These 2 Credit Cards Can Help You Get Delta Air Lines Elite Status
KEY POINTS
- The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card can help with earning Medallion Status.
- Both cards include a MQD Headstart and MQD Boost feature.
- If you fly with the same airline often, it might be worth opening a credit card with that airline -- just review the benefits first.
Delta made some changes to its SkyMiles program last year. If you want to earn Medallion Status, it's now all based on your Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs). The thresholds for 2025 Status are:
- $5,000 MQDs for Silver Medallion Status
- $10,000 MQDs for Gold Medallion Status
- $15,000 MQDs for Platinum Medallion Status
- $28,000 MQDs for Diamond Medallion Status
You earn $1 MQD per $1 spent on tickets with Delta and its partner airlines. There's also a way to speed up the process of earning those MQDs: Opening one of the following Delta credit cards.
1. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorOn American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: n/a
Regular APR
20.99%-29.99% Variable
Rewards Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
1X-3X miles
Annual Fee
$650
Welcome Offer Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
60,000 Bonus Miles
-
This card comes with huge perks if you are a loyal Delta customer. The annual fee pays for itself in a hurry if you are able to take advantage of all this card has to offer. Read Full Review
-
- Welcome offer
- Airport lounge access
- Companion certificate
- Travel credits
- Free checked bag
- Annual fee
- Lackluster bonus amount
-
- Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Reserve your piece of history with the new limited edition Boeing 747 Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card design.
- Enjoy complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club® and bring up to two guests or immediate family members at a rate of $50 per person per visit when flying Delta. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
- Receive four Delta Sky Club® One-Time Guest Passes each year when you fly together on Delta. After that, you may bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 per person, per location.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.
- Earn $1 Medallion® Qualification Dollar for each $10 of purchases made on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card in a calendar year and get a boost toward achieving elevated Medallion Status for next Medallion Year.
- Receive a Companion Certificate on First Class, Delta Comfort+®, or Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- $240 Resy Credit: With the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Resy Credit, earn up to $20 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases using your enrolled Card.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: You can earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers after you pay with your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. Enrollment Required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve 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.
- With your Card receive upgrade priority over other Medallion Members within the same Medallion level and fare class.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- MQD Headstart: Receive $2,500 MQDs each Medallion Qualification Year. Terms apply.
- MQD Boost: Earn $1 MQD for each $10 of purchases made on your card. Terms apply.
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card is Delta's top credit card. It has all the bells and whistles -- and a $650 annual fee (see rates and fees). Yes, the annual fee is enormous.
Benefits include Delta Sky Club® Access when traveling with Delta, access to The Centurion Lounge® when you book your flight with your Reserve card, and a Delta Reserve Companion Certificate each year you renew your card by paying the annual fee (you still need to pay government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80). This card also includes a free checked bag for you and up to eight additional travelers on your reservation. Terms apply.
If you're going for Medallion Status, this card will help quite a bit. You could earn Silver Medallion Status with $25,000 in purchases on your card. That will earn you $2,500 MQDs, and you'll have another $2,500 MQDs from the MQD Headstart. With a combination of booking Delta flights and using this Delta card, it's much easier to reach the higher Medallion status tiers. Terms apply.
2. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorOn American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: n/a
Regular APR
20.99%-29.99% Variable
Rewards 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.
1X-3X Miles
Annual Fee
$350
Welcome Offer Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership
50,000 Bonus Miles
-
The welcome offer, bonus miles categories, and Delta perks make this card's annual fee worth it if you fly on the carrier regularly. Read Full Review
-
- Welcome offer
- Free checked bag
- Companion certificate
- Travel credit
- Annual fee
- No complimentary airport lounge access
-
- Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Receive a Companion Certificate on Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.
- 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 $1 Medallion® Qualification Dollar for each $20 of purchases made on your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card in a calendar year and get a boost toward achieving Medallion Status for next Medallion Year.
- 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.
- $120 Resy Credit: With the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Resy Credit, earn up to $10 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases using your enrolled Card.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: You can earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers after you pay with your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. Enrollment Required.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Receive Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive $100 back for Global Entry or up to $85 back for TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- 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.
- Terms Apply.
- MQD Headstart: Receive $2,500 MQDs each Medallion Qualification Year. Terms apply.
- MQD Boost: Earn $1 MQD for each $20 of purchases made on your card. Terms apply.
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is another premium Delta card, but not nearly as expensive. It has a $350 annual fee (see rates and fees), so it probably seems downright affordable compared to what we just saw.
This Delta card also offers an annual companion certificate each year you renew it by paying the annual fee. Once again, you'll need to pay government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80. It's not quite as valuable, because it can't be used for First Class or Delta Comfort+®, but it could still save you plenty of money if you travel with a companion. Terms apply.
The MQD Headstart on this card is exactly the same, but the MQD Boost isn't quite as big of a boost. You'll earn half as many MQDs as you would with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. But you'll also be paying a much lower annual fee, and this card's MQD Boost is still useful. With that and the MQD Headstart, you could earn Silver Medallion Status with $50,000 in purchases on your card. Terms apply.
Should you open a Delta credit card?
Airline credit cards are usually a good choice if you fly with the same airline often. You can earn miles with the airline, potentially earn elite status more quickly, and get other valuable perks every time you fly.
If you're trying to earn Medallion Status this year, then it's probably worth getting one of those Delta credit cards. Before you make a decision, spend some time reviewing the benefits to see how much value you'll get from the card. Both cards have hefty annual fees. Make sure you'll be getting your money's worth, and if you're not sure, there are plenty of other travel credit cards out there.
| Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Apply Now for Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
On American Express' Secure Website. Terms apply |
Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
60,000 Bonus Miles Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | 1X-3X miles Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro: Purchases: n/a Balance Transfers: n/a Regular: 20.99%-29.99% Variable |
|
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Apply Now for Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
On American Express' Secure Website. Terms apply |
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
50,000 Bonus Miles Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership | 1X-3X Miles 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. |
Intro: Purchases: n/a Balance Transfers: n/a Regular: 20.99%-29.99% Variable |
Alert: our top-rated cash back card now has 0% intro APR until 2025
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Our Research Expert
Lyle Daly is a freelance writer who has been covering personal finance since 2016.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent, a Motley Fool service, does not cover all offers on the market. The Ascent has a dedicated team of editors and analysts focused on personal finance, and they follow the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
For rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, click here
For rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here
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