Compare the Features and Benefits of Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card and
Chase Aeroplan® Credit Card

While at first it may be tempting to want a Delta American Express card with no annual fee, there’s little reason to get this card over all of the other six Delta SkyMiles credit cards from American Express considering that it is the most basic Delta credit card.

While there is no annual fee, of the 7 cards linked above, this is the only one that does not have:

• Priority Boarding
• Free Checked Bag
• A waiver on the MQD requirement to earn Delta Medallion Elite status when you spend $25,000 in a calendar year.
• The TakeOff15 benefit, which offers a 15% discount on SkyMiles award travel on Delta marketed and operated flights

Those are some HUGE benefits to give up. You’ll get TakeOff15, priority boarding and a free checked bag with the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card. The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card allows you to earn MQDs for spend (and comes with an annual companion certificate that allows you to fly a friend or family member for the cost of government-imposed taxes (roughly under $80) for round trip domestic flights.

And while 2X miles on restaurants worldwide sounds good on the Delta Blue SkyMiles card, consider that there are two Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards that earn more on dining: The American Express® Gold Card (4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X) and the American Express® Green Card (3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent). And American Express Membership Rewards points can transfer to Delta – but they can also transfer to a huge range of other airlines and hotels. Isn’t flexibility better? Why be tied to one mileage program, Delta, when you mind find a better mileage deal elsewhere? Remember, you can fly Delta exclusively and collect lots of SkyMiles that way, but it doesn’t mean that should be all you earn on your credit cards….

In my opinion, the best reason for having a Delta Blue is when you have one of the annual fee Delta cards is your oldest credit card and want to downgrade to a no annual fee card to keep your credit score intact.

But other than that, 99% of people would come out ahead paying the annual fee on one of the other six Delta SkyMiles credit cards from American Express and taking advantage of the benefits that come with them.

Rates and Fees for the Blue Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express

Air Canada debuted a one-of-a-kind airline credit card, available for applicants for its most loyal U.S. flyers. By opening an Aeroplan credit card account, you can get access to extensive benefits when you fly Air Canada, travel and purchase protections and more. Additionally, the Air Canada card is one of the only cards that reimburse your application fee for NEXUS (or you have the flexibility to choose Global Entry ot TSA PreCheck instead).

The rewards rate on the Aeroplan credit card is pretty stellar: earn 3x points per dollar spent on restaurants, groceries and Air Canada directly and 1x point on other eligible purchases. You can redeem points for Air Canada operated flights and its partner airlines, which demonstrates the flexibility of this valuable rewards currency. For instance, you can book domestic economy flights on United starting at 6,500 points one-way, or a business class ticket to Asia for 60,000 points one-way on award-winning carriers like ANA or Singapore Airlines.

The Aeroplan card continues to show off its versatility beyond Air Canada-exclusive perks, as you can redeem your points to cover any travel purchase through Chase’s Pay Yourself Back program for 1.25 cents apiece. That means 100,000 Aeroplan points redeemed is worth $1,250 in travel value.

And if you do fly with Air Canada, you can get your first checked bag free, which can be a huge money-saving benefit. Finally, reap the rewards of automatic 25K elite status for up to two years of card membership, getting you two Air Canada lounge passes, annual upgrade credits to enjoy an elevated inflight experience and more.