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How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.
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LendingTree is an advertising-supported comparison service. The site features products from our partners as well as institutions which are not advertising partners. While we make an effort to include the best deals available to the general public, we make no warranty that such information represents all available products. We are compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (such as the order).
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American Express Disclosure
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

American Express Disclosure

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card Review: Is It a Good Card?

Content was accurate at the time of publication.
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0.6
Delta SkyMiles<sup>®</sup> Blue American Express Card
Welcome Offer
Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
Rewards Rate
Earn 2X Miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases and at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
Additional Perks
No foreign transaction fees.

Key takeaway

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card is the only Delta-branded airline card with a $0 annual fee. But because of its low rewards earning rate, mediocre welcome offer and minimal travel benefits, you’ll likely be better off with a different Delta credit card or a general travel card that doesn’t charge an annual fee.

Pros and cons

  • Accelerated miles on Delta purchases and at restaurants worldwide
  • Easy-to-earn welcome offer
  • 20% savings after using your card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases
  • $0 annual fee
  • Foreign transaction fee: none
  • Low overall rewards rate
  • Low welcome offer
  • Limited travel benefits
  • No free checked bags
  • No priority boarding
  • No intro APR on purchases
  • Requires good / excellent credit

Is the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card a good card?

If you’re partial to Delta Air Lines and looking to dip your toe in the airline rewards game, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card may seem like a good place to start. That’s because the card lets you earn accelerated rewards on Delta purchases and dining and has a $0 annual fee.

But in all actuality, the card’s modest earning rate and lackluster travel perks make the card mediocre at best — even for an entry-level airline card.

Instead, you may want to consider a higher-tiered Delta card that offers more robust travel benefits and a higher welcome offer, like the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card. Or, if you don’t want to limit yourself to Delta Air Lines, a general travel card with a $0 annual fee, like the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, may be a better fit (see rates & fees).

Looking for more options with $0 annual fees? See our list of the best no-annual-fee travel credit cards.

Quick facts

  • Annual fee: $0
  • Welcome offer: Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
  • Rewards rate: Earn 2X Miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases and at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
  • APR on purchases: 20.24%-29.24% Variable
  • Foreign transaction fee: None
  • Other benefits: 20% back on eligible inflight purchases on Delta flights, car rental loss and damage insurance1, Global Assist® Hotline2, Events with Amex™, purchase protection3 and extended warranty4
  • Credit needed: Good / Excellent

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card benefits

  • Easy-to-earn welcome offer

    The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card lets you earn 2X Miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases and at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. This means you’ll only have to spend approximately $167 each month for six months to earn the welcome offer, making it obtainable even if you don’t spend heavily on the card.

  • Statement credit and flight discount

    You’ll receive up to 20% back as a statement credit on eligible in-flight purchases of food and beverages on Delta-operated flights. Note, this savings does not apply to in-flight wireless internet access.

    Plus, get up to $50 off the cost of your ticket for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book through delta.com. Redemptions must be made in 5,000-mile increments, and miles will be rounded to the nearest 5,000-mile increment.

    Is Pay with Miles worth it?

    With Pay with Miles, you can generally get $50 in value from each 5,000 miles, making each mile worth approximately 1 cent. However, Delta SkyMiles are generally worth slightly more (1.1 cent each) when redeemed in other ways. You may even be able to cover the cost of a one-way flight with this amount, since Delta awards start at around 5,000 miles.

     

  • $0 annual fee

    This is the only Delta SkyMiles credit card with a $0 annual fee. So if you’re loyal to Delta but don’t fly frequently enough to make one of the higher-end cards with a fee worth it, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card is ideal.

  • No foreign transaction fee

    If you’re planning a trip abroad, know that the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card has a foreign transaction fee of none. By contrast, some cards charge fees of 3% to 5% of the amount of each transaction when you use it to make purchases outside of the United States.

    Just be aware that American Express is not as widely accepted as Visa and Mastercard in some countries.

     

  • Helpful purchase and travel protections

    Perhaps one of the biggest ways the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card stands out is its purchase and travel protections. It comes with purchase protection3, extended warranty4, car rental loss and damage insurance1 and the Global Assist Hotline2. While it can be rare for a $0-annual-fee card to offer this amount of coverage, it’s pretty on-brand for an American Express card.

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card drawbacks

  • Modest rewards rate

    With this card, you’ll only earn 2X Miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases and at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.

    On the surface, this may appear to be a pretty standard earning rate for an entry-level airline rewards card. But there are travel cards available that offer more valuable rewards and elevated rewards on every purchase you make. For example, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card lets you earn 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. However, you’ll also be subject to a $95 annual fee (see rates & fees).

  • Low welcome offer

    The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card‘s welcome offer is nice in that it has a low spending requirement to earn it, but it also has a relatively low payout. By comparison, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card lets you earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. And the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card lets you earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

    But again, unlike the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, those cards also charge annual fees.

  • Limited airline perks

    While the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card offers some beneficial travel protections, it comes with limited flight benefits compared to some other airline rewards cards. For example, the card doesn’t offer priority boarding or your first checked bag at no charge.

    If you do want access to more travel perks, you’ll likely have to splurge on an annual fee (at least after the first year). For example, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offers the first checked bag free, a flight credit and more — all for a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.

Alternate airline credit cards

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card vs. Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

| Disclosures
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on American Express's secure site
Rates & Fees
|Terms Apply
N/A
20.24%-29.24% Variable
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants
  • Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Enjoy a $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $150.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • $200 Delta Flight Credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel.
  • Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
  • You can check your first bag free on Delta flights, saving up to $70 on a round-trip Delta flight per person. For a family of four that’s a potential savings of up to $280 per round-trip flight.
  • Receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights
  • board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
  • $100 Delta Stays Credit: Get up to $100 back per year as a statement credit after using your Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.
  • Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
  • Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases after using your Card.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • With Send & Split®, you can send money and split your Card purchases with any other Venmo or PayPal user, directly from the Amex App. Enroll today.
  • Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
  • Terms Apply.
660 720 850
Good / Excellent

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.


If you prefer to fly with Delta Air Lines — but don’t fly often enough to justify a steep annual fee — the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a much better starter card than the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card. It offers an additional earning category, a higher welcome offer and more travel benefits than the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card.

You’ll earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. Also earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

Along with offering the same benefits as the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card provides the following:

  • Zone 5 priority boarding on Delta flights
  • Your first checked bag at no charge on Delta flights
  • $200 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 in a calendar year
  • Up to a $100 annual Delta Stays credit on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com
  • 15% off when you book Award Travel with miles on Delta flights via delta.com or the Fly Delta app

The card does charge a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. But the rewards rate and benefits can help make up for the fee after the first year of card membership. For example, the complimentary first checked bag benefit can save you up to $70 on a round-trip Delta fare per person. For a family of four, that can equal up to $280 in savings per round-trip flight.

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card vs. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

| Disclosures
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on American Express's secure site
Rates & Fees
|Terms Apply
N/A
20.24%-29.24% Variable
$350
Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
  • Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Receive a Companion Certificate on a Main Cabin round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply.
  • Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $20 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
  • Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
  • Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Resy Credit: Get up to $10 in statement credits each month after you pay with your enrolled Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases.
  • $120 Rideshare Credit: earn up to $10 in statement credits each month after using your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
  • You can check your first bag free on Delta flights, saving up to $70 on a round-trip Delta flight per person. For a family of four that’s a potential savings of up to $280 per round-trip flight.
  • Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • $350 Annual Fee.
  • Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
  • Terms Apply.
660 720 850
Good / Excellent

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.


If you want access to an even higher rewards rate and more premium travel benefits — and you fly enough on Delta Air Lines to justify the $350 annual fee — the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card may be your best bet.

Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. Also, earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

In addition to the perks provided by the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, this card offers the following valuable benefits:

  • Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification each year
  • Annual companion certificate on a Main Cabin round-trip flight to select destinations, minus taxes and fees
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit (enrollment required)
  • Annual Delta Stays credit, annual Resy credit (enrollment required) and annual rideshare credit (enrollment required)

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card vs. Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

| Disclosures
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
0% intro on purchases for 15 months
19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
$0
1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per
  • $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
  • Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
  • Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
  • Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
  • Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
  • Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
  • Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.24% - 29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
  • For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
660 720 850
Good / Excellent

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.


If you don’t want to be limited to earning elevated rewards on Delta and dining purchases, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is another entry-level travel card worth considering. Similar to the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, this card comes with a $0 annual fee, but it also offers accelerated rewards on all purchases.

You’ll earn 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. You can also earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel. What sets this card apart is that you can transfer your miles to more than 15 travel loyalty programs, mostly at a rate of 1:1.

Additionally, if you want to finance a trip or another large purchase, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card offers an APR of 0% intro on purchases for 15 months, then a 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable) APR.

Is the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card right for you?

If you want to begin earning rewards to help offset the cost of future travel, a no-annual-fee travel card is a great place to start. The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card comes with a $0 annual fee and offers accelerated rewards in some popular travel categories. But you stand to get more value from the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card — thanks to its welcome offer and travel benefits.

On the other hand, if you’d rather have a general card as your first travel card, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a good alternative.

apply-now-icon Apply Now
on American Express's secure site
Rates & Fees
|Terms Apply
1. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
2. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
3. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
4. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

To see rates & fees for American Express cards mentioned on this page, visit the links provided below:

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply

The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.