Earlier than you attain to your pockets to pay for a Delta Air Traces flight, you may pause to marvel which bank card to make use of. Must you use the one that claims “Delta” on the entrance, or must you pay with one thing else?
In lots of bank card choices, you could have to sacrifice advantages to earn extra factors and miles. Does that maintain true right here?
Let’s take a look at which bank cards you may use to pay for a Delta flight and the advantages related together with your choices.
Evaluating bank cards for Delta Air Traces flights
| Card identify | Incomes charge on Delta flights† | Worth of the rewards earned* | Delta-related advantages from the cardboard | Annual price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Specific Card
and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Enterprise American Specific Card |
3 miles per greenback | 3.75 cents | 15 annual visits to Delta Sky Membership lounges when touring on a same-day, Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight.
4 one-time Sky Membership visitor passes Annual companion certificates 1 Medallion Qualification Greenback for each $10 spent, with no restrict on what number of MQDs could be earned by bank card spending 2,500 MQD increase every year Precedence boarding on Delta flights 20% again as a press release credit score on inflight purchases of meals, drinks and headsets |
$650 (see charges and costs for the Delta Reserve; see charges and costs for the Delta Reserve Enterprise) |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Specific Card
and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Enterprise American Specific Card |
3 miles per greenback | 3.75 cents | Annual companion certificates
1 MQD for each $20 spent, with no restrict on what number of MQDs could be earned by bank card spending 2,500 MQD increase every year Precedence boarding on Delta flights 20% again as a press release credit score on inflight purchases of meals, drinks and headsets |
$350 (see charges and costs for the Delta Platinum; see charges and costs for Delta Platinum Enterprise) |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Specific Card
and Delta SkyMiles® Gold Enterprise American Specific Card |
2 miles per greenback | 2.5 cents | Free first checked bag for you and as much as eight companions on the identical reservation
Precedence boarding on Delta flights 20% again as a press release credit score on inflight purchases of meals, drinks and headsets $200 Delta flight credit score after spending $10,000 or extra in your card inside a calendar yr |
$0 introductory annual price, then $150 (see charges and costs for the Delta Gold; see charges and costs for the Delta Gold Enterprise) |
| Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Specific Card | 2 miles per greenback | 2.5 cents | 20% again as a press release credit score on inflight purchases of meals and drinks | $0 (see charges and costs) |
| The Platinum Card® from American Specific | 5 factors per greenback (as much as $500,000 on these purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback) | 10 cents | Delta Sky Membership entry (when touring on same-day Delta flights; eligible Platinum Card Members will obtain 10 Visits per eligible Platinum Card per yr to the Delta Sky Membership or to Seize and Go when touring on a same-day Delta-operated flight.)
Select Delta as your most well-liked airline to cowl as much as $200 per calendar yr in airline incidental assertion credit for issues like checked baggage or most well-liked seat charges (enrollment required; phrases apply) |
$695 (see charges and costs) |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) | 4 factors per greenback (or 8 factors per greenback if booked by way of Chase Journey℠) | 8.2 cents (or 16.4 cents) | None, however some purchases could be offset by the $300 annual journey credit supplied on the cardboard | $795 |
| Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card | 2 miles per greenback (or 5 miles per greenback if booked within the Capital One Journey portal) | 3.7 cents (or 9.25 cents) | None, however some purchases could be offset by the $300 annual credit score obtainable when reserving with Capital One Journey | $395 |
† On flights bought immediately with Delta
*Bonus worth relies on TPG’s June 2025 valuations and doesn’t come from the cardboard issuer.
Associated: 16 methods to earn extra Delta SkyMiles, from utilizing bank cards to on-line purchasing
Which card must you use for Delta Air Traces flights?
There aren’t any actual trade-offs you need to contemplate with Delta relating to having fun with advantages and incomes as many factors and miles as attainable.
Associated: Delta baggage charges and easy methods to keep away from paying them
Advantages like free checked luggage and precedence boarding are hooked up to your Delta SkyMiles quantity, not the bank card you pay with. Meaning you might theoretically pay to your Delta flight with the Amex Platinum to take pleasure in its insurance coverage advantages and its unparalleled incomes charges on flight purchases.
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Nonetheless, you’ll nonetheless take pleasure in checked bag advantages and early boarding advantages that come from having the Amex Delta Reserve, for instance, despite the fact that you did not pay to your flight with that card.
Associated: The very best bank cards for paying taxes and costs on award tickets
The one scenario during which you need to use your card is whenever you make an onboard buy with Delta. To take pleasure in your 20% low cost (within the type of a press release credit score), make inflight meals and beverage purchases together with your eligible Delta card; in case you pay with one other card, you will not obtain this profit. You may additionally be requested to point out your Delta Reserve or Delta Reserve Enterprise card when visiting lounges earlier than your flight.
Outdoors of flights, use your Delta card to take pleasure in perks like MQD boosts from making purchases on the Delta Reserve and Delta Platinum playing cards. However this will not impression which card you employ to pay to your Delta flight, assuming you are assembly these spending thresholds by different purchases.
Should you’re inquisitive about figuring out extra about these credit score card-related advantages that assist you to obtain Delta elite standing, learn easy methods to earn Delta Medallion elite standing with out flying.
Backside line
Choices abound; there are numerous totally different bank cards you might use when paying for a flight — whether or not that is shopping for a money ticket at a terrific value or paying the taxes and costs when redeeming your miles. Should you’re making a reservation with Delta, there are numerous advantages you might be able to take pleasure in in your flight just by having a Delta bank card in your pockets.
The excellent news is you could take pleasure in many of those advantages no matter which bank card you employ to pay to your flight. This leaves you free to make use of whichever card you need to benefit from the insurance coverage protections or bonus factors supplied on different playing cards in your pockets.
Associated: Present gives on Delta Amex playing cards
For charges and costs of the Amex Delta Reserve card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Delta Reserve Enterprise card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Delta Platinum card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Delta Platinum Enterprise card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Delta Gold card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Delta Gold Enterprise card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Delta Blue card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum card, click on right here.
