Card comparison
Which card is better between Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express?
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard is the better overall pick over Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (53 vs 47) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee.
Effective rate Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
Annual fee Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
Welcome bonus Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
Benefits value Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard is the stronger overall pick between Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (53 vs 47) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard (3.6% top effective rate) vs Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express (2.4%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Choose A if
Choose Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard when its strongest categories, bonus, or perks match how you actually spend.
Choose B if
Choose Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express when the fee, welcome bonus, or issuer ecosystem fits better than the headline winner.
Full comparison
How do Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express compare across all spend categories?
Across all five spend categories, Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express trade wins row by row. Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard peaks at 3.6% effective; Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express peaks at 2.4%. Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard wins the headline effective-rate view in this pair.
| Category / metric | Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard | Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | 2x miles (3.6%) | 2x miles (2.4%) | Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard · 1.2 pts |
| Grocery | 2x miles (3.6%) | 2x miles (2.4%) | Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard · 1.2 pts |
| Gas | 2x miles (3.6%) | 1x miles (1.2%) | Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard · 2.4 pts |
| Travel | 1x miles (1.8%) | 1x miles (1.2%) | Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard · 0.6 pts |
| Other | 1x miles (1.8%) | 1x miles (1.2%) | Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard · 0.6 pts |
| Welcome bonus | ~$1440 estimated | ~$960 estimated | Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard |
| Est. annual benefits | $2385/yr | $32545/yr | Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express |
| Annual fee | $99 | $150 | Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard |
| Holistic overall | 53 pts (cat 30, bonus 12, benefits 2, fee 9) | 47 pts (cat 10, bonus 8, benefits 23, fee 6) | Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard |
Madeen take
How to think about this pair
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard (3.6% top effective rate) vs Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express (2.4%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Strategy
Use Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2x miles. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Use Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2x miles. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Hawaiian Airlines World Elite.
Welcome bonus playbook
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Madeen analysis
Which card has stronger benefits: Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard or Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express?
Madeen estimates $2385 annual benefit value on Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard versus $32545 on Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express. Credits only matter if you will use them.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
Total est. value: $2,385/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- Lyft $1,440/yr
- Mastercard Transit Benefit $200/yr
- World Elite Concierge $150/yr
- Instacart $140/yr
- Two Free Checked Bags $140/yr
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express
Total est. value: $32,545/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- $200 Delta Flight Credit $10,000/yr
- Extended Warranty $10,000/yr
- Purchase Protection $10,000/yr
- Baggage Insurance Plan $2,000/yr
- First checked bag free $280/yr
Welcome bonus
Which welcome bonus is stronger for Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard or Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend. Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard lists 80k Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards; Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express lists 80k Delta SkyMiles.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
80k Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express
80k Delta SkyMiles
Caps & conditions
Caps and earn limits
Both Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express carry structured reward caps in the catalog. Compare the category that matters most before assuming the headline multiplier lasts all year.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
- 2x MILES ON DINING
- 2x MILES ON GAS
- 2x MILES ON ELIGIBLE GROCERY STORE PURCHASES
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express
- Earn 2x miles at restaurants
- Earn 2x miles at U.S. supermarkets
Who should pick which
Scenario playbook
Cashback-first user
Pick Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard is the better cashback-style pick because it has the cleaner effective-rate and fee blend for this pair.
Travel & points user
Pick Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard is the stronger travel-style pick because it combines better reward value with more travel-friendly positioning.
No annual fee priority
Pick Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard is easier to keep for no-fee users because it has the lighter annual-fee burden in this pair.
Heavy dining spend
Pick Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
For restaurant and dining-coded spend, the winner is whoever posts the stronger dining effective rate after caps and exclusions — see the category matrix for the current snapshot.
Heavy grocery spend
Pick Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
Supermarket and grocery coding can differ from superstores and delivery, so compare the grocery row before you optimize a weekly shopping basket.
Welcome bonus chaser
Pick Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Fee-sensitive keeper
Pick Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
When you want the card that is easiest to keep year two, annual fee often matters more than a narrow category edge.
Decision guide
Which card is better between Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express?
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard is the better overall pick because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (53 vs 47) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard (3.6% top effective rate) vs Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express (2.4%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
When should you pick Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard over Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express?
Choose Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2x miles. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Best for dining-heavy spend when the $99 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 3.6% effective (2x miles).
- That dining rate ranks higher than about 92% of cards we track in the category.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Tradeoffs
- $99 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Multiple caps, activations, or exclusions may limit headline earn rates.
When should you pick Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express over Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard?
Choose Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2x miles. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Best for dining-heavy spend when the $150 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 2.4% effective (2x miles).
- That dining rate ranks higher than about 80% of cards we track in the category.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Tradeoffs
- $150 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Delta SkyMiles value depends on how you redeem, not straight cash back.
Common questions about Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard vs Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express
Which card is better between Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express?
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard is the stronger overall fit because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (53 vs 47) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. The overall winner depends on your spend mix — use the scorecard rows and scenario playbook to see where each card actually wins.
Which card wins on dining: Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard or Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express?
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard leads dining at 3.6% effective versus 2.4%.
Which card is better for cashback users: Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard or Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express?
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard is the better cashback-style pick between Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express.
Which welcome bonus is stronger between Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Which card has stronger benefits: Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard or Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express?
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express leads on estimated annual benefit value in the Madeen snapshot.
Which card has the lower annual fee: Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard or Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express?
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard has the simpler fee story in this pair ($99 vs $150). Annual fee only wins if you use the rewards and credits that justify it.
Is Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard or Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express better for travel spend?
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard is the stronger travel-style pick between Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard and Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express in this snapshot.
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Reviewed by Madeen editorial review
Catalog snapshot 2026-05-01
Updated 2026-06-25
Content tier Premium depth
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