CreditCardGuru

You’ve probably seen the commercials for Delta SkyMiles credit card, but read this review before you hop on the bandwagon and apply for this airline card.


American Express
Amex has partnered with Delta Airlines to issue this credit card. This is not a new relationship as they have been working together for years. Make no mistake about it – American Express is a great creditor. In fact, along with Discover, the two companies have consistently ranked highest in customer satisfaction and service. So they’re a great company to do business with. But just because a business is great, it doesn’t mean they are necessarily the best choice for everyone.

Fees & Interest
The most common card is the Gold Delta Skymiles credit card, which carries a $95.00 annual fee. Although that’s not horrible, it’s not the best deal either (you will find out why in a moment). At the time of this review, the APR on it for purchases is the prime rate plus an additional 9.99%, which currently equals out to be 13.24%. But keep in mind because this is a variable rate which is tied to the prime rate, it will inevitably go higher since right now the prime rate is at historically low levels due to the economy.

Rewards
Of course, this is probably the primary reason you are interested in this credit card. We are interested in airline partner cards because we assume they will offer us “more bang for our buck” and reward us more for our dollar. Unfortunately when it comes to this one, it’s really hard to see the value in it for most people. Here’s why…

How Many Miles For Your Spending?
You earn 1 mile for every $1 you spend. That equals out to basically be 1% (or less) on your spending. Now we all know just about every piece of plastic on the market today offers 1% cash back, so that reason in itself is not a very compelling benefit.

Also remember that due to raising fuel prices the last few years, the age old rule of 25,000 points = one domestic round trip ticket rarely applies anymore. Often you end up needing to redeem 37,500 to 60,000 miles at the very least just to get a domestic roundtrip ticket.

That means you will be needing to spend a lot before you reap the rewards. True, they do offer double miles on Delta purchases, but even if half of all your spending was on their airfare, that still only equals out to be 1.5% overall. Plus, when you factor in the $95 annual fee, it makes the Delta SkyMiles credit card a tough pill to swallow. You can do better…

The Clear Winner
There is one airline mileage credit card on the market that beats them all that I can’t recommend enough, it offers 2 points for every dollar spent. Yes, you read correctly, 2 points! On top of that, you can redeem them on any airline, any flight. So you don’t have to be restricted just to Delta if you find a better deal elsewhere. Plus the annual fee is only $60.

What’s the card? It’s the Escape card by Discover. Please note I am part of the Discover affiliate network program, but I'm also part of Amex's too. The reason I choose to promote this card is because I truly believe it offers a much better value. Read my Discover Escape Review which includes a special link to get 25,000 free bonus miles for signing up!
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