Credit Cards » Credit Card Reviews » Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express 2023 Review
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Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express 2023 Review

Author: Lorraine Smithills
Lorraine Smithills

Writer, Contributor

Experience

Lorraine is a freelance finance writer with years of experience in the banking sector and after a successful career in one of the largest retail and commercial financial services providers. She has a passion for helping people with less financial confidence to get control of their money through budgeting, saving, and responsible credit practices.

Review & Fact Check: Baruch Mann (Silvermann)

Baruch Mann (Silvermann)

Financial Expert, The Smart Investor CEO

Experience

Baruch Mann (Silvermann) is a financial expert and founder of The Smart Investor. Above all, he is passionate about teaching people how to manage their money and helping millions on their journey to a better financial future.
Author: Lorraine Smithills
Lorraine Smithills

Writer, Contributor

Experience

Lorraine is a freelance finance writer with years of experience in the banking sector and after a successful career in one of the largest retail and commercial financial services providers. She has a passion for helping people with less financial confidence to get control of their money through budgeting, saving, and responsible credit practices.

Review & Fact Check: Baruch Mann (Silvermann)

Baruch Mann (Silvermann)

Financial Expert, The Smart Investor CEO

Experience

Baruch Mann (Silvermann) is a financial expert and founder of The Smart Investor. Above all, he is passionate about teaching people how to manage their money and helping millions on their journey to a better financial future.

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Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express

Rewards Plan

1X – 2X 2X miles for every dollar spent at restaurants worldwide and Delta purchases and 1X miles for every dollar spent on other eligible purchases

Welcome Bonus

10,000 miles 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months

Credit Rating

Good – Excellent

0% Intro

None

Annual Fee

$0

APR

20.99%-29.99% Variable

Rates & Fees / Terms Apply

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express

Rates & Fees / Terms Apply

Rewards Plan

1X – 2X 2X miles for every dollar spent at restaurants worldwide and Delta purchases and 1X miles for every dollar spent on other eligible purchases

Welcome Bonus

10,000 miles 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months

0% Intro

None

PROS

CONS

APR

20.99%-29.99% Variable

Annual Fee

$0

Balance Transfer Fee

N/A

Credit Requirements

Good - Excellent

The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express card is designed for people who like to eat out, travel, fly Delta and get rewards for that -  without paying an annual fee.

The card offers 2X miles for every dollar spent at restaurants worldwide and Delta purchases and 1X miles for every dollar spent on other eligible purchases, and a welcome bonus of 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.

This makes it an excellent choice for less frequent flyers and those on a tighter budget. However, if you're a big spender, you may want to shop around for a travel card that can give you much higher benefits that probably covers the annual fee.

  • 20% Off In-Flight Purchases
  • Insurance for Car Rental Damage and Loss
  • American Express Experiences
  • Extended Warranty
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • Global Assist Hotline
  • Purchase Protection
  • Pay with Miles
  • No Free Checked Bags
  • Not For Frequent Travelers
  • No Priority Boarding
  • Not For Everyday Spending

In this Review

Benefits

You will receive a statement credit for 20% off your purchases of food, beverages, and audio headsets on Delta flights.

If you use your card to reserve and pay for the entire car rental and decline the rental company's collision damage waiver, you'll receive coverage for theft or damage to a rental vehicle in covered territories through your car.

This gives you access to exclusive events and ticket presales.

On eligible purchases, this feature extends the original manufacturer's warranty for an additional year.

You can use your card in countries other than the United States without incurring any foreign transaction fees.

If you are more than 100 miles away from home, you can call the Global Assist Hotline for emergency assistance or coordination service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This includes legal and medical referrals, assistance with missing luggage, and emergency cash wires.

When you use your card to make a purchase, you will be covered for up to 90 days. You can make a claim if your items are accidentally damaged or stolen during the covered purchase period.

For every 5,000 miles redeemed through the Pay with Miles platform to book Delta flights, you can receive up to $50 off the cost of your flights.

Unlike the other American Express travel cards, you don’t get any free checked bags for you or your travel companions, which could end up costing you several hundred dollars on round trip flights.

If you're a frequent traveler/flyer, you may want to look for other cards.

One of the perks of an airline card is that you can enjoy preferential treatment at the airport, such as priority boarding. However, this is one of the few Delta cards that does not offer this feature.

Compared to other cards with no annual fee, the amount of rewards for everyday spending is low.

Simulation: How Much Miles You Can Earn?

If you're a frequent traveler, there is no doubt you can leverage your SkyMiles Blue card to get a bunch of miles rewards, in addition to another benefits it offers. But how much exactly can you earn?

In order to understand that, we need to calculate the miles based on the card terms and spend per each category. However, everyone has its own habits, so it's important to adjust the according to your specific category breakdown.

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express

Spend Per Category
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express
$10,000 – U.S Supermarkets
10,000 miles
$4,000 – Restaurants
8,000 miles
$4,000 – Airline
8,000 miles
$3,000 – Hotels
3,000 miles
$4,000 – Gas
4,000 miles
Total Miles/Points
33,000 miles
Estimated Redemption Value (Flights)
1 mile = ~1.6 cents cent
Estimated Annual Value
$528

How to Maximize The SkyMiles Blue?

There are several things you can do to maximize the value of your Delta SkyMiles:

  • Check the Price Calendar: Delta has a price calendar where you can look up the prices and miles for up to five weeks of flights. If you have some flexibility with your travel dates, you will be able to find the best deals. If you can travel a day or two earlier or later, you could save thousands of miles.
  • Keep an eye out for flash sales: While Delta has a dynamic pricing system, they are free to have sales at any time. Even if you have no immediate plans to travel, it is worth checking in on a regular basis to see if there are any flash sales.
  • Avoid Delta Hubs: While it may seem counterintuitive, flying from a Delta hub can result in a penalty. Delta can take advantage of its loyal customers by charging higher rates from its major hubs. So, if you're not in a rush, consider slightly longer flights that bypass Delta hubs in favor of neighboring airports and other airline hubs.
  • Book Round Trips: While a one-way flight may give you more flexibility, it will cost you more SkyMIles. If you book the same flights as one-way trips, you may end up paying significantly more miles.
  • Avoid Last Minute Bookings: If you're using SkyMiles, the rates for a flight can skyrocket if you book late, so try to plan ahead and keep an eye out for a better deal.

What Customers Think?

Customers are pleased with how simple it is to qualify for the welcome bonus, which requires only $500 in spending within the first three months.

Negative reviews indicate that some people, despite having a good to excellent credit score, have difficulty qualifying for the card. Fortunately, you can use the American Express website to pre-qualify and avoid having a hard pull on your credit.

Bottom Line: When You Should Consider It?

Here are the main cases you'll want to consider the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express:

  • You Don't Want to Pay an Annual Fee: It's unusual to find an airline credit card that doesn't charge an annual fee. While this card may not have a large number of benefits, you won't have to pay an annual fee, so you can start saving right away.
  • You Enjoy Eating Out: While most airline cards favor airline purchases, this card allows you to earn the same number of miles per dollar spent at restaurants, including takeout and delivery. Even if you're not a frequent flyer, you can still earn SkyMiles.
  • You Want Insurance Protections: Not only does this card provide purchase protection against damage or theft for 90 days after purchase, but you can also benefit from car rental damage and loss insurance by paying for the rental with your card and declining the rental desk collision damage waiver.

Compare The Alternatives

If you're looking for an airline credit card with basic travel rewards, there are some good alternatives:

Bank of America® travel rewards

capital-one-venture

chase_sapphire_preffered

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Annual Fee
$0
$95
$95
Rewards
1.5X 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on all purchases everywhere, every time and no expiration on points
2X 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, plus 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
2X – 5X 5x total points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x points on dining and online grocery purchases and 2x on other travel purchases. Plus, earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
25,000 points 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening – which can be redeemed for a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases
75,000 miles
60,000 points 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Foreign Transaction Fee
0%
None
0%
Purchase APR
18.24% – 28.24% Variable APR will apply. A 3% fee (min $0) applies to all balance transfers
20.99% – 28.99% (Variable)
21.24%–28.24% variable APR

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Lorraine Smithills

Lorraine Smithills

Lorraine is a freelance finance writer with years of experience in the banking sector and after a successful career in one of the largest retail and commercial financial services providers. She has a passion for helping people with less financial confidence to get control of their money through budgeting, saving, and responsible credit practices.
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Rewards Plan:
1X – 2X 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar on grocery stores and eligible American Airlines purchases, and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases
Welcome Bonus: 10,000 miles 10,000 miles and $50 statement credit if you spend $500 in first 3 months

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Rewards Plan:
1X – 2X 2x per $1 spent on United purchases, hotel accommodations, restaurants & eligible delivery services and 1x per $1 spent on all other purchases
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Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card Review

Rewards Plan:
1X – 2X 2X miles on delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide (including take-out and delivery in the U.S) and at U.S. supermarkets, and 1x miles on all other eligible purchases
Welcome Bonus: 40,000 Miles 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months

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The product offers that appear on this site are from companies from which this website receives compensation. 

Table of Contents

Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

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In order to determine the best possible credit cards, we look at things like fees, interest rates and rewards. We do this with companies that are associated with us as partners as well as other offerings. From there, we make a decision about what the best card is related to different categories and needs. We focus on interest rate cost & fees, especially the cost of carrying a balance, rewards – cards accumulate rewards in different currencies—points, miles, cash back—and their values vary widely usability – cards that accept a wide range of credit profiles and offer simple solutions for things like checking your credit score or contacting. We also consider customer reviews.

We look at cards related to good or excellent credit ratings that will then provide a range of different benefits and improvements for someone who has these scores. We also look at low fees when it comes to those who have lower credit scores.