let’s dive into each offer and see which might be a good fit for you.
Delta credit cards welcome offers overview
Here’s an overview of the offers at first glance:
| Card | Welcome bonus | Annual fee | Bonus value* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card | Earn 40,000 bonus miles after $2,000 in spending in the first six months of card membership | $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 (see rates and fees) | $480 |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card | Earn 50,000 bonus miles after $3,000 in spending in the first six months of card membership | $250 (see rates and fees) | $600 |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card | Earn 60,000 bonus miles after $5,000 in spending in the first six months of card membership | $550 (see rates and fees) | $720 |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card | Earn 75,000 bonus miles after $6,000 in spending in the first six months of card membership. Plus, earn an additional 5,000 miles after you make an eligible Delta purchase with your new card within your first six months. Offer ends Oct. 25 | $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 (see rates and fees) | $960 |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card | Earn 90,000 bonus miles after $8,000 in spending in the first six months of card membership. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles after you make an eligible Delta purchase with your new card within your first six months. Offer ends Oct. 25 | $250 (see rates and fees) | $1,200 |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card | Earn 100,000 bonus miles after $12,000 in spending in the first six months of card membership. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles after you make an eligible Delta purchase with your new card within your first six months. Offer ends Oct. 25 | $550 (see rates and fees) | $1,320 |
* Bonus value is based on TPG valuations and is not provided or reviewed by the issuer.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 40,000 bonus miles after $2,000 in spending in the first six months of card membership.
Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99
Earning rate: Earn 2 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
Is this offer worth it?
While valuable, this isn’t the best offer we’ve seen for this card. Still, this bonus is easy to earn, with only $2,000 in required spending over six months to trigger the bonus miles. That alone makes the card compelling, especially since the annual fee is $0 in the first year.
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The Delta Gold Amex is a solid card for travelers who occasionally fly with Delta. Eligible cardholders will get 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights (when paying taxes and fees with this card), a first checked bag free, priority boarding, 20% off inflight purchases and a $100 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 in a calendar year.
Related: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card review
Official application link: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after $3,000 in spending in the first six months of card membership.
Annual fee: $250
Earning rate: Earn 3 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases and at hotels (when booking directly), 2 miles per dollar at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
Is this offer worth it?
This is an average welcome bonus on the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex. Even though it’s below the best we’ve seen on this card, it’s still a valuable offer worth considering.
The card itself is also pretty impressive. Eligible cardholders will get 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights (when paying taxes and fees with this card), an annual companion certificate each renewal for main cabin, round-trip travel, statement credits for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fees (up to $100 every four years for Global Entry and up to $85 every 4½ years for TSA PreCheck) and elitelike perks — including a first checked bag free, priority boarding and 20% off eligible inflight purchases.
Overall, this is a great card option if you fly Delta semiregularly and are looking for a way to earn miles on purchases and reach elite status. However, even if you aren’t going for status, the companion voucher by itself can go a long way in making the annual fee worth it for this card.
Related: Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card review
Official application link: Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after $5,000 in spending in the first six months of card membership.
Annual fee: $550
Earning rate: Earn 3 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
Is this offer worth it?
The Delta SkyMiles Reserve is the top-tier Delta Amex card available and thus comes with a high annual fee. This is far from the highest offer we’ve seen for this card.
And with this card, you’ll get a slew of benefits, including:
- 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights for eligible cardholders (when paying taxes and fees with this card)
- Annual companion certificate each year upon card renewal for round-trip travel in first class, Comfort+, Premium Select or main cabin
- Until Jan. 31, 2025, unlimited Delta Sky Club access when you fly Delta, plus two one-time guest passes each year. Effective Feb. 1, 2025, you’ll receive 10 visits per year; to earn an unlimited number of visits, you must spend $75,000 or more between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, and each calendar year after
- Complimentary access to American Express Centurion Lounges when flying Delta with a ticket purchased on the card (up to two guests may also enter for a fee of $50 each)
- A Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit (up to $100 every four years for Global Entry, up to $85 every 4½ years for TSA PreCheck)
- Access to complimentary upgrades (for non-Medallions)
- A first bag checked for free on Delta flights
- Priority boarding
- 20% off inflight purchases
For loyal Delta flyers who enjoy visiting the Sky Club, this card can pay for itself with lounge access, spending boosts and other benefits. However, the Platinum may be the better choice for the occasional Delta traveler.
Related: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card review
Official application link: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
Delta business cards
The business versions of the cards currently have new welcome bonus offers, too. If you own a small business (or have a side hustle where you pay business expenses), one of these offers may be a great addition to your work wallet.
Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after $6,000 in spending in the first six months of card membership. Plus, earn an additional 5,000 miles after you make an eligible Delta purchase with your new card within your first six months. Offer ends Oct. 25.
Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99
Earning rate: Earn 2 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases, 2 miles per dollar on U.S. shipping and U.S. advertising (effective Jan 1. 2024, this benefit will have a cap of $50,000 in eligible purchases per category, per year), and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Other card details:
- 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights for eligible cardholders (when paying taxes and fees with this card)
- First checked bag free on Delta flights
- $100 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 in a calendar year
- Priority boarding
- 20% off inflight purchases
Related: Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card review
Official application link: Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after $8,000 in spending in the first six months of card membership. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles after you make an eligible Delta purchase with your new card within your first six months. Offer ends Oct. 25.
Annual fee: $250
Earning rate: Earn 3 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases, 1.5 miles per dollar on purchases over $5,000 (up to 50,000 miles per calendar year) and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
Other card details:
- 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights for eligible cardholders (when paying taxes and fees with this card)
- Annual companion certificate each year upon card renewal for main cabin, round-trip travel
- Sky Club access at $50 per person for you and up to two guests (benefit ends Dec. 31, 2023)
- A Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit (up to $100 every four years for Global Entry, up to $85 every 4½ years for TSA PreCheck)
- First checked bag free on Delta flights
- Priority boarding
- 20% off inflight purchases
Related: Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card review
Official application link: Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after $12,000 in spending in the first six months of card membership. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles after you make an eligible Delta purchase with your new card within your first six months. Offer ends Oct. 25.
Annual fee: $550
Earning rate: Earn 3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, 1.5 miles per dollar on all purchases after spending $150,000 per calendar year, and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
Other card details:
- 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights for eligible cardholders (when paying taxes and fees with this card)
- Annual companion certificate each year upon card renewal for round-trip travel in first class, Comfort+, Premium Select or main cabin
- Until Jan. 31, 2025, unlimited Delta Sky Club access when you fly Delta, plus two one-time guest passes each year. Effective Feb. 1, 2025, you’ll receive 10 visits per year; to earn an unlimited number of visits, you must spend $75,000 or more between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, and each calendar year after
- Complimentary access to American Express Centurion Lounges when flying Delta with a ticket purchased on the card (up to two guests may also enter for a fee of $50 each)
- A Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit (up to $100 every four years for Global Entry, up to $85 every 4½ years for TSA PreCheck)
- Access to complimentary upgrades (including non-Medallions)
- First checked bag free on Delta flights
- Priority boarding
- 20% off inflight purchases
Related: Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card review
Official application link: Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card
Are these business card offers worth it?
All three cards have welcome offers that fall short of the highest we’ve seen for them but still offer significant value.
These cards mirror the consumer versions in many ways. The major ongoing differences are the spending categories, which are more business-oriented than the personal variations of the cards, and the fact that they won’t appear on your credit report.
When looking at the welcome bonuses across both sets of cards, the business cards have more valuable offers. Of course, choosing between a business and a consumer card will depend on whether you have an eligible business — and whether you’re looking to maximize miles on business or consumer spending.
Overall, the current limited-time welcome offers are worth applying for if you are in the market for a Delta business credit card.
Related: Who qualifies for a business credit card?
Which Delta credit card is right for you?
With a full lineup of Delta cards offering new bonuses, you may wonder how to pick the best offer for your needs. While it might be tempting to go after the one with the highest bonus offer, you should also consider its long-term value in your wallet.
For example, you may enjoy Delta’s inflight experience but don’t typically fly with the airline enough in a normal travel year to justify a card with a higher annual fee. Or, if you’re primarily a solo traveler, you may not be able to consistently use the annual companion voucher that comes with the Platinum and Reserve versions of the card.
In this case, you may opt for the Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex to help you earn miles and enjoy some elitelike perks that can save you time and money when flying Delta.
However, someone who is almost always flying Delta because they live near a Delta hub, such as Atlanta, Seattle or New York City, might easily justify a higher annual fee because they’ll use the benefits of the higher-tier cards more regularly. Families and couples who know they can use the annual companion ticket with the Platinum or Reserve versions of the card can also easily come out ahead with those cards, depending on their exact usage.
The good news is that you can’t go wrong by applying for any of these offers.
In short:
- Occasional Delta flyers should look at the Gold
- Regular Delta flyers who are interested in elite status, can utilize the economy flight companion voucher and prefer earning miles across purchases (as opposed to lounge access) should consider the Platinum
- Delta loyalists who will regularly use Delta Sky Club and Centurion Lounge access when traveling should think about applying for the Reserve
Related: Choosing the best credit cards for Delta flyers
Bottom line
Delta SkyMiles isn’t generally the most valuable currency — partly because of unannounced program devaluations over the years. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find value in the SkyMiles program.
Also, many TPGers actually prefer flying Delta over any other U.S. carrier. Delta is well-known for its customer service, which can be extremely useful when problems arise during a trip.
Keep in mind that American Express does have a once-per-card-per-lifetime rule in place regarding welcome bonuses. If you’ve had one of these cards in the past, you likely can’t earn the welcome bonus on the same card again. This is why timing your Amex card applications is so important: You only get one shot to earn a welcome bonus for each of them, so you’ll want to make it count.
Official application link: Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex
Official application link: Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex
Official application link: Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex
Official application link: Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex
Official application link: Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Amex
Official application link: Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Amex
For rates and fees of the Delta Gold Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Platinum Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Gold Business Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Platinum Business Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Amex, click here.