Review: American Express Gold Delta SkyMiles Card

The American Express Gold Delta SkyMiles Card is a great credit card for Delta fans who don’t want to break the bank. That’s because it offers some nice benefits for casual Delta flyers including free checked bags and a 20% discount on in-flight purchases. The Delta Gold Card also has a $99 annual fee (waived the first year) to counter its perks.

Don’t confuse this card with the regular American Express Gold Card. The American Express Gold Card is a mid-tier charge card that earns flexible Amex Membership Rewards points.

Earning

The earning structure of the Delta Gold Card changed on January 30, 2020. The card earns 2x SkyMiles at Grocery Stores stateside and Restaurants worldwide. All Delta purchases will earn just one SkyMile per dollar. This earning structure is lackluster even after the changes from 2020. Therefore, using it for category or everyday purchases after earning the sign-up bonus is not recommended

Furthermore, Amex and Delta are offering a sign-up bonus worth 30,000 SkyMiles for the Delta Gold Card. It can be earned after spending $1,000 within the first three months. This sign-up bonus is also lackluster given the Delta Gold Card’s status as a mid-tier co-branded credit card. Many competitors, co-branded or not, are offering much larger sign-up bonuses for the same annual fee as the Delta Gold Card.

Burning

The Delta Gold Card gives cardholders a few ways to redeem their SkyMiles:

The most obvious way to redeem Delta SkyMiles is for airfare. Miles can go a long way for airfare, but cardholders need to do some research to get maximum value. This is because Delta does not have a rewards chart posted online.

Miles + Cash is a great option for those who don’t have many miles. This option is also nice for those who are short a few miles for a certain redemption. Many co-branded cards have this option and its nice to see Delta have it too.

Delta also offers vacation packages that can be purchases with miles. This is nice for those who don’t want to do much research and planning for their next vacation. It’s also great for last-minute trips.

Plus, cardholders can also use SkyMiles to upgrade their seat or even get membership to the Delta SkyClub. Gift cards and donations to charity are two other options for redemption.

Benefits

The Delta Gold Card’s value lies in its perks. Most, if not all, of the card’s $99 annual fee could be justified here.

Free Checked Bags

Delta lets the primary cardholder and up to eight other people in the same reservation check their first bags for free on any round-trip flight. This perk can be worth around $50 per person for each compliant bag. It can be very useful for those who are traveling with a family or a large group of people.

Priority Boarding

Cardholders can also board their flights early. This is awesome because cardholders can avoid the traffic from the general public when boarding. Fewer people also makes it easier for cardholders to find their seat and receive first choice of overhead storage bin space.

20% Discount on In-Flight Purchases

Plus, cardholders receive 20% off in-flight purchases when using their Delta Gold Card. This is nice for in-flight meals, entertainment, or other incidentals.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

Cardholders can save 2.7% on all your international purchases because there are no pesky foreign exchange fees.

$100 Delta Flight Credit

Furthermore, cardholders can earn a $100 flight credit after spending $10,000 in a calendar year. While having this opportunity is nice, there are better ways to spend $10,000 if the goal is to realize maximum value.

Rules & Regulations

This card is subject to Amex’s Once Per Lifetime Rule, which states that cardholders can only receive a sign-up bonus on any card once ever. Therefore, prospective cardholders should apply for this card when the sign-up bonus is as high as possible.

Similar Cards

American Express Blue Delta SkyMiles Card

The American Express Delta Blue Card is the no annual fee version of the Delta Gold Card. Both cards have similar earning structures and perks. But there are one main difference: the Blue Card does not have any free checked bags whereas the Gold Card does.

Plus, Amex and Delta are offering a sign-up bonus worth 10,000 SkyMiles for the Blue Card. This bonus can be earned after spending just $500 within the first three months. This bonus is less valuable than that of the Gold Card. But the Blue Card has no annual fee.

Simply put, the Delta Gold Card is the better long-term keeper card for casual Delta flyers. This is especially true if you travel often and/or with a lot of people and want free bags. The Delta Blue Card is an excellent downgrade option for cardholders who want to maintain credit history.

American Express Platinum Delta SkyMiles Card

The American Express Delta Platinum Card has everything that the Delta Gold Card has and then some. Both cards have the same earning structure, but the Delta Platinum Card has more perks. The Delta Platinum Card also has a $250 annual fee.

The Delta Platinum Card gives the primary cardholder one Annual Companion Certificate each year. The certificate lets another person fly for free in any domestic flight. Cardholders will receive another certificate each time they pay the card’s annual fee.

The Delta Platinum Card also has a built in spend incentive. Cardholders will receive a bonus of 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 10,000 SkyMiles each time you spend a total of $25,000 on the card.

Furthermore, Amex and Delta are offering a sign-up bonus worth 35,000 SkyMiles and 5,000 MQMs for the Delta Platinum Card. It can be earned after spending $2,000 within the first three months.

Final Draw

The American Express Gold Delta SkyMiles Card is a nice credit card for casual Delta flyers who don’t want to break the bank. Its value lies in its free checked bags perk that can be used up to nine times on a single flight. The card also has other perks that could enhance your Delta experience.

Earning is the card’s true weakness as there are better options within all categories and for everyday spend. Plus, the Gold Delta Card has a meager sign-up bonus with a minimum spend that’s not too hard to hit.

Apply Today: American Express Delta Gold Card