Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card review

Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card Review: More Details

If you are a frequent flyer of Delta Air Lines hoping for a way to rack up a few extra miles, look no further than the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card. The card charges no annual fee and allows you to earn a few extra miles on purchases you make every day.

Unfortunately, the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card doesn’t come with as many additional perks as Delta cards that do charge an annual fee – like the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card. But, while the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card doesn’t offer a free checked bag or priority seating on Delta flights, you’ll still be able to get to your next reward flight a bit faster.

Introductory bonus

The welcome offer on the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card is decent, but not overly generous. The card offers 10,000 miles to cardholders who spend $1,000 in the first six months. If you are hoping to fund a reward trip on your introductory bonus, this probably won’t be quite enough to get you there. Even with SkyMiles being slightly more valuable (Bankrate values these miles at 1.3 cents each), the bonus is only worth around $130 toward reward flights.

Earning miles

For an airline card, racking up miles with the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card is relatively simple. You’ll earn 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases as well as restaurant purchases and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. Since many airline cards only award bonus miles on purchases with the airline, the restaurant category on the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card really sets it apart.

Despite a fairly good earning rate for an airline card, the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card is not the most rewarding travel card on the market. If racking up the most possible points or miles is your goal, you might be better off opting for a general travel card – like the American Express® Gold Card – and using your points toward Delta flights.

What are SkyMiles worth?

Another major plus for this card is the value of its rewards. Delta SkyMiles are some of the most valuable rewards currency available. We estimate that the average SkyMile is worth about 1.61 cents. This makes it easy to stretch your rewards a long way.

Flight network

If you are still deciding which airline loyalty program to start racking up miles with, Delta is one of the best options available. It is part of the SkyTeam alliance and has several additional airline partners. You shouldn’t have difficultly finding a flight to your destination, as the coverage with Delta is excellent – encompassing more than 800 destinations in more than 170 countries.

See Related:Delta SkyMiles partners

Redeeming miles

The Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card makes it easy to earn miles, but redeeming them might be a bit more difficult. Like with many airline cards, there is not a statement credit or cash back option. However, Delta does offer a few different ways to use your SkyMiles. Just keep in mind that non-flight redemptions probably won’t eke as much value out of your rewards.

Delta SkyMiles redemption options

If you choose to use your miles to book a flight for the best value, you won’t be subject to any blackout dates. Delta is also very flexible on making changes to award tickets. You can make changes to your origin, destination, routing, date or time up to 72 hours in advance of your flight for no fee.

Unfortunately, Delta reward flights aren’t priced on a fixed chart, so the price in SkyMiles can vary drastically during peak times. In addition, you might be charged a surcharge on international trips.

See Related: How to book a flight with Delta SkyMiles

Other Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card benefits

The Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card doesn’t offer many additional airline perks – like a free checked bag or priority boarding. However, you will still enjoy a few extra benefits that can save you some money while you travel.

• 20 percent in-flight purchase discount – If you use your card to make any in-flight food or beverage purchases, you’ll receive 20 percent back in the form of a statement credit.
• Car rental insurance – For rental cars paid for with your Blue SkyMiles card, you can receive secondary coverage in the case of damage or theft.
• Extended warranty – This perk extends the manufacturer’s warranty on qualifying purchases up to one extra year.
• Purchase protection – The Blue SkyMiles card also covers eligible purchases against accidental damage or theft for the first 90 days.
• ShopRunner – With ShopRunner, you can receive free two-day shipping at more than 100 online retailers  (Enrollment required).

If you use the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card for major purchases, these protections and insurances can help save you money while you shop or travel.

Customer experience

The Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card is issued by American Express, which has a top-tier customer service reputation. In J.D. Power’s 2020 customer satisfaction survey, the issuer scored 838, taking the top spot out of 11 major issuers. The American Express app also rates well among users, rating 4.3 out of 5 in the Google Play Store and 4.9 out of 5 in the Apple App Store.

Approval odds

The Delta SkyMiles Blue Amex is designed for users with good to excellent credit (above 670), so you’ll want to ensure you meet those requirements before you apply. Additionally, you won’t qualify for the introductory offer on this card if you have had any Delta SkyMiles card in the last 90 days.

How does the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card compare to other cards?

While the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card has a decent earning rate and doesn’t charge an annual fee, it might not be the best option for every kind of traveler. Here are a few alternatives to consider:

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card	American Express® Gold Card	Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Rewards rate Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.	Rewards rate Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. Terms apply	Rewards rate 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
Welcome bonus Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms apply.	Welcome bonus Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.	Welcome bonus Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
Annual fee $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.	Annual fee $325	Annual fee $0
Other things to know Spend $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year and receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit Free checked bag for you and up to 8 companions on Delta Priority boarding Discounted Delta Sky Club access	Other things to know Up to $120 dining credit Up to $120 in Uber Cash per year ($10 per month, add your Amex Gold to your Uber account and redeem with any Amex card) No foreign transaction fees	Other things to know Transfer miles to over 15+ travel partners No foreign transaction fees

Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles Gold card has the same earning rate on Delta purchases and at restaurants as the Skymiles Blue card, but it also earns 2x miles at U.S. supermarkets. Plus, you’ll receive priority boarding and a free checked bag for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation. Even if you regularly travel alone, this perk can save you $70 on every round-trip Delta flight you take. For frequent travelers, this can more than offset the card’s annual fee.

In addition, the introductory offer on the Delta SkyMiles Gold card can take you a lot further than the Delta SkyMiles Blue card.

American Express Gold card

With the American Express Gold card, you can use your points on a wide variety of travel purchases, and since American Express has a close relationship with Delta Air Lines, you can often book Delta flights at a great price. Plus, the Gold card has one of the best rewards rates available for foodies, offering 4 points per dollar on worldwide restaurant purchases (worldwide restaurant purchases capped at $50,000 per year, then 1 point per dollar) and U.S. supermarket purchases (supermarket purchases capped at $25,000 per year, then 1 point per dollar). You’ll also earn 3 points per dollar on directly purchased airfare or flights booked through AmexTravel.com and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.

While it is easy to see the value for frequent travelers in this card, it comes at a steep price. The annual fee is a high $325. If you take advantage of the card’s generous travel and dining credits, you can offset a big portion of this cost – but it can still be a downside for more moderate spenders.

Capital One VentureOne card

For cardholders who have their heart set on a no-annual-fee travel card, the Capital One VentureOne card is also a great alternative. Its regular rewards rate of 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases might not seem quite as impressive as the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card, but the VentureOne card comes with a more generous welcome bonus (20,000 miles after spending $500 in the first three months) – worth $200 when used for travel purchases.

Who should apply for the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card?

• Frequent flyers of Delta Air Lines who want to earn extra SkyMiles without paying an annual fee.
• Occasional Delta travelers who aren’t worried about free checked bags or priority boarding.
• Cardholders who want to earn airline miles on restaurant purchases.

How to use the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card:

• Use the card for all restaurant and Delta purchases to earn bonus miles.
• Spend at least $1,000 in the first six months to earn the introductory bonus.
• Take advantage of Amex Offers, the Delta SkyMiles shopping portal and SkyMiles Dining program to rack up extra miles.
• Check the SkyMiles Deals page for discounted award tickets.

Is the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card?

If you are a Delta Air Lines loyalist, but only travel a few times a year, the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card is a great way to earn a few extra points on restaurant purchases to save money on your next flight. However, frequent flyers who can take advantage of savings on checked baggage or priority boarding might be better off opting for the Delta SkyMiles Gold card. You’ll have to pay an annual fee, but you’ll enjoy a few extra travel perks.

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.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card, please click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card, please click here.

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