Which credit card should you use for Delta Air Lines flights?

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Before you reach for your wallet to pay for a Delta Air Lines flight, you might pause to wonder which credit card to use. Should you use the one that says “Delta” on the front, or should you pay with something …

Jun 25, 2025 - 17:08

Which credit card should you use for Delta Air Lines flights?

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Before you reach for your wallet to pay for a Delta Air Lines flight, you might pause to wonder which credit card to use. Should you use the one that says “Delta” on the front, or should you pay with something else?

In many credit card decisions, you may have to sacrifice benefits to earn additional points and miles. Does that hold true here?

Let’s look at which credit cards you might use to pay for a Delta flight and the benefits associated with your options.

Comparing credit cards for Delta Air Lines flights

In addition to using a Delta cobranded credit card, you could also pay with a travel rewards card that earns transferable points on travel purchases, such as your next flight reservation with Delta. Here are some cards you might pay with and what you could get when using these cards:

Card name	Earning rate on Delta flights†	Value of the rewards earned*	Delta-related benefits from the card	Annual fee
[applyLink pid=”6573″ overridetext=”Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card”] and [applyLink pid=”7840″ overridetext=”Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card”]	3 miles per dollar	3.75 cents	15 annual visits to Delta Sky Club lounges when traveling on a same-day, Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight. Four one-time Sky Club guest passes Annual companion certificate 1 Medallion Qualification Dollar for every $10 spent, with no limit on how many MQDs can be earned through credit card spending 2,500 MQD boost each year Priority boarding on Delta flights 20% back as a statement credit on inflight purchases of food, beverages and headsets	$650 (see [termsConditions pid=”6573″ overridetext=”rates and fees”] for the Delta Reserve; see [termsConditions pid=”7840″ overridetext=”rates and fees”] for the Delta Reserve Business)
[applyLink pid=”220310483″ overridetext=”Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card”] and [applyLink pid=”7839″ overridetext=”Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card”]	3 miles per dollar	3.75 cents	Annual companion certificate 1 MQD for every $20 spent, with no limit on how many MQDs can be earned through credit card spending 2,500 MQD boost each year Priority boarding on Delta flights 20% back as a statement credit on inflight purchases of food, beverages and headsets	$350 (see [termsConditions pid=”220310483″ overridetext=”rates and fees”] for the Delta Platinum; see [termsConditions pid=”7839″ overridetext=”rates and fees”] for Delta Platinum Business)
[applyLink pid=”22034414″ overridetext=”Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card”] and [applyLink pid=”7838″ overridetext=”Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card”]	2 miles per dollar	2.5 cents	Free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation Priority boarding on Delta flights 20% back as a statement credit on inflight purchases of food, beverages and headsets $200 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 or more on your card within a calendar year	$0 introductory annual fee, then $150 (see [termsConditions pid=”22034414″ overridetext=”rates and fees”] for the Delta Gold; see [termsConditions pid=”7838″ overridetext=”rates and fees”] for the Delta Gold Business)
[applyLink pid=”220312222″ overridetext=”Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card”]	2 miles per dollar	2.5 cents	20% back as a statement credit on inflight purchases of food and beverages	$0 (see [termsConditions pid=”220312222″ overridetext=”rates and fees”])
[applyLink pid=”22504813″ overridetext=”The Platinum Card® from American Express”]	5 points per dollar (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)	10 cents	Delta Sky Club access (when traveling on same-day Delta flights; eligible Platinum Card Members will receive 10 Visits per eligible Platinum Card per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight.) Choose Delta as your preferred airline to cover up to $200 per calendar year in airline incidental statement credits for things like checked baggage or preferred seat fees (enrollment required; terms apply)	$695 (see [termsConditions pid=”22504813″ overridetext=”rates and fees”])
[applyLink pid=”221211836″ overridetext=”Chase Sapphire Reserve®”] (see [termsConditions pid=”221211836″ overridetext=”rates and fees”])	4 points per dollar (or 8 points per dollar if booked via Chase Travel℠)	8.2 cents (or 16.4 cents)	None, but some purchases can be offset by the $300 annual travel credits offered on the card	$795
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card	2 miles per dollar (or 5 miles per dollar if booked in the Capital One Travel portal)	3.7 cents (or 9.25 cents)	None, but some purchases can be offset by the $300 annual credit available when booking with Capital One Travel	$395

† On flights purchased directly with Delta
*Bonus value is based on TPG’s June 2025 valuations and does not come from the card issuer.

Which card should you use for Delta Air Lines flights?

There are no real trade-offs you must consider with Delta when it comes to enjoying benefits and earning as many points and miles as possible.

Benefits like free checked bags and priority boarding are attached to your Delta SkyMiles number, not the credit card you pay with. That means you could theoretically pay for your Delta flight with the [applyLink pid=”22504813″ overridetext=”Amex Platinum”] to enjoy its insurance benefits and its unparalleled earning rates on flight purchases.

However, you would still enjoy checked bag benefits and early boarding benefits that come from having the [applyLink pid=”6573″ overridetext=”Amex Delta Reserve”], for example, even though you didn’t pay for your flight with that card.

a Delta sign next to empty economy seats on a plane — Inside a Delta A220-300 aircraft. ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

The only situation in which you must use your card is when you make an onboard purchase with Delta. To enjoy your 20% discount (in the form of a statement credit), make inflight food and beverage purchases with your eligible Delta card; if you pay with another card, you won’t receive this benefit. You may also be asked to show your [applyLink pid=”6573″ overridetext=”Delta Reserve”] or [applyLink pid=”7840″ overridetext=”Delta Reserve Business”] card when visiting lounges before your flight.

Outside of flights, use your Delta card to enjoy perks like MQD boosts from making purchases on the Delta Reserve and Delta Platinum cards. But this may not impact which card you use to pay for your Delta flight, assuming you’re meeting those spending thresholds through other purchases.

If you’re interested in knowing more about these credit card-related benefits that help you achieve Delta elite status, read how to earn Delta Medallion elite status without flying.

Bottom line

Options abound; there are many different credit cards you could use when paying for a flight — whether that’s buying a cash ticket at a great price or paying the taxes and fees when redeeming your miles. If you’re making a reservation with Delta, there are many benefits you may be able to enjoy on your flight simply by having a Delta credit card in your wallet.

The good news is that you can enjoy many of these benefits regardless of which credit card you use to pay for your flight. This leaves you free to use whichever card you want to enjoy the insurance protections or bonus points offered on other cards in your wallet.

For rates and fees of the Amex Delta Reserve card, click [termsConditions pid=”6573″ overridetext=”here”].
For rates and fees of the Amex Delta Reserve Business card, click [termsConditions pid=”7840″ overridetext=”here”].
For rates and fees of the Amex Delta Platinum card, click [termsConditions pid=”220310483″ overridetext=”here”].
For rates and fees of the Amex Delta Platinum Business card, click [termsConditions pid=”7839″ overridetext=”here”].
For rates and fees of the Amex Delta Gold card, click [termsConditions pid=”22034414″ overridetext=”here”].
For rates and fees of the Amex Delta Gold Business card, click [termsConditions pid=”7838″ overridetext=”here”].
For rates and fees of the Amex Delta Blue card, click [termsConditions pid=”220312222″ overridetext=”here”].
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click [termsConditions pid=”22504813″ overridetext=”here”].