Delta Air Lines American Express credit cards’ annual fees are increasing significantly, just months after the airline reversed controversial changes to its rewards program and made access to its Sky Clubs more exclusive.
The changes occurred overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, according to cached versions of the website. The annual fee for Delta’s lowest-tier gold card rose from $99 (after an initial free introductory year) to $150. The Delta SkyMiles Platinum AmEx, which used to cost $250 annually, is now $350. The annual fee for its Reserve card also rose by $100 to $650.
These changes follow the controversial alterations made last fall.
In just over a month, the dominant carrier at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport introduced heightened requirements for obtaining elite status and all its perks, sparking customer outrage, and later scaling back the alterations after conceding that it “probably went too far.”
The plans, initially announced in September, aimed to base status solely on the amount of money flyers spend with the carrier or through their SkyMiles American Express credit cards, rather than miles flown. Delta had also confirmed its plan to cap the number of entries to its Sky Club lounges starting Feb. 1, 2025, for premium cardholders.
However, Delta has since reduced the number of “Medallion Qualification Dollars” (MQDs) required to achieve 2025 status, further enhanced the Million Miler program to reward long-term loyalty, increased Delta Sky Club access for holders of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card, and improved options for rollover medallion qualification miles.
In addition to the higher fees, Delta has also introduced some new perks for these credit card changes. For example, platinum cardholders could previously earn 50,000 bonus miles after making $3,000 in eligible purchases on the card in the first six months. Now, Delta has increased this to 90,000 bonus miles after making $4,000 in eligible purchases on the card in the first six months. At least until the offer ends on March 27.
This story will be updated.
