Updated
Feb 28, 2022 Some offers mentioned on this page may be outdated. To confirm offers and credit card details, check the issuer’s website.
Card Summary
Pros
- No annual fee. Other airline cards, including the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card, charge annual fees of $95 or more after the first year.
- Earn extra points and rewards on all Delta purchases, including two miles per dollar when shopping with Delta and a 20 percent statement credit for eligible purchases on Delta flights.
- A generous 10,000-mile bonus after just $500 in spending.
Cons
- Earn just one mile per dollar on most purchases.
- Welcome offer of 10,000 bonus miles is not available to cardholders with other Delta SkyMiles Cards or the Delta Reserve card.
- No zero percent intro APR and no zero percent balance transfer offers.
- There are foreign transaction fees.
Recommended Credit Score:
Very good to excellent credit
Is the Blue Delta SkyMiles Credit Card Right for You?
If you’re a frequent Delta traveler or restaurant-goer, the Blue Delta SkyMiles Credit Card is an option worth considering. You’ll benefit from rewards that are easy to claim — as long as you travel on Delta or participating partner airlines — as well as the ability to obtain Delta perks without paying an annual fee for your card.
If you’re a bigger spender, competing cards — including the Gold Delta SkyMiles credit card – may suit you better. And if you don’t shop with Delta or don’t want to redeem your credit card rewards for travel, this card is definitely not the right choice for you.
In this review:
- Benefits of the Blue Delta SkyMiles Credit Card
- Downsides of the Blue Delta SkyMiles Credit Card
- How it Compares to Similar Cards
Benefits of the Blue Delta SkyMiles Credit Card
Good for Low Spenders
The Blue Delta SkyMiles credit card is ideal if you’re a frequent Delta flyer who eats out often, but your spending isn’t very high. That’s because this card is the only Delta card without an annual fee. If you want to earn bonus rewards for flying Delta, alternatives include the Gold or Platinum Delta SkyMiles rewards cards — with annual fees of $95 and $195 respectively — or the Delta Reserve card with an annual fee of $450.
Sign-Up Bonus, Rewards, & Flight Savings
Earning the 10,000-mile bonus for new cardholders is easy with the Blue SkyMiles card since you only need to spend $500, compared with $1,000 in required spending to earn 30,000 bonus miles with the Gold SkyMiles card. And, not only do you get two miles per dollar on restaurant purchases and when shopping with Delta Airlines, but you also get 20% cash back in the form of a statement credit for in-flight purchases of food, beverages, or audio headsets on Delta flights.
Global Assist Hotline
As an added bonus, you’ll have access to a 24/7 Global Assist hotline when you’re more than 100 miles from home. This hotline provides medical, financial, and legal help, as well as basic assistance with misplacing a lost passport or missing luggage. And your card provides car rental insurance for damage or theft.
Downsides of the Blue Delta SkyMiles Credit Card
Low Rewards Rate
The Blue Delta SkyMiles card offers just one mile per dollar spent on all purchases not at restaurants or with Delta Airlines. While this is pretty standard for travel cards, other cash back cards may be more generous with rewards for everyday shopping. The Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa, for example, offers 1.5% back on all purchases.
No Intro APR Rate
The Blue Delta SkyMiles card also doesn’t offer a 0% intro APR either for purchases or balance transfers and — perhaps the biggest con of all for frequent travelers — the card charges a 2.7% foreign transaction fee.
Light on Travel Perks
Also, this card is lacking in extra travel perks such as access to specialty airport lounges, priority boarding, or a statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, which many airline credit card companies offer.
How it Compares to Similar Cards
The Blue Delta SkyMiles card has a lower spending requirement to earn the bonus than some competitors.
The Wells Fargo Propel, a competitor travel card from American Express, has some features the Blue SkyMiles card doesn’t, including a zero percent introductory APR for 12 months and no foreign transaction fees. The Propel – which provides triple points on dining out, ordering in, gas, ride-shares, flights, hotels, homestays, and popular streaming services – also has a more comprehensive rewards program. So, it’s likely a better option for customers who aren’t frequent Delta travelers.
Some of the other Delta SkyMiles cards are also worth considering due to bigger signup bonuses and better perks, including free bags and priority boarding – as long as you earn enough rewards to make up for the annual fee you’ll pay after the first year.
Bottom Line
If you’re a frequent flyer on Delta but don’t spend enough to justify a card with an annual fee, give the Blue Delta SkyMiles credit card a careful look. But, be sure to compare it to other Delta cards as well as to competitors that may offer more generous rewards and won’t charge fees for using your card abroad.