Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
- Best for: Occasional Delta flyers who travel with a carry-on and want miles without an annual fee
- What Sets It Apart: 2X miles on purchases from Delta and at restaurants with no annual fee; 20% back on in-flight food and drinks
- Cost: $0 annual fee; no foreign transaction fees; 19.74% to 28.74% variable APR
- Features: 10,000-mile welcome bonus after $1,000 in purchases within 6 months; 1X miles on other purchases; Pay with Miles at up to $50 off per 5,000 miles
- Pros: No annual fee; 2X miles at restaurants worldwide; no foreign transaction fees
- Cons: No free checked bag; no priority boarding, companion ticket, or lounge access; 1X miles on most spending
Open the Delta SkyMiles Blue Amex card if you want Delta miles without an annual fee, since it earns 2 miles per dollar on purchases from Delta and at restaurants. If you check a bag on two or more Delta round trips a year, choose the Delta SkyMiles Gold for its free checked bag instead.
The Blue is the entry card in Delta’s American Express lineup, built for occasional Delta flyers. Through Delta’s Pay with Miles, every 5,000 miles takes up to $50 off a Delta fare, so a mile is worth about 1 cent.
Key Features
- $0 annual fee
- 10,000 bonus miles once you spend $1,000 in your first 6 months
- 2 miles per dollar on purchases from Delta and at restaurants, including U.S. takeout and delivery, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else
- 20% back on in-flight food and drinks on Delta-operated flights, as a credit on your statement
- Variable APR of 19.74% to 28.74%, the yearly interest rate on balances you carry
Pros
- No annual fee, so a year with few trips costs you nothing
- 2 miles per dollar on restaurant meals worldwide, so eating out earns miles between trips
- A welcome bonus worth about $100 off a Delta fare through Pay with Miles
- No foreign transaction fees on purchases abroad
Cons
- No free checked bag, and Delta charges $45 each way for a first bag on U.S. flights
- No priority boarding, companion ticket, Sky Club lounge access, or help toward Delta’s Medallion elite status
- Just 1 mile per dollar on other purchases, worth about 1 cent, half of what a no-fee 2% cash-back card pays
Open the Blue if you fly Delta a few times a year with only a carry-on and want your fares and meals out to earn miles at no cost. If you’d pay Delta’s $45 bag fee each way on two or more round trips a year, the Delta SkyMiles Gold’s free first checked bag saves at least $180, $30 more than its $150 annual fee.
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