Airline specific credit cards

Why not? You can always cancel it after the first year. As long as you're disciplined with paying off your credit card every month, it's a good way to build points. There are probably other benefits listed for the card too, such as free checked luggage, priority boarding.

I have a card for Delta but that is mostly because I tend to fly with them. The sign on bonus seems good and it appears it will help you. If you open/close credit cards, even if you pay your bills in full each month, I believe it leads to a credit score reduction of some sort. But if you are not planning to buy a house or need significant credit in the next couple of years, it may make sense. B:TW, the value of Skymiles, like most award programs, get worse and worse every year.

Thanks to you both!

Personally I find hotel credit cards more rewarding than airline cards. It takes so many purchases to accumulate points for overseas flights whereas hotel cards (Marriott for one) have quicker rewards.

When you say you are disciplined with credit cards, I hope you mean you don't carry a balance. If you don't carry a balance, then I would charge as often as you can if you are paying cash instead. There are no rewards for paying cash. Anything I have to pay that does not charge a service fee, gets paid by my credit card. You would be surprised how fast points build up.

As far as the Delta card, please read the fine print. Sometimes credit cards require you to charge at least $1000 beyond the ticket to get the $400 for free.

If you are disciplined, and do a moderate amount of travel, there are benefits, just depends how far you want to go.

I pay more than that a year for my Delta CC, but I get free bags, free club access, miles on spend, qualification miles that helps my status with them, and between all that, usually earn enough miles to get a ticket to Europe each year, or a couple domestic tickets if I want.

For you, you will get free checked bags (at least one), and by having a credit card, the miles you earn will not expire, plus a few other benefits

I believe it leads to a credit score reduction of some sort

No it doesn't. If anyone would see a reduction in credit score it would be me, I churn 2 cards/year for travel points. $400 isn't bad (it requires no effort) but it is possible to get over $4000 in plane tickets from a single credit card churn. I travel free a lot.

Be sure the card doesn't charge fees on foreign transactions. I have at least one airline card that does (so it doesn't go overseas with me).

The Delta Amexes don’t have foreign transaction fees.

It is true the Delta AMEX cards don’t have foreign transaction fees but AMEX is so uncommon in Europe, I swap that out for my Visa for most transactions.

AMEX is so uncommon in Europe

A couple weeks ago I could not get my Mastercard to work on Czech Railways online (www.Cd.cz). It rejected the credit card after only 8 digits inputted, so at that point only the bank could be identified (CapitalOne). I tried 3 times. Then I tried the Delta Amex and the purchase sailed through and without fees.

I am less than tickled with my Delta AMEX, but it costs me nothing, so I keep it. There are no foreign transaction fees. AMEX is being accepted more and more in Europe. I was actually surprised during my recent trip to Portugal the number of times AMEX was accepted. For me having the card is a "wash". The annual fee for mine is $99. If you spend enough, you'll get a $100 credit to be used within a year. You and everyone you travel with, if the tickets are purchased together get a free checked bag. If you have the AMEX card, you basically get to board just before steerage, so there's that.

I am constantly looking for another travel card but because Delta is my preferred airline, I don't seem to come up with anything that makes sense. I don't want to upgrade to the higher level card Delta AMEX, because we wouldn't use a companion ticket. My husband and I rarely travel together domestically. Plus, for folks that currently hold an AMEX card, we get fewer skymiles with the promotions than a new cardholder does. (right now its 30,000, and 30,000 wouldn't get me to Iowa) We used to carry just one AMEX between the two of us and cancel it and have the other person get it for the promotional benefits. AMEX has made it harder/impossible to do this. Chase seems to be a great card, but it is more complicated to use with Delta, especially, when I'm also using Delta skymiles to buy tickets. I don't have time to jump through hoops to use award travel.

I've been looking at a Capitalone Card, but it appears that the car insurance only comes with the ones with the higher fees.

Anyway, I digress. I would get the card. Make sure to pay off the balance every month. If you fly Delta somewhat regularly, it makes sense to get the card. Make sure to spend the amount needed to obtain the advertised promotional benefit. If you decide you don't like it cancel it after the year.

I have all types of travel cards.

Hotel cards pay for themselves because you usually get one free night per year if you have the card. Marriott is the only hotel program that has somewhat decent conversion ratio to airline miles. It's usually three marriott points for every airline mile. So,if you need 50,000 airline miles, you'll have to convert 150,000 points. The other major hotel brands conversion is like 10 to 1.

Airlines cards are good if you fly a specific airline. You accumulate miles for every dollar you spend. However, it's the sign up bonuses that are key. When I first got my British Airways card years ago, they offered 100,000 miles for signing up and spending a certain amount in the first few months.

If you don't travel that much, then a different type of card--like a cash back card--might be better for you.

Whichever card you choose, note the following:

--make sure the card offers no foreign transaction fees;

--American Express is not as widely accepted in Europe as Visa and Mastercard. I shopped at a major supermarket chain in the UK yesterday and I noticed a sign at the self service register saying they do not accept American Express. Delta's credit card is American Express.

--read the fine print before signing up.

When we travel, we always make sure to have VISA, Mastercard and AMEX. It used to be that the AMEX was hard to use in Europe. Each trip I take AMEX is accepted more and more. Honestly, the card I had the most trouble with in Portugal was VISA. Every time we bought gas or a bus ticket, the card was frozen until we called them. I was quite happy that we could use AMEX as a back up.

I often use my AMEX card for hotels because most of the decent sized ones accept it. And I always use it for car rental because it covers the CDW, and renting from Hertz it has never been questioned. However do check on that because I understand that this CDW coverage benefit may vary by your specific AMEX plan.
Then I use Visa or MC for everything else.

Some AmEx cards do charge international transaction fees. I have both personal and business cards. Of 4 only 2 have no Int’l transaction fees, platinum and ithink my business gold. Last fall I called on all cards I was thinking of bringing. Glad I double checked . Terms change and so did which cc’s I took to France! I would verify.

The Delta AMEX that the OP is asking about does not have a foreign transaction fee