There are several different Delta credit cards, co-branded with American Express. By my count, there are currently at least six different cards that you can sign up for that earn Delta Sky Miles, and sometimes it can be confusing to decide which one is best. American Express generally has a “once per lifetime” rule, which means that if you’ve gotten the signup bonus on one of these credit cards before, you won’t be eligible to get the bonus now.
So since you can (usually) only get the signup bonus once on each Amex Delta credit card, you want to make sure and wait until the offer is high before you apply. Right now, all of the Amex Delta credit cards have a relatively high signup bonus (including some that are the highest I’ve ever seen). As always, you can find these offers on our top credit card offers page (under airline credit cards).
Let’s take a look at two of the more popular cards directly, compare the Amex Delta Gold vs. Delta Platinum cards and see which one might be right for you.
American Express Delta Gold Card
The current offer is for 70,000 bonus Sky Miles which is close to if not the highest offer we’ve seen.
Offer details:
- Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Read more and learn how to apply here.
- Annual fee is waived the first year ($99 thereafter)
- Earn 2x miles on Delta purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- 15% off Delta-operated award flights
- Free first checked bag on Delta flights
This is a great card to pick up if you want Sky Miles for no out of pocket cost.
American Express Delta Platinum Card
The Delta Platinum is back with another outstanding sign-up bonus offer:
- Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you make $4,000 in purchases on your new Card within your first 3 months. Read more and learn how to apply here.
- After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year
- $250 annual fee
- Earn 2x miles on Delta purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Free first checked bag on Delta flights
- 15% off Delta-operated award flights
- Annual companion certificate for domestic main cabin fares (some restrictions)
It’s possible that this offer is less desirable than the one I signed up for which was for 70,000 bonus miles and 10,000 bonus MQMs. But for most folks, the redeemable miles are probably more valuable. This welcome offer is worth at least $1,000, in my opinion.
Amex Delta Gold vs. Delta Platinum – which is best?
Personally, I think for most people (including casual travelers, the Amex Delta Gold card is the best option). If you have already gotten the bonus card, then consider either the Delta Platinum card or the Amex Gold Business card. Remember, that you may have a business even if you don’t think you have a business. The Delta Platinum card is best for people that are already frequent Delta travelers and looking for the ability to get extra MQMs to help with qualifying. The companion certificate is a nice option, but given the $250 annual fee, I would just apply for the Delta Gold card if you haven’t had it before.
Other Delta Credit Card Options
There are a couple of other options as well. Here is the full list
- American Express Delta Gold card – 70,000 Skymiles after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months. $0 annual fee the first year, then $99
- American Express Delta Gold business card – 75,000 Skymiles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. $0 annual fee the first year, then $99
- American Express Delta Platinum card – 90,000 Skymiles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. $250 annual fee
- American Express Delta Platinum business card – 90,000 Skymiles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. $250 annual fee
- American Express Delta Reserve card – 95,000 Skymiles after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months. $550 annual fee
While everyone’s situation is different, here is what I would do:
- If you’ve never had any of these cards, apply for the Amex Delta Gold personal card
- If you’ve had the personal Delta Gold card before, then consider the Delta Gold Business card (if you have a qualifying business)
- Otherwise, get the Delta Platinum card
- If you’re a frequent Delta flyer looking for Delta perks like MQMs or lounge access, and/or if you’ve had all the other Delta cards, consider the Delta Platinum Business or Delta Reserve cards
Remember that if you’ve had the Delta Gold personal card before, you CAN still get the Delta Gold business card – Amex considers them two separate cards. Also another option to consider if you’ve already had the Delta Gold personal card – if you’re playing in two player mode, your spouse or partner can sign up for the Delta Gold as well.
The Bottom Line
Remember that American Express has a once-per-lifetime rule for their card products. So you want to be judicious about when you apply for these Delta cards (or any American Express card). Right now, these offers are at an increased level, which does make it a good time to apply for one, if you’re looking for Sky Miles. Comparing the Delta Gold vs. Delta Platinum cards, personally I would get the Delta Gold card if you’ve never had it, and consider the Delta Platinum if you’ve previously had the Delta Gold card. But what about you?
Are you planning on signing up for one of these American Express Delta credit card offers? Leave your questions or thoughts in the comment section.
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
Kind of a light weight comparison. Also why show the other cards and their fees without showing their benefits. I believe the AMEX Delta Reserve gives one most everything or for sure everything as the Delta Platinum, plus free entrance to DL lounges when you have a DL boarding pass. It may also give one free membership in Priority lounges. So I am considering dropping my Sapphire ($550/yr) which has given me access to Priority Lounges and my Delta Platinum ($250/yr) which primarily allows 1st checked bag free and annual companion ticket. Also you state AMEX has a once per lifetime policy – but you don’t explain what that means in detail. I have an AMEX Hilton and AMEX DL Platinum and used to have an AMEX Costco, before they switched to VISA. So what is the once in a lifetime AMEX policy?
I’m not sure if you’re actually asking about the once in a lifetime Amex policy or if you’re just saying that I didn’t explain it well. In case you are looking to know, the policy is just that you can (usually) only get one signup bonus per card per lifetime. So if you’ve gotten the signup bonus on the Amex Delta Platinum personal card before, you can’t get the signup bonus on that specific card again. You can get a signup bonus on the Delta Platinum business card, or on either of the Gold cards (or the Reserve card) however.
I was trying to keep this article focused on the personal Delta Gold vs. Platinum cards. For more information on the benefits of the other cards, you can check out my post from a week or so ago where I covered that in more detail
Platinum AMEX companion ticket is only good for coach travel. You can upgrade both tickets for a cost. This has me leaning towards getting the reserve card.
That’s a good point. I personally have never had much luck in using these companion tickets for anything worthwhile, but I do know others who have used them to great effect. Thanks in advance if you use the links on the site if/when you apply for a new card!