Delta Amex Cards Compared: Blue, Gold, Platinum and Reserve

American Express issues four personal Delta SkyMiles cards and three business versions. They all earn SkyMiles and none charge foreign transaction fees, but the annual fees run from $0 to $650. The way to choose is to work up the ladder one step at a time and ask whether the next step's extra benefits are worth its extra fee to you.

All facts below come from American Express's card pages, checked on October 19, 2026, and match our card records unless noted. Welcome offers change often and aren't covered here; check each card's page for the current offer.

The personal cards at a glance

Delta Blue: the no-fee starter

Delta Blue earns 2x on Delta purchases and at restaurants, and 1x everywhere else. You also get 20% back on eligible Delta in-flight food and drink purchases, and you can use Pay with Miles (up to $50 off a flight for every 5,000 miles on delta.com).

There are no checked bags and no boarding perks. It suits someone who flies Delta occasionally, wants their miles to keep growing, and doesn't want an annual fee. With no foreign transaction fee, it's also a reasonable card to take abroad.

Delta Gold: the bag card

The Gold is free in year one and $150 after that. The main reason to get it is checked bags. Amex lists your first checked bag free on Delta flights worldwide and a second bag free on domestic Delta flights. If two people in your household check bags on a couple of round trips a year, the bag savings alone usually cover the fee. Check Delta's current bag fees for your routes.

On top of that:

• $200 Delta Flight Credit after $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year
• $100 Delta Stays credit a year on prepaid hotels or vacation rentals booked through Delta Stays
• $120 rideshare credit (up to $10 a month on U.S. rideshare) after your first card renewal, enrollment required
• TakeOff 15: 15% off award flights booked on delta.com or the Fly Delta app
• Zone 5 priority boarding and 20% back on in-flight purchases
• 2x at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets

There's no lounge access. Skip it if you rarely check a bag, or if you'd have to stretch to reach $10,000 a year just for the flight credit.

Delta Platinum: Companion Certificate plus status help

At $350, the Platinum is for people who fly Delta enough to care about Medallion status, or who will use the yearly Companion Certificate. After each card renewal, you get one round-trip Delta Main cabin companion ticket within the U.S., or to Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America. You still pay government taxes and fees of $22 to $250, and Delta Basic fares aren't eligible.

The status math is the interesting part. MQD Headstart adds $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars every qualification year, and MQD Boost adds $1 MQD for every $20 you spend on the card. Amex notes that Silver Medallion takes $5,000 MQDs, so Headstart gets you halfway there, and another $50,000 of card spending would cover the rest.

Other Platinum benefits Amex lists:

• 3x on Delta and on hotels booked directly with the hotel; 2x at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets
• $150 Delta Stays credit, up to $10 a month in Resy credits, and up to $10 a month in U.S. rideshare credits (both enrollment required)
• A Global Entry ($120) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85) fee credit every four years
• Complimentary upgrade list (after Medallion and Reserve members), Hertz Five Star status, the same bags and Zone 5 boarding as the Gold
• Trip delay insurance (more than 12 hours, up to $300 per trip) and cell phone protection (up to $800 per claim, $50 deductible)

There's still no lounge access, which surprises a lot of people at this fee.

Delta Reserve: the Sky Club card

The $650 Reserve only makes sense if you'll use the lounges. Amex lists 15 Delta Sky Club visits per Medallion year, unlimited after $75,000 in purchases in a calendar year, plus Centurion Lounge access when you fly Delta. If you're in a Sky Club airport several times a year, that's where the fee goes.

The Reserve also has:

• MQD Headstart ($2,500) and a faster MQD Boost: $1 per $10 spent, so $25,000 of card spending plus Headstart reaches the $5,000 MQDs needed for Silver
• A yearly Companion Certificate after renewal
• Up to $20 a month in Resy credits, up to $10 a month in rideshare credits, a $200 Delta Stays credit, and the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit
• Stronger trip protections, including trip delay coverage after 6 hours

Its earning is only 3x on Delta and 1x on everything else, so the card isn't for everyday spending. Count the monthly credits only if you'd use those merchants anyway. Our premium travel card framework shows how to discount credits honestly, and the lounge access guide compares the Reserve with other ways to get into lounges.

The business versions

If you run a business, Amex offers three Delta business cards with similar ladders:

• Delta SkyMiles Gold Business ($150 annual fee after the first year): 2x on Delta, at restaurants, and on U.S. shipping and U.S. advertising purchases; a $200 Delta flight credit after $10,000 in a calendar year; a $150 Delta Stays credit; and free checked bags on Delta flights.
• Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business ($350): 3x on Delta and hotels; 1.5x on transit, U.S. shipping and single purchases of $5,000 or more (up to $100,000 a year); a Companion Certificate after renewal; MQD Headstart; MQD Boost at $1 per $20; and up to $120 a year in Resy credits. No Sky Club access.
• Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business ($650): 3x on Delta; 1.5x on transit, U.S. shipping and U.S. office supply stores; 15 Sky Club visits; Centurion Lounge access when flying Delta on a ticket bought with the card; a Companion Certificate; a $250 Delta Stays credit; and Resy and rideshare credits.

The 1.5x categories on the Platinum and Reserve Business cards make them slightly better for everyday business spending than the personal versions. Even so, depending on how you value SkyMiles, a flat 2% cash back card can still earn more on general business purchases.

How to choose, quickly

1. You fly Delta a few times a year and don't check bags: Delta Blue, or no Delta card at all.
2. You check bags, often with family: Delta Gold. The bags usually cover the $150.
3. You want Medallion status or will use a Companion Certificate every year: Delta Platinum.
4. You're in Sky Clubs regularly: Delta Reserve. Nothing below it includes lounge access.
5. Most of your spending isn't with Delta: use a different card for everyday purchases. At 1x outside their bonus categories, none of these cards is a strong everyday card. Our points valuation guide explains how to compare SkyMiles with cash back.

Fine print worth knowing

• The Gold's rideshare credit starts after your first renewal, not in year one.
• The Companion Certificate arrives after renewal, so it doesn't help in your first year. Taxes and fees ($22 to $250) and baggage charges still apply, and Delta Basic fares aren't eligible.
• The Gold's $200 flight credit and the Reserve's unlimited Sky Club access both depend on calendar-year spending thresholds.
• Neither the Gold nor the Platinum includes Sky Club access.

Card terms, rates, and offers change. Facts in this guide were checked against American Express's card pages and our card records on October 19, 2026; confirm current terms with the issuer before applying.