Is the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card worth the higher annual fee?

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card costs $150/yr vs $99/yr for the JetBlue Plus Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $51 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card also lists travel credits).

Which card earns more rewards, the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card or JetBlue Plus 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 Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card have that the JetBlue Plus Card doesn't?

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card offers travel credits. The JetBlue Plus Card offers travel credits.

Should I get the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card or the JetBlue Plus Card?

Use the spend scenarios on this page: the JetBlue Plus Card has a lower $99/yr fee; the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $150/yr.

Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card vs JetBlue Plus Card

Annual fees: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card $150/yr, JetBlue Plus Card $99/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card on dining, JetBlue Plus Card on dining.

Card data as of October 12, 2026.

Credit card comparison
Overview
	Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card American Express · $150/yr	JetBlue Plus Card Barclays · $99/yr
Annual fee	$150 Waived first year	$99 Lowest
Welcome offerCurrent public offer	As high as 80,000 miles — offers vary	70,000 points
Rewards	Delta SkyMiles	JetBlue TrueBlue Rewards Program
Foreign transaction fee	None	None
Network	American Express	Mastercard World Elite
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
Dining	2x	2x
Grocery Stores	2x	2x
Everything else	1x	1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
Travel	$200 Delta flight credit $100 Delta Stays 20% inflight purchases · $20 per transaction	$100 JetBlue Vacations
Rideshare & transit	$10/mo rideshare · $10 monthly	—
Perks & access— means none on record
Airline perks	First checked bag free for cardholder plus 8 companions Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights	Save 50% on inflight food and drinks First checked bag free for cardholder plus 3 companions
Other perks	Amex Offers Early access to concerts and events 24/7 global travel assistance TakeOff 15 No foreign transaction fees	No foreign transaction fees
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
Baggage	Baggage insurance up to $1,250 for carry-on items	—
Rental car	Secondary car rental insurance coverage	—
Purchase & returns	Purchase protection for new items	—
Extended warranty	Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty	—
Other protections	Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges	—
Pros & cons
Pros	First checked bag free for you + 8 companions; second checked bag free on domestic Delta flights Priority boarding in Main Cabin 1 $120 rideshare credit ($10/month after first renewal; enrollment required) 2X miles on Delta, restaurants, and supermarkets No foreign transaction fees	6x points on JetBlue purchases provides strong earning rate Free first checked bag extends to up to 3 companions on same reservation 10% points back when redeeming for JetBlue award flights 50% off eligible inflight food and drinks 5,000 anniversary bonus points each year
Cons	$150 annual fee after first year ($0 intro year) No companion certificate included No Delta Sky Club access Only 1X on most purchases SkyMiles have variable redemption value	$99 annual fee may not be justified for occasional flyers No lounge access benefit No companion certificate No priority boarding Only 2x points on restaurants and groceries (same as no-fee card)
	Card details	Card details

Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
American Express · $150/yr
JetBlue Plus Card
Barclays · $99/yr

Overview

Annual fee: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
$150
Waived first year
JetBlue Plus Card
$99
Lowest
Welcome offerCurrent public offer: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
As high as 80,000 miles — offers vary
JetBlue Plus Card
70,000 points
Rewards: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles
JetBlue Plus Card
JetBlue TrueBlue Rewards Program
Foreign transaction fee: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
None
JetBlue Plus Card
None
Network: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
American Express
JetBlue Plus Card
Mastercard World Elite

Earn ratesPer $1 spent

Dining: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
2x
JetBlue Plus Card
2x
Grocery Stores: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
2x
JetBlue Plus Card
2x
Everything else: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
1x
JetBlue Plus Card
1x

Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record

Travel: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
$200 Delta flight credit
$100 Delta Stays
20% inflight purchases · $20 per transaction
JetBlue Plus Card
$100 JetBlue Vacations
Rideshare & transit: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
$10/mo rideshare · $10 monthly
JetBlue Plus Card
—

Perks & access— means none on record

Airline perks: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
First checked bag free for cardholder plus 8 companions
Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights
JetBlue Plus Card
Save 50% on inflight food and drinks
First checked bag free for cardholder plus 3 companions
Other perks: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
Amex Offers
Early access to concerts and events
24/7 global travel assistance
TakeOff 15
No foreign transaction fees
JetBlue Plus Card
No foreign transaction fees

Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record

Baggage: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
Baggage insurance up to $1,250 for carry-on items
JetBlue Plus Card
—
Rental car: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
Secondary car rental insurance coverage
JetBlue Plus Card
—
Purchase & returns: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
Purchase protection for new items
JetBlue Plus Card
—
Extended warranty: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
JetBlue Plus Card
—
Other protections: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
JetBlue Plus Card
—

Pros & cons

Pros: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
First checked bag free for you + 8 companions; second checked bag free on domestic Delta flights
Priority boarding in Main Cabin 1
$120 rideshare credit ($10/month after first renewal; enrollment required)
2X miles on Delta, restaurants, and supermarkets
No foreign transaction fees
JetBlue Plus Card
6x points on JetBlue purchases provides strong earning rate
Free first checked bag extends to up to 3 companions on same reservation
10% points back when redeeming for JetBlue award flights
50% off eligible inflight food and drinks
5,000 anniversary bonus points each year
Cons: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
$150 annual fee after first year ($0 intro year)
No companion certificate included
No Delta Sky Club access
Only 1X on most purchases
SkyMiles have variable redemption value
JetBlue Plus Card
$99 annual fee may not be justified for occasional flyers
No lounge access benefit
No companion certificate
No priority boarding
Only 2x points on restaurants and groceries (same as no-fee card)

Card details

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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	Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card	JetBlue Plus Card	Ongoing winner	Year-one winner
Light spender: $1,000/month	Rewards: $187 Credits (our usable estimate): $182 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $219 Year one: $369	Rewards: $211 Credits (our usable estimate): $5 − Annual fee ($99) Ongoing: $117 Year one: $1,062	Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card	JetBlue Plus Card
Heavy spender: $4,000/month	Rewards: $749 Credits (our usable estimate): $182 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $781 Year one: $931	Rewards: $842 Credits (our usable estimate): $5 − Annual fee ($99) Ongoing: $748 Year one: $1,693	Close — depends on how much of the credits you use	JetBlue Plus Card

Is the Fee Difference Worth It?

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card costs $150/yr — that's $51 more than the JetBlue Plus Card ($99/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $51 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card includes travel credits, free checked bags. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $51 fee gap for your own usage.

Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $51 fee gap means the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card needs roughly $51 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on dining and grocery stores and everyday spend.

The Bottom Line

Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.

Published annual fees: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card $150/yr, JetBlue Plus Card $99/yr — a $51 difference before welcome offers and credits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card worth the higher annual fee?: The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card costs $150/yr vs $99/yr for the JetBlue Plus Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $51 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card also lists travel credits).
Which card earns more rewards, the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card or JetBlue Plus 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 Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card have that the JetBlue Plus Card doesn't?: The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card offers travel credits. The JetBlue Plus Card offers travel credits.
Should I get the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card or the JetBlue Plus Card?: Use the spend scenarios on this page: the JetBlue Plus Card has a lower $99/yr fee; the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $150/yr.

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Official issuer pages: American Express cards · Barclays cards

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.