Aeroplan® Card vs Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card
Annual fees: Aeroplan® Card $195/yr, Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Aeroplan® Card on travel, Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card on dining.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Aeroplan® CardChase · $195/yr
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express CardAmerican Express · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Aeroplan® Card$195Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card$0Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Aeroplan® Card75,000 pointsDelta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card10,000 miles
- Rewards
- Aeroplan® CardAeroplan Loyalty ProgramDelta SkyMiles Blue American Express CardDelta SkyMiles
- Foreign transaction fee
- Aeroplan® CardNoneDelta SkyMiles Blue American Express CardNone
- Network
- Aeroplan® CardMastercard World EliteDelta SkyMiles Blue American Express CardAmerican Express
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Travel
- Aeroplan® Card3xHighestDelta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card1x
- Dining
- Aeroplan® Card2xDelta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card2x
- Gas Stations
- Aeroplan® Card2xHighestDelta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card1x
- Grocery Stores
- Aeroplan® Card2xHighestDelta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card1x
- Everything else
- Aeroplan® Card1xDelta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Aeroplan® Card
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS · $120 every 4 years
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card- 20% inflight purchases
- Dining & delivery
- Aeroplan® Card
- DoorDash DashPass
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card— - Other credits
- Aeroplan® Card
- Up to $100 in Air Canada credits · $50 every 6 months
- Credit Journey
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- Aeroplan® Card
- Automatic Aeroplan 25K Status
- Aeroplan 35K Status at $75,000 spend
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card— - Airline perks
- Aeroplan® Card
- 15% off Air Canada flight redemptions
- Free First Checked Bags
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card— - Other perks
- Aeroplan® Card
- No foreign transaction fees
- Mastercard 24/7 Concierge
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- 24/7 global travel assistance
- No foreign transaction fees
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Aeroplan® Card
- Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance · up to $1,500
- Trip Delay Reimbursement · up to $500
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card— - Baggage
- Aeroplan® Card
- Baggage Delay Insurance · up to $100
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card— - Rental car
- Aeroplan® Card
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card- Secondary car rental insurance coverage
- Purchase & returns
- Aeroplan® Card
- Purchase Protection · up to $500
- 24/7 Fraud Monitoring
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card- Up to $10,000 per item against damage or theft
- Extended warranty
- Aeroplan® Card—Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card
- Extended warranty adds up to 1 year
- Other protections
- Aeroplan® Card
- Roadside Assistance
Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Aeroplan® Card—Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card
- No annual fee makes it easy to keep long-term
- 2x miles on Delta purchases and at U.S. restaurants
- 20% back on in-flight Delta purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- Pay with Miles feature for partial flight redemptions
- Cons
- Aeroplan® Card—Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card
- No free checked bag or priority boarding
- Weak 10,000 mile welcome bonus compared to premium Delta cards
- 1x on non-category spend limits earning potential
- Rewards locked in Delta SkyMiles (no transfer partners)
- No elite status boost or companion certificate
Category-by-Category Winner
The Aeroplan® Card wins in 3 of 3 categories. The Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card leads in 0.
Grocery Stores
Aeroplan® Card earns 2X vs 1X
Travel
Aeroplan® Card earns 3X vs 1X
Gas Stations
Aeroplan® Card earns 2X vs 1X
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
| Scenario | Aeroplan® Card | Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $250 Credits (our usable estimate): $93 − Annual fee ($195) Ongoing: $148 Year one: $1,123 | Rewards: $166 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $166 Year one: $286 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Aeroplan® Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $998 Credits (our usable estimate): $93 − Annual fee ($195) Ongoing: $896 Year one: $1,871 | Rewards: $662 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $662 Year one: $782 | Aeroplan® Card | Aeroplan® Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Aeroplan® Card costs $195/yr — that's $195 more than the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $195 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The Aeroplan® Card includes travel credits, dining credits, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, free checked bags. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $195 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $195 fee gap means the Aeroplan® Card needs roughly $195 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on travel and dining and everyday spend.
What You Give Up
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card means losing:
- -Free checked bags
- -Global Entry credit
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Aeroplan® Card if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
The Bottom Line
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
Published annual fees: Aeroplan® Card $195/yr, Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card $0/yr — a $195 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Aeroplan® Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Aeroplan® Card costs $195/yr vs $0/yr for the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $195 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Aeroplan® Card also lists travel credits, dining credits).
- Which card earns more rewards, the Aeroplan® Card or Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card?
- Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the Aeroplan® Card have that the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card doesn't?
- The Aeroplan® Card offers travel credits, dining credits. The Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card offers travel credits.
- Should I get the Aeroplan® Card or the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card has a lower $0/yr fee; the Aeroplan® Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $195/yr.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.