Delta SkyMiles® Gold vs JetBlue Plus
Side-by-side comparison
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold | JetBlue Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $150 | $99 |
| Welcome offer | 70,000 bonus points | |
| Dining | 2x | 2x |
| Groceries | 2x | 2x |
| Gas | 1x | 1x |
| Travel | 1x | 1x |
| Streaming | 1x | 1x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $382 | $382 |
| Points type | Locked to Delta SkyMiles | Locked to JetBlue TrueBlue |
| Network | Amex | Mastercard |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified August 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
Welcome bonus and value over time
| Over time | Delta SkyMiles® Gold | JetBlue Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Up to 90,000 SkyMiles | 70,000 bonus points |
| To earn it | $5,000 in 6 months | $1,000 in 90 days |
| Est. first-year value* | $1,332 | $1,083 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $432 | $383 |
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold wins on both fronts: it comes out ahead in year one on the welcome offer and stays ahead every year after. Short term or long, it is the stronger pick on the numbers.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent.
Perks, credits, and redemptions
| Perks | Delta SkyMiles® Gold | JetBlue Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | None | None |
| Annual credits | ~$200/yr (2 credits) | ~$100/yr (2 credits) |
| Points & redemptions | Locked to a single program | Locked to a single program |
On perks and redemptions, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold carries the heavier credit stack (about $200 a year). Weigh those against the fee, since credits and lounge access only count if you will actually use them.
Transfer partners and point value
Neither card earns transferable points, so redemptions are cash-back or fixed portal value on both, roughly a cent per point. There is no airline or hotel transfer angle to separate them.
The verdict
On a typical year of household spending, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold earns about $382 a year in rewards and the JetBlue Plus about $382, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Delta SkyMiles® Gold charges $150, but carries about $200 in annual statement credits that offset it for anyone who uses them. The JetBlue Plus charges $99, but carries about $100 in annual statement credits that offset it for anyone who uses them. These two are about as close as cards get: their category rates line up almost exactly, they sit in the same fee tier, and on that spending they finish within a few dollars of each other. The choice is not really about the rewards rate. Neither leans on transferable points, so the deciding factors are the welcome offer, the card network, and which everyday perks you will actually use. One tiebreaker: the JetBlue Plus adds an anniversary free night or bonus, which the other does not. On the sign-up bonus, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold currently has the larger welcome offer (a limited-time offer above its usual amount, so treat it as a one-time boost). A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.