Best cards at Delta Air Lines

Good to know at Delta Air Lines

Delta accepts every major card network, online and at the counter, so this ranking comes down to pure earn rates. The Platinum Card from American Express leads at 5x on flights booked directly with the airline, but it carries an $895 annual fee and a $500,000-a-year cap, with 1x after it. The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card is next at 4x on travel, airfare included, with no annual fee.

Three more cards match that 4x, and cost separates them. The U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card caps its 4x at $150,000 a year combined with its other travel, gas and EV charging spend, then 1x, for $95 after a $0 first year. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Visa Card costs $95 and adds a $50 annual statement credit after an airline purchase of $50 or more; Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 4x on flights booked directly, for $795 a year.

Delta's own cards sit lower. The highest-ranked one here, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card, earns 3x on purchases made directly with Delta for $350 a year, which we value near 3.3%. The Air France KLM Visa Signature Credit Card also earns 3x on SkyTeam airlines, near 3.6% by our valuation, though its issuer's terms do not name Delta explicitly. And since the ranking is identical online or at the airport, one decision covers every channel.

The math

Spend $250 a month at Delta Air Lines and The Platinum Card from American Express returns about $150 a year at our valuations — a flat 2% card returns $60.