Before you reach for your wallet to pay for a Delta Airlines flights, you may pause to wonder which credit card to use. Should you use a card that says “Delta” on the front or should you pay with something else?
In many credit card decisions, you may have to sacrifice benefits to earn more points and miles. Is that true here? See what credit cards you can use to pay for Delta flights and the benefits associated with your options.
Related: 16 easy ways to earn more Delta SkyMiles
Compare credit cards for Delta Air Lines flights
In addition to using a Delta Air Lines co-branded credit cardyou can also pay with travel rewards card that earn Points are transferable when making travel purchases, such as booking your next flight with Delta. Here are some cards you can pay with and what you can get with them:
| Name card | Delta Air Lines Flight Earning Rate | Reward Value Earned* | Benefits related to Delta card | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card | 3 miles per dollar. | 4.23 cents. | Earn 15,000 Increase Medal Qualifying Miles (MQM) after spending $30,000 on the card in a calendar year — available up to four times.
Medal Qualifying Dollar (MQD) Waiver up to Platinum status after spending $25,000 on a Delta Amex credit card in a calendar year. Free Delta SkyClub access when flying on Delta’s same-day flight, plus two passengers per year. Free access to American Express Centurion Lounge while on a Delta flight on the same day. annual round trip companion certificate awarded on each account anniversary. Free upgrade requests are available on Delta flights, taking precedence over other flights of the same status and fare class but without the Reserve card. First checked bag is free for you and up to eight companions on the same booking. Main cabin 1 priority boarding benefit on Delta flights. 20% cashback on in-flight food, beverage and headset purchases. |
$550 (see rates and fees). |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card | 3 miles per dollar. | 4.23 cents. | Earn an extra 15,000 MQMs after spending $30,000 on the card in one calendar year — available up to four times.
MQD relinquishes Platinum status after spending $25,000 on a Delta Amex credit card in a calendar year. Praise Delta SkyClub . Access when flying on Delta’s same-day flight, plus two passengers traveling once a year. Free access to American Express Centurion Lounge and escape waiting room while on a Delta flight on the same day. annual round trip companion certificate awarded on each account anniversary. Free upgrade requests are available on Delta flights, taking precedence over other flights of the same status and fare class but without the Reserve card. The first checked baggage is free for you and up to eight companions on the same booking. Master Cabin 1 priority boarding benefits on Delta flights. 20% cashback on in-flight food, beverage and headset purchases. |
$550 (see rates and fees). |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card | 3 miles per dollar. | 4.23 cents. | Earn an extra 10,000 MQMs after spending $25,000 on the card in one calendar year — available up to two times.
MQD relinquishes Platinum status after spending $25,000 on a Delta Amex credit card in a calendar year. An annual round-trip companion certificate is awarded on each account anniversary. The first checked baggage is free for you and up to eight companions on the same booking. Master Cabin 1 priority boarding benefits on Delta flights. 20% cashback on in-flight food, beverage and headset purchases. |
$250 (see rates and fees). |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card | 3 miles per dollar. | 4.23 cents. | Earn an extra 10,000 MQMs after spending $25,000 on the card in one calendar year — available up to two times.
MQD relinquishes Platinum status after spending $25,000 on a Delta Amex credit card in a calendar year. An annual round-trip companion certificate is awarded on each account anniversary. The first checked baggage is free for you and up to eight companions on the same booking. Master Cabin 1 priority boarding benefits on Delta flights. 20% cashback on in-flight food, beverage and headset purchases. |
$250 (see rates and fees). |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card | 2 miles per dollar. | 2.82 cents. | The first checked baggage is free for you and up to eight companions on the same booking.
Master Cabin 1 priority boarding benefits on Delta flights. 20% cashback on in-flight food, beverage and headset purchases. $100 worth of Delta flight credits after spending $10,000 or more on your card within one calendar year. |
$0 annual referral fee, then $99 (see rates and fees). |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card | 2 miles per dollar. | 2.82 cents. | The first checked baggage is free for you and up to eight companions on the same booking.
Master Cabin 1 priority boarding benefits on Delta flights. 20% cashback on in-flight food, beverage and headset purchases. $100 worth of Delta flight credits after spending $10,000 or more on your card within one calendar year. |
$0 annual referral fee, then $99 (see rates and fees). |
| Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card | 2 miles per dollar. | 2.82 cents. | 20% cashback on in-flight food, beverage and headset purchases. | $0 (see rates and fees). |
| Platinum Card® from American Express | 5 points per dollar (up to $500,000 for these purchases per calendar year). | 10 CEN coins. | No, but you can choose Delta Air Lines as your preferred airline to pay up to $200 per year in random airline credits for things like checked baggage or priority seat fees. | $695 (see rates and fees). |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | 3 points per dollar (or 5 points per dollar if booked through the Chase travel portal). | 6 cents (or 10 cents). | No, but some purchases can be offset with $300 annual travel credit provided on the card. | $550. |
| American Express® Green Card | 3 points per dollar. | 6 cents. | Not available. | $150 (see rates and fees). |
| Citi Premier® Card | 3 points per dollar. | 5.4 cents. | Not available. | $95. |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card X | 2 miles per dollar (or 5 miles per dollar if booked in the Capital One Travel portal). | 3.7 cents (or 9.25 cents). | No, but some purchases can be offset with $300 annual travel credit available when booking with Capital tourism. | $395. |
*Bonus value is an estimated value in TPG not the card issuer.
Information about the Amex Green Card has been independently obtained by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Which card should you use for Delta Air Lines flights?
not like The dilemmas when booking United Airlines tickets flights, there are no real trade-offs you have to consider with Delta when it comes to benefits and earning as many points and miles as possible.
Related: Delta baggage fees and how to avoid them
Benefits like free test bag and priority boarding attached to yours Delta SkyMiles number, not the credit card you use to pay. That means you could theoretically pay for your Delta flight with Amex Platinum Card enjoy its insurance benefits and it Unparalleled earning rate when buying plane tickets. However, you will still be entitled to checked baggage benefits and early boarding benefits due to Amex Delta Reserve Cardexample — even though you didn’t pay for your flight with that card.
Sign up for our daily newsletter
Related: Best credit cards for paying taxes and fees on award tickets
The only situation where you must use your card is when you make an in-flight purchase with Delta. For 20% off (as a statement credit), purchase in-flight food and drinks with your eligible Delta card; If you pay with another card, you will not get this benefit. You may also be asked to show your Delta Reserve or Delta Reserve Business Card upon arrival in the lounges before your flight.
Related: Delta overhauls Sky Club access policy, big cuts to reduce overcrowding
In addition to flights, use your Delta card to enjoy perks like MQD waivers and increased MQMs on purchases on Delta Reserve and Delta Platinum cards. But this may not affect the card you use to pay for your Delta flight, assuming you’re meeting those spending thresholds through other purchases.
Related: Delta makes it harder to achieve Medalist status in 2024, adds new Choice Entitlement options
If you want to know more about the benefits credit cards can help you achieve Delta’s Elite Statusread how to earn Delta Medallion elite status without flying.
It is also important to note that the purchase of in-flight Wi-Fi does not include the 20% discount on the in-flight purchases mentioned in the table above. However, Delta has promised to switch to free internet on its flights.
bottom line
Options abound; There are different types of credit cards you can use when paying for your flight — whether it’s buying a cash ticket at an attractive price or paying taxes and fees when redeeming your miles. If you are booking with Delta Air Lines, there are many benefits that you can enjoy on your flight just by having a Delta credit card in your wallet.
The good news is that you can enjoy many of these benefits regardless of which credit card you use to pay for your flight. This gives you the freedom to use any card you want to enjoy the protections or rewards offered on other cards in your wallet.
Editor’s Note: “Opinion” is a series of reviews of decisions about which credit card to use. If you are facing a dilemma about which card is best for an upcoming payment, email us at [email protected].
Also in this series:
For Amex Delta Reserve card rates and fees, click here.
For Amex Delta Reserve business card rates and fees, click here.
For Amex Delta Platinum card rates and fees, click here.
For Amex Delta Platinum Business Card rates and fees, click here.
For Amex Delta Gold card rates and fees, click here.
For Amex Delta Gold Business Card rates and fees, click here.
For Amex Delta Blue card rates and fees, click here.
For Amex Platinum card rates and fees, click here.
For Amex Green card rates and fees, click here.
