6 Delta Blue Benefits You Didn’t Know About
-
Written by
Ana Gotter
-
Edited by
Emily Gadd
-
Reviewed by
Jasmin Baron
The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card is an introductory card for people who like to fly Delta.
Although the other Delta SkyMiles cards have more advanced perks, the Delta Blue comes with some interesting benefits without an annual fee.
1. Earn SkyMiles for Your Purchases
One of the biggest advantages of the Amex Delta Blue card is that you can earn SkyMiles on every purchase. Here are your earning options with the card:
- Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Earn 2x miles on dining at restaurants worldwide and take out and delivery in the U.S.
- Earn 2x miles on purchases made directly with Delta (such as airfare and in-flight food and beverages)
- Earn 1x miles on all other purchases
These miles add up. You can take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay With Miles when you book on Delta’s site.
When I know I’ll need to book a flight soon for an upcoming trip, I’ll use my card as often as possible to earn additional miles. I also always make sure to use it when making any purchases through Delta for the welcome offer.
If you open your card when you’re planning a trip, it can be astonishingly easy to spend that first $1,000 in a few months. When I opened my card, two plane tickets, hotel reservations and the rental car reservation alone helped me cross the $1,000 threshold.
2. Rental Car Damage and Theft Coverage
When you use your Delta Blue card to reserve and pay for a rental car, you can be covered for damage to or theft of the vehicle, though certain conditions apply:
- You must pay for the entire rental on your Delta Blue card.
- You must decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) at the counter of the rental car company.
- Coverage is extended to the cardholder and their spouse, domestic partner or authorized drivers.
- Coverage is secondary, which means you’ll have to file a claim with your personal auto insurance policy first (if you have one); Amex’s insurance only covers amounts your personal policy doesn’t, such as a deductible.
- Coverage lasts for up to 30 days per rental, and includes up to $50,000 in coverage in the event of damage or theft.
- Some vehicle types or rentals are excluded.
- Coverage isn’t extended to vehicles rented in New Zealand, Italy or Australia.
- Liability coverage is not included.
While this is only secondary car rental insurance, it’s an incredible benefit to have for a no-annual-fee travel credit card. A friend had her rental car broken into during her honeymoon, and ended up having to pay around $500 out of pocket to cover the damages. This coverage likely would have prevented them from needing to pay anything.
3. Extended Warranty and Purchase Protection
The Delta Blue card has several perks that help protect your purchases made with the card.
The first is its purchase protection benefit, which can reimburse you up to $1,000 per covered purchase and up to $50,000 per calendar year if a covered event results in damage or theft in the 90 days after a purchase.
This means if you purchased a $1,500 laptop with the Delta Blue card that was stolen from your locked car, you may be able to get $1,000 back.
The Delta Blue card also has extended warranty perks for purchases you make with it. It provides up to an additional year of coverage on top of manufacturer’s warranties of five years or less, with up to $10,000 in coverage per item and up to $50,000 in a calendar year.
So, if you buy a new kitchen mixer with the card and it stops working two days after the three-year warranty ends, you could use the card’s extended warranty perks.
4. In-Flight Discounts
If you want to avoid spending too much money on airport food, you can use the Delta Blue card to purchase in-flight food and beverages and get a 20% savings as a statement credit. This includes both pre-purchased meals and in-flight purchases on Delta-operated flights that are made with your SkyMiles card.
It’s important to note that savings don’t apply to other in-flight purchases like wireless internet access. Your card also must not be past due in order to get the savings.
5. Special Event Ticket Access
The Delta Blue card gives you access to special Amex Presale Tickets.
This allows members to get access to tickets early during dedicated presale periods.
Some events may also have Amex Reserved Tickets for certain events. These tickets must be purchased using an American Express card, but this feature may give you an advantage if you’re trying to snag seats for an in-demand event and some are reserved for Amex Members.
6. Amex Offers
Delta Blue cardholders can participate in Amex Offers for additional savings in the form of a statement credit. You need to enroll in an offer either online or through the American Express App, then pay for the qualifying purchase with your card.
For example, you might have an Amex Offer for an extra 6% savings if you purchase through a wholesale store. If you enroll in the offer and then make the purchase using your card, you’ll get that 6% back as a statement credit.
For the Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance on the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For the Purchase Protection on the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, when an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For the Extended Warranty on the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card,When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Frequently Asked Questions About Amex Delta Blue Benefits
Can I get the welcome offer if I’ve had other Delta SkyMiles Cards?
You may not be eligible if you either have or have already had a Delta Blue card or any of the other Delta SkyMiles cards. You also might not be eligible based on factors like your credit card balance transfer history or your history as an American Express card member. Amex’s “Apply With Confidence” feature allows you to know if you’ll be approved during the application process before accepting the card.
Does the Delta Blue card have foreign transaction fees?
No, the Delta Blue card doesn’t have any foreign transaction fees.
Do you get a free checked bag with the Delta Blue card?
No, you don’t get a free checked bag with the Delta Blue card, though other cards in the Delta Amex product line do offer a free checked bag as a perk.
How to upgrade a Delta Blue card to Delta Gold?
You can request an upgrade from your Delta Blue card to a Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (an advertising partner) by calling the number on the back of your card. You may also get upgrade offers preemptively, but remember that all other SkyMiles cards have annual fees.
Will Delta Blue help me earn Delta Medallion Status faster?
No, the Delta Blue card does not help you earn Medallion Status faster. Some other cards, like the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, our advertising partners, earn Medallion® Qualification Dollars (MQD) for spending on purchases, which can help you fast-track to the next status tier.
